SPECIAL ISSUE
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CONTENTS
cover story
10
July-August 2017 | Volume 13 | Issue 07
special interview
policymaker’s perspective
international perspective
24
34
Anil Swarup
Chris Cobb
Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, University of London
32 Ashok Jain Chief Secretary Government of Rajasthan
36 08 Kiran Maheshwari
Minister, Higher and Technical Education, Sanskrit Education, Science and Technology, Government of Rajasthan
special feature
Raj Huns Upadhyay Additional Chief Secretary Higher, Technical and Sanskrit Education Department, Coordination - School and Sanskrit Education, Government of Rajasthan
Ashutosh A T Pednekar Commissioner College Education and Special Secretary Higher Education Government of Rajasthan
Anju Sharma Principal Secretary Higher and Technical Education Government of Gujarat
54 Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe Chairman AICTE
Grooming Students for a Challenging Tomorrow
Kalthoom Al Balooshi Executive Director of Education, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai
82 Infusing Digital Technologies in Everyday Learning An Education Brief by Cambridge International Examinations
38
46
28
70
Focus: NCERT 58 Major Harsh Kumar Secretary NCERT
university perspective
27 Dr S K Salwan Vice Chancellor Apeejay Stya University
72 Prof (Dr) S S Sarangdevot Vice Chancellor Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth
92 Dr Sandeep Sancheti President Manipal University Jaipur
104 Souvik Bhattacharyya Vice-Chancellor BITS Pilani
EDITORIAL Celebrating the Legacy of World Education To catch a glimpse of the future, all one needs is to keenly observe how newer methodologies and innovations are being used to deliver education. Today, the growing role of innovation and technology in education sector is too overwhelming for members of any progressive society to ignore it. It is not only serving as a useful tool to help our schools, colleges and universities deliver the information and knowledge effectively It is in this light that Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd is going to organise the World Education Summit (WES) with the theme – “Reimagining Learning for Next Generation”. The summit will showcase the latest innovations, initiatives and best practices followed across the globe along with the education prospects for the next generation. Globally renowned education regulatory body of United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) will facilitate the participants at the summit to be familiar with the best educational practices across the globe. The grand conclave will witness the participation of national education regulatory bodies such as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and many more. Rajasthan has joined us as the principal state partner, Jharkhand as state partner along with state education departments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Telangana. Over 100 delegates from 33 countries including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Srilanka, Jordan, UAE, UK, Bahrain, Singapore, Tajikistan, Namibia, Zambia, Guinea, Krygyzstan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Tunisia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Comoros, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Myanmar will participate in the global conference. The 10th edition of World Education Summit (WES) is carrying forward the legacy of its previous editions where national and international experts, leaders, school or college owners, principals, vice chancellors gathered to deliberate upon the role of education towards building knowledge-based society. Our latest cover story -- WES Legacy: Bringing the Brightest Minds Together -- is an attempt to explain and revisit the World Education Summit over the years and celebrate its 10th edition in Delhi’s Le Meridien hotel from Aug 11-12, 2017. This special Digital Learning issue, dedicated to the 10th edition of World Education Summit, also contains insightful interviews of Kiran Maheshwari, Minister of Higher Education, Government of Rajasthan; Anil Swarup, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ashok Jain, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan among others. We hope that this issue of Digital Learning magazine will help our readers stay ahead of the curve by infusing innovation and helping them develop long-term vision by tracing the current growth trajectory of the education sector in India. Looking forward to our readers’ invaluable feedback.
Ravi Gupta Editior-in-Chief Digital Learning Magazine and CEO, Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd
SPECIAL interview
8
Implementing Best Learning Practices in Rajasthan’s World of
Higher Education
Rajasthan is a fast evolving State in India in terms of higher education. An endeavour is being made to ensure our youths are not just educated but also turn skillful and employable, says Kiran Maheshwari, Minister, Higher and Technical Education, Sanskrit Education, Science and Technology, Government of Rajasthan, in conversation with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN). How is the Government of Rajasthan planning to promote higher education in the State? Rajasthan is developing at a great pace. The State government has formulated policy architecture for achieving the task of better literacy rate in the form of skillful students. The government policies help students in achieving their goals easily and make them capable to compete globally. The rules and regulations framed by the Government ideally fulfill all the educational needs of students. The Government is endeavouring to develop this State as an educational hub in the country.
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Government of Rajasthan is promoting entrepreneurship amongst students, what policies and new initiatives have been undertaken in this regard? Efforts have been made to initiate Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programmes for students to optimise their placement and career oriented opportunities. Establishing Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Cells in the colleges was proposed as preliminary initiative that is approved from the competent authorities.
9
What Information Communication Technology (ICT) based initiatives are being taken by the government to boost teaching-learning process in the State? The dynamic e-Classroom initiative has facilitated students across the State to get curriculum-based online academic support and contents to prepare for competitive exams. The first phase of the programme is in final stage, as the installation of equipments in the colleges is under process by the DOIT. A total of 34 colleges have been identified in the first phase, selecting the prominent/leading colleges from each district headquarters in the State. The proposal is to expand this facility to other colleges as well. BSNL is providing dedicated lease line for internet connectivity to all Government colleges in Rajasthan. To enhance the teaching–learning capabilities of students as well as faculty of different subjects, various smart initiatives have been taken by the State Government. Under the proposal, a lab is supposed to be established having minimum 5 sets of desktops and IT peripherals where quality contents will be made available to students free of cost. This will help to enhance academic quality in colleges. The proposal is for 33 colleges in the first phase, which may be replicated in rest of the colleges after successful implementation. Bhamashah Sahyog Yojna is a link on Higher Education (HE) portal to have support from philanthropists and corporate sector to fulfill the infrastructure or any other requirements of the institution.
“
Efforts have been made to initiate Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programmes for students to optimise their placement and career oriented opportunities.
”
Considering the teaching –learning based difficulties belonging to faculty of science, especially the Zoology subject, Virtual Lab facility is proposed for 33 colleges. Under the proposal, virtual labs in two subjects were established in each college, of the two subjects one is Zoology. The other subjects are Chemistry, Physics and Botany. Considering the difficulties in teaching– learning processes across the State, especially in remote areas, a unique effort – E-Repository is designed to make quality content easily accessible to the students. Under the proposal a lab is supposed to be established having minimum 5 sets of desktops and IT peripherals where quality contents will be made available to students free of cost. This will help to enhance academic quality in colleges. The proposal is for 33 colleges in the first phase, which may be replicated in rest of the colleges after successful implementation.
Are there some projects in the pipeline to bring the higher education sector of Rajasthan at par with the global standards? With the aid from the Central Government, infrastructure development grant has been received from five universities and 100 colleges and also to establish one new engineering college at Baran. State higher education plan has been submitted to MHRD to receive more grants from Research, Innovation and Quality improvement and vocationalisation of higher education in the State. The State government has several plans to boost the higher education sector. The government has proposed to establish “Kalpana Swarnim Udaan Kendra” in girls’ colleges to train them in self-defence, skill development and to act as help centres in their career. This scheme is proposed for 10 government girls’ colleges in the State. Similarly, establishing “Janjatiya Yuva Unnayan Kendra” in ST dominating colleges is also proposed to train students for skill development and entrepreneurship. Such centres are also supposed to act as help desk in their career making. It is proposed for 32 government colleges in the statee.
SPECIAL interview
With an intense focus on developing next-gen leaders, entrepreneurship and skill development programmes for students are underway in colleges across the State. Universities have been directed to upgrade curricula to include skill development courses. Alongside, a proposal has been made for establishing ‘Kalpana Swarnim Udaan Kendra’ in Girls Colleges to train students for self-defense, skill development and also to act as help centres in their career making.
COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
10
WES
WORLD EDUCATION SUMMIT LEGACY Bringing Brightest Minds Together
To create awareness and build knowledge sharing platforms highlighting the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education, Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd organises World Education Summit (WES) every year. Akash Tomer of Elets News Network (ENN) explores the legacy of WES.
E
ducation means a lot in everyone’s life as it facilitates one’s learning, knowledge and skills. Education transforms mind and personality and helps us to attain the positive attitudes. It encourages and enhances creativity among students.
Education is a diversified term as it includes preschool education, school education and higher education. Nowadays, education is not limited to chalk and board only but Information Communication Technology (ICT) plays a very important role in teaching-learning processes. Every day, there are new innovations related to lecture delivery methodologies, curriculum and pedagogy. These innovations and ICT support help schools, colleges and universities to deliver the knowledge swiftly and precisely. Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd organises World Education Summit (WES) every year in order to showcase the innovations, initiatives and best practices followed across the globe. So far nine editions of WES have been organised across the world (in cities like Dubai, Bahrain, Denver etc.) covering the aforementioned aspects. World Education Summit has brought together decision makers, influential experts and practitioners at an annual Summit from around the world, to explore groundbreaking innovations and take concrete steps to make significant improvements to worldwide education. The summit is a premier international platform dedicated to innovation and creative action in education where top decision-makers share insights with on-the-ground practitioners and collaborate to rethink education.
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COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
12
WORLD EDUCATION SUMMIT, DELHI
2011
The Grand Conference
WES is the congregation of some of the leading thinkers in the education world from across Asia and beyond. The latest edition of World Education Summit will inspire one and all, making them understand the challenges and solutions of the developing education world through a new prism. Over 300 inspirational speakers not just from across Asia and from different parts of the world are invited to participate in the summit.
2012
Expo
Elets’ conference is the place where the best of learning experiences happen. The exhibition witnesses unique yet effective teaching methodologies, networking and product interactions among different sections of the education landscape. Over 50 exhibitors will showcase new initiatives in edtech. 2013
Awards
The 10th World Education Summit 2017 aims to recognise, highlight, honour and encourage leading models/projects/ processes of excellence and sustainable innovation in school and higher education. The awards will also see entrepreneurs in the education space getting recognised. The summit has, in its past too, brought to fore unique initiatives and projects that have caused a paradigm shift in the education sphere within
2014
2016
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2015
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COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
14
Thought Leaders from across the globe have been part of Elets initiatives since last decade. Be it India, Asia or Middle East, Africa or Europe, policymakers have attended WES and shared their vision to create a developed knowledge based society. Be it preschool, school or higher education, global thought leaders from these verticals have enriched Elets conferences with their presence as well as opened up new horizons for the thoughtful minds.
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
16
2011 World Education Summit 2011 created history by attracting representations from over 50 countries. Thought leaders and policymakers from countries of Middle East, Africa, Europe along with India congregated together to ideate, deliberate and discuss on new technological interventions for over all development of education world over.
Hon’ble Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
Former President of India
Dr Thomas Christie
Director, Aga Khan University Examination Board
Loynpo Thakur S Powdyel
Kapil Sibal
Hon’ble Minister of Human Hon’ble Minister Resource Development of Education, Royal and Communications and Government of Bhutan IT, Government of India
Dr Taseer Al Nuaimi Goeffrey Conaghan Hon’ble Minister of Education, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
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Commissioner to India, State Government of Victoria, Australia
2012 Elets World Education Summit 2012 created a knowledge sharing platform to discuss various aspects of ICT for education ranging from School Education to Higher Education and Technical Education. Global Leaders like Minister of Education from Mauritius and other countries participated in the premier conference on education.
Shri E Ahmad
Shigeru Aoyagi
Dr Sunil Nawaratne
Dr Theophilus Mooko
Dr Pascal Chazot
Prof S S Mantha
Secretary, Minister Minister of State for Human Director and UNESCO of Higher Education, representative to India, Resourse Development, Bhutan, Maldvies, Sri Lanka Government of Sri Lanka Government of India
Deputy Permanent Secretary, President, National Chairman, All India Council Ministry of Education and comission of Employment for Technical Education Skills Development, and Training, France (AICTE) Republic of Botswana
COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
18
2013 Harmonising Global Efforts: Strategies for steering the education sector - Keeping this theme as focal point of discussion. WES 2013 witnessed congregation of thought leaders under one roof to discuss various issues related to education. Member of Parliament, France and key policy makers from Indian Government shared their views for creating an effective education ecosystem.
Prof Wajih Owais
HE Shaida Mohammad
Robert O Ferrer
Mark Parkinson
HE Rizali Wilmar
Minister of Higher Education Abdali Indrakesuma and Scientific Research, Ambassador of the Islamic Indrakesuma, Government of Jordan Republic of Afghanistan Ambassador of Indonesia to India
First Secretary, Embassy of the Philippines
Executive Director, Kunskapsskolan Eduventures, India
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Shri Shahid Ali Khan
Minister, Minority Welfare and IT, Government of Bihar, India
2014 World Education Summit 2014 was more than a conference. It built a strong community around it and provided various business and networking opportunities for education leaders and industry leaders. The dynamics of education sector was then changing rapidly world over and WES 2014 provided an opportunity to all the stakeholders to come together and deliberate, discuss and explore the horizon.
Vishaka Nanayakkara
Ministry Of Higher Education, Government of SriLanka
Praveen Prakash
Justice M S A Siddiqui
Moli Diva
Chairman, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, New Delhi
Deputy Head of English and Foundation Studies, Australian College of Kuwait
William Bickerdike
Dr. Najma A Heptulla
Joint Secretary, Technology Regional Director Union Minister for Minority Enabled Learning and Cambridge International Affairs, Government Mission Director,NMEICT, Examinations of India MHRD
COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
20
2015 From Canada to Australia- Global leaders from the world of education came together to deliberate upon different aspects of school and higher education and skill development in WES 2015. With the presence of ministers and key policymakers from India sharing their vision on education for all, the summit also created unique platform of knowledge sharing amongst the policy makers, eduleaders and industry leaders.
Kalthoom Al BAlooshi Dr Abdullah Al-Shibli Executive Director, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai
Director General of the Colleges of Applied Sciences, Ministry of Higher Education, The Sultanate of Oman
Prof Allan Rock
Dr Daljit Singh Cheema
President, University of Ottawa, Canada
Hon’ble Minister, Department of School Education, Goverment of Punjab
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Prof. Andrew Tagart Vice Chancellor, Murdoch University
Manish Sisodia
Deputy CHief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi
DUBAI
2016
The sixth WES was organised in Dubai in collaboration with Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai. It witnessed presence of 100 schools and colleges from Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. World education awards over the years have seen top innovations from education sector in private and public space get highlighted and recognised at this global platform.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam Hon. V. Radhakrishnan Chairman of the Board of Directors & Director General KHDA
State Minister of Education Sri Lanka
Dr Ayoub Kazim
Dr. B.R. Shetty
Chris Cobb
Vice-Chancellor (Operations) & COO University of London,U.K
Ryan Pinto
Managing Director Dubai Chairman Abu Dhabi Indian CEO, Ryan International International Academic City School Group of Institutions and Dubai Knowledge Village
2016 The seventh WES was organised in New Delhi in collaboration with NSDC, and saw presence of 200 Schools and 130 Universities from India. World Education Awards over the years have seen top innovations from education sector in private and public sector. These innovations get highlighted and recognised at this global platform.
BAHRAIN
2017
From Dubai to Bahrain the World Education Summit organised on 8-9 March, 2017, was more than a conference. It has built a strong community around it and provided various business and networking opportunities for education leaders and industry leaders.
COVER STORY
World Education Summit legacy
22
Shri Raghubar Das
Hon’ble Chief Minister, Jharkhand
Eduardo J PadrĂłn
President, Miami Dade College, Miami
denver
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi H E Tomasz Lukaszuk
Minister of miniority Affairs, Ambassador, Embassy Government of India of Poland
Dr Marc Poulin,
Assistant Professor, School of Graduate Studies & Director of MBA and MITGov pograms, Canadian University, Dubai.
Amol Arora
Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Shemrock & Shemford Group of Schools
2017
9th World Education Summit 2017, Denver brought together the pioneers of education fraternity to University of Denver for exchanging and retaining new
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H.E. Dr Majid Bin Ali Christine Nasserghodsi Paul Fear Director of Innovation and Chief Executive Officer, AL-Nuaimi Minister of Education, Kingdom of Bahrain
Prof. Ghassan Aouad
President, Applied Science University, Bahrain
Entrepreneurship, Gems British Accreditation Education, Dubai Council, United Kingdom
Ken Jones
CEO, Al Dhafra Private Schools, Abu Dhabi
Prof. Yusuf Abdul Ghaffar Abdulla President, Kingdom University, Bahrain
innovations in education industry. University of Denver was the best place for such kind of a educational workshop to witness congregation of educationists from all over the world. This helped Indian institutions to collaborate with various US universities and to adapt their innovations.
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‘Most Innovative Private University’ at 9th BBC Knowledge & DNA Innovative Education Leadership Awards 2017 School of Engg. & Tech., ASU, recognised as the ‘Most Promising Engg. Institution in India.’, by Jagran Josh, 2017 .. and many more
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Policymaker’s Perspective
24
Unifying Policies to Rehash School Education Digitisation is important from school education perspective. Along with it, skilling the youth and training the teachers appropriately are required to refine the school education practices in India, says Anil Swarup, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, in an interview with Gautam Debroy of Elets News Network (ENN).
The Government of India is emphasising on Digital India, how are you implementing the concept of Digital India in your department? First of all, we have dispatched all the files and papers in the ministry. Everything has been digitised. So, we don’t have files and papers and every proposal moves on an electronic file. As everything has been digitised, so everything has been electronically handled within the department. Secondly, we are trying to use a lot of technology in the field to see how education can be delivered through it. A number of steps are being taken, an electronic platform is being created to provide teachers’ education. Similarly, NCERT has digitised all its material that is available online for students. For delivering education in schools, initiative is being taken to use tablets, computers and smart screens. These are the ways how we are trying to digitise the school education segment.
Is digitising school education being followed across the country or in a particular State? It cannot be done in one go in all the schools. There are more than 15 lakh schools in the country, so it can’t be implemented immediately.
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25
With Central Government’s emphasis on bringing rural and urban areas at par, what initiatives have been taken to promote school education, especially in the rural areas? Similar facilities are being provided in the schools located in urban areas and rural areas. We do not discriminate between schools in urban and rural areas in terms of providing infrastructure related facilities.
From June onwards you are going to initiate Central Curriculum Assessment, what is the motivation behind this decision? We are doing an assessment. The Right to Education Act provides that there should be learning outcomes on the basis of which we should determine, how much a child has been able to learn so far. We have been providing lots of inputs but how much a child has learnt was not determined through the specific learning outcomes. Now, these learning outcomes have been announced. Post announcement, we are going to conduct a national assessment survey through which we are going to assess the students of class 3, 5 and 8 as to how well has the child progressed? So, that is what we are going to do under Central National Assessment Survey (CNAS). By 31st December, we expect to get all the results. It will be rolled out in schools on a random sampling basis. This will help us to figure out the bottlenecks for every class and in adopting corrective measures.
What is the significance of skill education in schools? Skill education is extremely important because only through skilling we can nurture a student’s capability of getting a job. Ultimately, whatever he or she learns, it is for a purpose and that purpose can only be served if the student is skilled enough to get a job. Hence, we all believe that vocational training and skilling are very important components of school education.
For skilling students, it is very important that the teachers train
“
NCERT has digitised all its material that is available online for students. For delivering education in schools, initiative is being taken to use tablets, computers and smart screens. These are the ways how we are trying to digitise the school education segment.
”
In the context of teachers, a number of steps are being undertaken by the department. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is working very hard in bringing out a regime, wherein the teachers are appropriately trained before joining the service. What we are attempting to do is that for B.Ed colleges, we are trying to bring an accreditation system. Only the colleges that are accredited by the NCTE will only be allowed to run B.Ed courses.
Parents usually prefer private colleges over government colleges in many States of the country, is there any strategy followed by your department to change the practice? We are improving the quality of education in government schools and the moment it is done, the children will start returning to government schools. In the States like Bihar and in some parts of Maharashtra, the children are coming back to the government schools as they have managed to improve the quality of education. Since there is no compulsion on where a child should study; only with the help of good quality education, we can attract the students towards government schools.
What are the most prominent challenges in school education segment and how are you trying to overcome it? One of the major challenges is to have good teachers in schools. Teachers are the fulcrum and we have to improve that aspect. We are trying to provide pre-service training and improve the training process as well. We are trying to improve the process through which a teacher gets selected and to figure out a system through which a teacher gets trained. The other challenge is using technology for teachers to attend the school. As per the presently available data, one-fourth of the teachers don’t go to school. As a pilot project started in Chhattisgarh, tablets are provided to every school and biometric attendance systems are installed to confirm that a teacher does go to the school.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Policymaker’s Perspective
them as per their abilities, has your department undertaken initiatives in this regard?
But selectively, it is being done in a few schools and gradually it will be taken to other schools as well.
University Insights
26
Apeejay Stya University -Carrying Forth Legacy of Excellence in Education Apeejay Stya University (ASU) is a seat of global learning and the dream university of its Founder Chancellor Dr Stya Paul – eminent industrialist, educationist, philanthropist and freedom fighter. ASU is now being dynamically taken forward by his daughter Sushma Paul Berlia, the Co-Founder and Chancellor of the University.
S
ushma Paul Berlia is a passionate educationist who believes in being a trendsetter at ushering in educational reforms and dynamism. Aditya Berlia, an alumnus of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, is CoFounder and Pro-Chancellor of ASU, ushering in the best educational practices from the world over. Situated amidst a sprawling, picturesque campus with state-of-the-art infrastructure on the Sohna-Palwal Road in Gurgaon district of Haryana, Apeejay Stya University offers a wide range of innovative graduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across disciplines including Engineering and Technology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Design and Visual Arts, Biosciences, Management Sciences, Journalism and Mass Communication, Education and Legal Studies. All-round development of students is ensured by a well-stocked library-cum-Learning Resource Centre comprising more than 60,000 books on diverse subjects. ASU offers several scholarships and financial aid programmes on merit-cummeans basis to students. ASU provides students not only ‘education for livelihood’ but also ‘education for life’. It blends the dual identities of a technology and research based university with a Liberal Arts institution. An interdisciplinary approach based on Liberal Arts and a flexible credit system
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“
At ASU, we have set for ourselves a high benchmark, not just in terms of academic standards, but also in transparency, accountability and governance. We offer our students a wealth of learning opportunities in a vibrant campus that would serve as an essential stepping stone to a fulfilling life and career.”
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ensures a multipronged holistic development of the students. Critical and innovative thinking is encouraged at all levels to usher in creativity and problem solving skills. Best teaching practices from the world over as also the latest in ICT enables a rich and personalised teachinglearning experience. Apeejay Stya University has signed MoUs with many international institutions to provide global exposure to its students and its world class faculty. ASU has a truly global campus with students from over 15 countries. Campus life at ASU exudes a cultural vibrancy and myriad extra-curricular pursuits. A plethora of clubs cater to a range of interests including music, dance, dramatics, fine arts, photography, etc as also state-of-the-art sports facilities. ASU provides affordable spacious girls’ and boys’ hostel and studio apartments within campus. The Corporate Resource Centre of the University provides a dynamic platform for engagement with industry. It has initiated an industry mentorship programme which engages industry leaders as mentors for the students. The legacy of Apeejay attributes students’ placements in reputed national and international brands like SIEMENS, HCL, TATA, Infosys, HSBC, ICICI Bank, HDFC, AXIS, ESPN, NDTV, Lintas, Marks and Spencer, CNN IBN, Northern Stella, Interglobe, Religare and many more.
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The UGC recognised Apeejay Stya University (ASU) is India’s 1st Industry-Centric Technology and Liberal Arts University focused on Research and Innovation, says Dr S K Salwan, ViceChancellor, Apeejay Stya University, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
Apeejay Stya University is a renowned name in the higher education segment of Haryana, what have been its milestones so far? The wide range of programmes across plethora of disciplines at ASU are based on the best educational practices of some of the leading universities of the world. The Liberal Arts approach offers a well-defined path to develop critical thinking and analytical skills implemented through a ‘core’ set of wideranging subjects and domains. Well-known academicians from Stanford and Harvard University comprise the advisory board of ASU. ASU has a truly global campus with students from India and abroad. ASU has signed MoUs with many international institutions and universities. ASU enjoys the Apeejay Stya legacy of over 50 years of excellence in education, and has, in fact, been the recipient of several prestigious awards and accolades such as the ‘Most Innovative Private University’ at the 9th BBC Knowledge and DNA Innovative Education Leadership Awards 2017, the ‘Only Indian university among Six International upcoming Universities’ by the Times Higher Education, UK, 2017 and ‘Great Place to Study in India’ by Skill Tree Consortium at House of Commons, UK (in 2014-2015 and 2017), among many others.
What kind of infrastructure related, resource related and technology related facilities are provided to university students? ASU has introduced an innovative academic
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ASU offers a wide range of innovative graduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across disciplines, benchmarked with leading universities of the world.
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system that provides the students a flexible course curriculum with a multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approach, which not only helps to make students employable, but also fosters entrepreneurship skills in them. We have introduced many programmes which are unique and available only in a handful of universities in India, such as Cloud Computing, Education Management and Leadership, Integrated M Pharma + MBA, Integrated M Design, LLB, among others. ASU has a Wi-Fi enabled campus, state-of-theart ICT-enabled lecture rooms, conference halls, Computer and Science labs.
What kind of academic departments and researches available at the university? Are there any corporate sponsored researches and courses also available here? ASU offers a wide range of innovative graduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across disciplines, benchmarked with leading universities of the world. The various schools at ASU include Engineering and Technology, Design and Visual Arts, Journalism and Mass Communication, Biosciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Management Sciences, Educationand Legal Studies. ASU is a robust seat of innovation and research in Applied Science and Technology, including support for research in emerging technologies, Biosciences, Clinical Research, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Electronics. State-of-the-art research and technology incubation facilities are available to students and researchers..
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
University Perspective
Apeejay Stya University – Empowering Students for Brighter Tomorrow
Special Feature
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Grooming Students for a Challenging Tomorrow Indian Schools are witnessing a dramatic change at a large scale, as traditional approach to teach and learn is fast turning obsolete. As a rising number of schools are embracing ICT, students are being driven to exponentially adapt modern learning methodologies, writes Rashi Aditi Ghosh of Elets News Network (ENN).
Indian Education System at a glance The country’s formal education system is multilayered. A whooping number of 260 million students, larger than many countries’ total population, is enrolled in this system, with over 1.5 million primary and secondary schools being governed by either the State or Central education bodies. Widening the reach of education and opening new vistas for students, the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is growning rapidly in India. On one hand, the Central Government is promoting ICT through its various initiatives, on the other hand
schools are also introducing several innovative ideas for making optimum usage of technology in preparing the students for a better future.
Education Going the e-Way
Online Learning
The market of online education is aquring a lot of popularity and according to various reports it is here to stay. According to a report published by professional service company and leading audit firm KPMG (May 2017), Indian online education sector is currently worth $247 million and it is anticipated to grow to 1.96 billion in 2021.
Factors responsible for growth of online education Online education in India is expected to grow but there are several factors responsible for its development in the country. Growth of e-learning depends upon various factors like availability of quality education, employment for students, digital initiatives by Government, Smartphone users, Internet availability, disposable income and Young Population. These factor often emerge as challenges for online education.
Significance of online education in India Skill training and online certification currently play a significant role in the Indian online education market with a share of 38 per cent. According to the projections of a KPMG report, nearly 280 million students are expected to be enrolled in schools by 2021. A larger share (39 per cent) of this enrollment is projected to be
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
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Special Feature
inclined towards online primary and secondary supplemental education. Similarly, the popularity of online test preparation is expected to be the fastest rising category of online education, estimated to grow at an impressive CAGR of 64 per cent in the next five years.
approval for coverage under ICT in Schools Scheme.
Smart School under Madhyamik Shiksha (RMSA)
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)- An Overview of Government Initiatives The Central Government has subsumed ICT in schools under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) (a national drive for secondary education). ICT is essentially now a component of RMSA. This scheme has been designed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to omit the digital gap amongst the students from various socio-economic and other geographical backgrounds. It ensures aid to States/UTs to establish computer labs on a sustainable basis. Meanwhile, the concept of ICT in schools was launched in December 2004, it was later revised in 2010 to ensure opportunities for students enrolled at the secondary level of education. This was mainly initiated by capacity building of students in terms of ICT skills and to make them learn through relevant computeraided training process.
Essence of RMSA The scheme presently handles both the Government and the Governmentaided Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools. Financial assistance under the scheme is ensured to the States, Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) and State Institutes of Education Technologies (SIETs) based on the approvals accorded by Project Approval Board (PAB) chaired by the Secretary (School Education and Literacy). The project cost is shared between the Centre and States in ratio of 75:25 except for the North East Region (NER) states including Sikkim where it is 90:10. Financial assistance is given to the scheme for procurement of computers and peripherals, educational software, training of teachers, development of e-contents, Internet connectivity and set up of smart schools. So far, 87,033 government and government aided secondary and higher secondary schools have received
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In sync with the Central Government’s Digital India initiative, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology has created a portal to ensure accessibility of e-books.
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Rashtriya Abhiyan
MHRD has approved 63 out of 150 Smart Schools under the existing ICT in School Scheme so far. The Smart Schools are getting ready in the districts in sync with one of the existing State Government Schools, to serve as a role model and technology demonstrator among the neighbourhood schools.
Initiatives to Schools
Promote
ICT in
National Award For Teachers Using ICT For Innovation In Education For promoting computer enabled learning and usage of ICT in teaching in Government and Government-aided Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools, the MHRD has a provision of National Award for innovative use of ICT to motivate the teachers and teacher educators initiating proper usage of ICT in teachinglearning.
eBasta In sync with the Central Government’s Digital India initiative, the Department of Electronics and Information Technology has created a portal to ensure accessibility of e-books. The main motive of the initiative is to bring various publishers (free and commercial) and schools on common platform.
ICT-based curriculum The Tamil Nadu government has recently announced engaging of around 800 State Government teachers in developing a new curriculum enriched with the knowledge of ICT. It seems with the rising interface of technology in each and every domain, the need to get the students ready for ICT usage is the need of the hour. Supporting the demand with its relevant initiatives, the government is also equally ensuring this requirement. With proper exposure and relevant industry-based training in sync with the ICT, the education sector in India finally appears optimistic in overcoming the ageold challenges posed due to either absence of or minimal usage of technology.
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Policymaker’s Perspective
32
Preparing Rajasthani Graduates for Professional World The Government of Rajasthan with its focus on imparting education to tribal and rural population of the State has also signed MoUs to impart skill and job-oriented training to the youth of State, says Ashok Jain, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, in an interview with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN).
What are the various initiatives undertaken by the Government of Rajasthan to enhance competiveness of manpower as per global standards? The Government of Rajasthan in a joint venture with Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL), Pune; University of Rajasthan, Jaipur; Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur; Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University, Kota; Rajcomp Info Services Ltd, and Centre for e-governance, has set up Rajasthan Knowledge Corporation Limited (RKCL). It is a public limited company with an objective to develop a new educational framework that can plan, implement, supervise and regulate the developing needs for IT skills in the 21st century in the State. Rajasthan has created vast infrastructure under education sector for schools, colleges and technical institutions. The government has also come up with initiatives for enhancing employability quotient. Rajasthan Skill &
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The State Government has its emphasis on educating rural population and people of economically weaker sections of the society, what are the new initiatives taken in this direction? To make the education easily accessible to every section of the State, the Government of Rajasthan is trying to remove impediments of SC, ST, women, rural students and poor students in this regard. The government is laying special emphasis on access to higher education and also to increase the enrollment of SC, ST, women, poor and rural students by providing them scholarships and books. Further, proactive steps have been taken to achieve the above goal such as subsidised higher education for lowincome families, subsidised education to girls in rural areas, free education to SC/ST girls and encourage donor participation in girls’ SC and ST education. Other than this, merging of schools, staffing pattern and teachers’ accountability measures are also introduced in the last two years that have improved the education scenario among the rural population of the state.
With Rajasthan’s literacy rate being around 60 per cent, lower than that of the national average (around 74 per cent), how is the State government planning to achieve the national average? The Rajasthan Government in its efforts to match the national average of literacy rate has taken the following steps: Updated Curriculum: It is necessary for the educational institutes to update their syllabus time to time which is dynamic and related to the current scenario of the market. The updated syllabus helps the students to understand the industry trends. Innovation: Higher education institutes need
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The government is laying special emphasis on access to higher education and also to increase the enrollment of SC, ST, women, poor and rural students by providing them scholarships and books.
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to take some innovative steps in their institutes such as satellite and video classes, seminars on various topics. Educational institutions should adopt the latest methodologies to educate their students. Faculties should be flexible with technology for teaching. Industry Interaction: Interaction with the industries should be increased in higher education. Lack of information about latest industry trends among students results into declined placements in an institution.
Libraries are the window of a zone’s culture, how is the government supporting them to provide good quality study material to students? The facility of library must be available in every institute of the State. Institutions must improve their library with world-class reference books and journals for students and faculties. The government in its effort to provide students access to good quality study material may soon launch digital libraries. These libraries will help the students to access quality material anytime.
What are some of projects on which the State government is working to bring the education sector of Rajasthan at par with the global standards? To obtain the larger objectives of quality higher education, the following goals have been stated to be achieved: • Expansion in a planned manner so as to improve availability as per population and spatial norms of institutional density • To increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the present level with specific attention to gender, SC, minorities, OBCs, differently challenged • Reduce disparity in GER across geographic, economic, and social groups • To increase the Gender Parity Index (GPI) from the present level • To enhance quality of teaching and research so as to match to global standards through revision of curriculum, syllabus, teachinglearning material text books, pedagogical process ICT in education • Enhance infrastructural facilities and enhance the existing ones
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Policymaker’s Perspective
Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) is the main agency for skill development across state. The Government of Rajasthan is taking various initiatives for better connectivity with students, to hone computer skills of students and coordinate amongst all educational institutions, universities, students and the Government.
International perspective
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Measuring Innovation in Education through New Perspectives Innovation in education does not just mean more use of latest technology. The true educational innovation can be found in processes, services, programmes and partnerships, says Chris Cobb, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, University of London, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN). What do you see as the biggest opportunity when it comes to igniting excitement in education or boosting motivation? We live in a rapidly changing world and we need to prepare young people to be agile with core skills of evidence-based decisions and critical thinking so that they can adapt to change and be prepared for jobs and careers that have not yet been thought of. The University of London has been spearheading changes since 1836, and through its international programmes, it is now at the forefront of these developments.
How can social media be used to enhance student learning? Social media is now invaluable in connecting peers in collaborative learning and problem solving. Today, peer networks can stretch continents rather than just physical classrooms. The digital footprints that they make can then be reflected on and reused to inform the pedagogic process and support future learners. Social media also supports the notion of the flipped classroom, with intensive interactions outside the traditional place of learning.
Why do you think it’s important for schools to think education first, rather than tech?
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Today, peer networks can stretch continents rather than just physical classrooms. The digital footprints that they make can then be reflected on and reused to inform the pedagogic process and support future learners.
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It is pointless to look for the solutions of the problems that do not exist. Technology is at its best when it is serving a demand e.g. improved speed, flexibility or scalability, or resolving a problem such as cost, business continuity or extensibility. Education is no different. If technology can improve understanding, learning experience, reduce the cost of delivery and ensure learners can continue to learn wherever or whenever they wish then the technology will be successful. If it is simply a new gadget that costs more, success will be elusive. Since the University of London first began providing distance learning in 1858, our tools for successful student engagement have constantly evolved; so that today we have a sophisticated platform that brings together 52,000 students in over 180 countries.
How World Education Summit can play an important role in transforming the educational landscape at national and global level? Almost all research and learning is building on the work of others that have gone before. Innovation in education is the same. It is essential for colleagues from across institutions and different regulatory regimes to learn from one another, particularly so, in this evermore connected world in which we live.
Policymaker’s Perspective
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transforming rajasthan into Higher Education hub The higher education segment of Rajasthan has witnessed speedy progress in the last few years. With a focus on research and development, efforts are on to build Rajasthan as an education hub, says Raj Huns Upadhyay, Additional Chief Secretary Higher, Technical and Sanskrit Education Department, Coordination - School and Sanskrit Education, Government of Rajasthan, in an interview with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN).
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There is a significant growth in the number of higher education institution and universities in the State. The Government of Rajasthan has established new colleges with a focus on recruiting well qualified faculty for these colleges. Apart from this we are also working in phased manner to develop a infrastructure of global standards in colleges and universities. We are encouraging higher education institutions to raise their own funds so they are are not totally dependent on the government funding.
Research and Development in higher education appears not to be getting the required attention, what are the challenges and steps being taken in this regard? Research and development initiatives are mainly taken in universities however, some leading colleges have shown equal participation, it is important to build synergies between teaching and research to promote excellence in both. We are adopting best practices followed across the globe and encourage and support higher education institutions and their faculty members to engage more deeply with institutions and faculty around the world to improve quality of research. We have asked State universities to explore possibility of collaborations with best universities of World in order to facilitating alliances for research. Such collaborations will also help in linking university departments with research institutions and industry to accelerate the process of knowledge development. There should be dedicated funds for research and development to strengthen higher education ecosystem. As far as Rajasthan is concerned, we are trying to move towards a university system integrating UG, PG and doctoral studies, with faculty concurrently teaching both at UG and PG level which will help improve synergies between teaching and research. Universities will be multidisciplinary in nature and not single disciplinespecific. In short, favourable conditions need to be created in the State as well as in the country to promote high quality research.
Digital divide between rural and urban areas is a big issue in the State and country, what role does technical
education play in bridging this gap?
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Research and development initiatives are being taken in universities to upgrade the skills of existing faculty members, it is important to build synergies between teaching and research to promote excellence in both.
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Internet is an empowering tool. SWAYAM, an online Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) platform is being developed with the support from Ministry of Human Resources Development. It will help the students from different areas of the country to be at the same-level as far as access to good quality education content is concerned. Best faculties from every domain are requested to develop MOOCs content which will be available free of cost to all students.
“Digital India” and “Skill India” are the two most ambitious projects of the Government of India, what is the role of the department in skilling and providing jobs to the youths under these two initiatives? All our transactions, be it related to approval, finance, education content, courseware, admission processes, or disbursement of degrees are all becoming digital. Higher Education Department, Government of Rajasthan, is working according to the true spirit of Digital India. There are some State Universities which are offereing short term and long term skill imparting courses. Three of our State Universities have received financial assistance from MInistry of MIcro, Small and Medium Entreprises under its ‘Assistance to Institutions’ scheme. Other universities are also working to develop Skill and Entrepreneurship centers.
What are the most significant challenges you see in the technical education domain? Higher and Technical education in the State faces many challenges. Traditional pedagogy, setting up quality research, motivating students, classrooms attendance and widespread geographic, income, gender, and ethnic imbalances. Government policies play a vital role in information and resource sharing and with the enhanced participation of education stakeholders, these challenges can easily be resolved. Government is trying to reach the remote areas of the State. There is a need to upgrade higher education system so that the State gets good colleges and universities and higher educational institutes get more skilled faculties and supporting staff. Better education will ensure good future of students and if students will get better education facilities in their own State, they will not be forced to migrate to other States.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Policymaker’s Perspective
What steps are required to bring higher education in Rajasthan at par with the best across the world?
Policymaker’s Perspective
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Crafting TechnologyEnhanced Innovation in Higher Education The Government of Rajasthan has adopted innovative learning methodologies to improve the higher education landscape in Rajasthan. The government is focussing on ICT based skilful learning to make the youth employable, says Ashutosh A T Pednekar, Commissioner College Education and Special Secretary Higher Education, Government of Rajasthan in an interview with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN)
What are the plans of the Government of Rajasthan to provide quality higher education to the youngsters of the state? Rajasthan has a vast higher education system both in terms of numbers, their age and antiquity, as well as the types of institutions defined by source of funding and the nature of management. Rajasthan occupies place in top 6 States in terms of highest number of colleges in India including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.The system draws its strength from the young population as well as the aspirations for greater economic and social mobility associated with higher education.
What initiatives are incorporated by Department of College Education to enhance higher education space of Rajasthan? In order to deal with issues of access, equity, management, efficiency, pedagogy and quality,
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Please explain about the policy architecture of the state government for making the students skillful to get their goals and to compete globally? Nowadays the government is focusing more on equipping students with the vocational and entrepreneurial. These skills will make the students suitable for jobs in corporates of their respective streams. In order to make the skill based learning more effective the government has ordered to strengthen the vocational education at college level. In their efforts, the respective departments of government are trying to attract more students to skill based courses at Polytechnics through aggressive marketing and appropriate counselling. Curriculum revision has been done for universities to make their regular courses more flexible. Skills oriented add on courses in colleges to be taken by students while pursuing degree education in Arts, Commerce and Science. Through industry university interaction, the universities have to identify subjects in high demand and diversify their courses.
What steps have been taken by the government to overcome the
challenges while connecting the tribal population of the state with the mainstream education?
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In order to make the skill based learning more effective the government is keen to strengthen the vocational education at higher education level.
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It is necessary to made good quality education easily accessible to the tribal population to bring them in the mainstream of development. The government has proactively taken the following steps to achieve the desired outcome. • Public spending to focus more on remote and un-accessible areas- Equal infrastructure, attractive salaries, hostels and few institutions of excellence. • Subsidised higher education for Non income tax payees, SC and ST and free education to SC/ST girls. • Subsidised education to girls in rural areas. • Encourage donor participation in Girls education, SC and ST education. • Special Coaching Classes in Colleges of far flung areas be encouraged to facilitate updation of knowledge. • Proficiency of enhancement in English language classes will be introduced. • Online Video conferencing, Internet and Intranet connectivity of colleges, libraries, universities and the commissionerate.
What are the expansion plans of the state government in terms of education to envisaged new job and also the opportunities for selfemployment? Rajasthan, Agriculture & allied activities In still provide over 60% of all jobs, with industry (mainly construction and manufacturing) and services (mainly trade, hospitality, Government and Community Services) accounting for the rest of employment. The State Government has been creating a number of job opportunities under various sectors, but the increase in the job has been more than offset by the rapid growth of population. The state government is also focussing on self-employment. The facilities for vocational guidance and assistance for self- employment to the educated persons are, therefore, being given emphasis. Expansion in education, medical and health, and housing facilities is envisaged creating new opportunities for self-employment. Technical training facilities will also be improved and it will be imparted in emerging areas to cater to the changing needs and pattern of industrialization and advancement of technology.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Policymaker’s Perspective
the Department of Higher Education, Government of Rajasthan, has taken the following initiatives: • Implement e-Governance in Higher Education through Higher Education Portal • Availability of Smart Classroom in Colleges • Provide Wi-Fi facilities to students and faculty • To encourage Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). • Big Data Challenge and Hackathon on regular basis • Library computerisation in higher education institutes (HEIs) • Spoken tutorials for FOSS courses • Digital class rooms in Girls colleges under CSR • Establishment of smart science labs • Establishment of Crowd Sourced Social Platform for education • Linking colleges with INFLIBNET facility of UGC • Implementation of GIS mapping in HEIs • Promotion of industry-academia linkages. • Online test for students to access skill and aptitude on regular basis.
preSchool perspective
40
Sanfort Preschool’s Odyssey of Innovation, Rise Sanfort Preschool is all about bridging the learning gap that seems to be ever-widening in the early learning space. How the brand reached to 21 States and to two international locations and has a good alumni base in less than eight years, S K Rathor, Founder and Managing Director of Sanfort group, one of the most successful preschool brands, reveals the success story in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN). Describe the need that Sanfort fills in communities. Today’s parents are more concerned than ever about their child’s education. In an increasingly competitive landscape, children need to acquire a multitude of skills to become successful adults; from communication, to coping with stress, to innovation and many others. It is a known fact that the majority of children in India are not ready for school. SANFORT curriculum is designed to bridge the learning gap and prepare children for the life.
What is Sanfort doing to set itself apart from the competition? Our learning environment takes a 21st century approach and a process-oriented model. No other school has innovative curriculum like we have. We take effective, time-tested elements of traditional learning, and infuse them with cutting-edge technology and resources. We have a unique Smart Learning System with Touch ‘N’ Learn technology. Though our curriculum is based on the UK Concept of preschool education but we have never left our Indian values behind. Everything is designed to be at the teacher’s fingertips; the learning content, student progress, and parent communication are all managed within a mobile application. We are pioneer partner of Trinity College, London for English language development at preschool level.
What is the reason behind tapping the franchise model for expansion and how has franchising helped you to grow your business? I strongly believe that Franchising is the most powerful recipe for scalability in the entire business
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We have a unique Smart Learning System with Touch ‘N’ Learn technology. Though our curriculum is based on the UK Concept of preschool education but we have never left our Indian values behind.
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world and it is a winning formula for franchisors and the franchisees both. It is a great way to expand our network as we have people to manage our locations, without paying salaries who will work much harder than employees and we can grow the number of locations without tapping much of our own capital because franchisee owns the cost to open and operate the branch.
In a franchise model, a lot depends upon your franchise partner what is your criteria to choose the right franchise partner and how well you bond with them? In a franchise model success or failure of a brand depends on the success or failure of the franchisees. So, it is very important to choose right partner, we look into their financial status and social reputation. Their educational background and passion towards the education profession is also very important. Once we choose a partner we give them proper training and inputs to run the business and complete hand-holding to make the venture successful.
What message do you want give to a potential franchisee? We have a brand and strategy that has been proven successful to attract and retain students, as well as excite and engage parents. We have strong branding, strong demographics research, and child-centric curriculum that parents love, which are the key factors, required to establish a successful preschool.
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Different Strokes
42
God’s Discovery Helping An IAS to Redefine Governance Style From being an atheist to a person of deep faith in God, the journey of Haulianlal Guite, an IAS Officer from Manipur, has been an odyssey of a man’s exploration of the almighty, which has helped him better understand and serve the most deserving of government schemes with compassion. Having penned a non-fictional novel “Confessions Of A Dying Mind”, Guite, currently posted as the Secretary at Jaipur Development Authority, shares with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN) the philosophy behind this novel and its influence enabling him to better serve the society. Excerpts:
What is the “Confessions of a Dying Mind” all about? ‘‘Confessions of A Dying Mind’ is the title of my novel. It is arguably the first philosophical novel to be written on the subject of God. I am hoping that more and more people will be exposed to it, even those who don’t have the philosophical background. The book deals with the most pressing modern-day questions, centered on this: whether modern science has done away with God.
What is the theme of the novel? There are various themes. The major plotline being followed is that whether one decides to believe in God or not, the evidence is not in favor of either. It all boils down to faith. I am trying to show, therefore, that just as religion is based on faith, so is atheism too. And that atheism has nothing to do with evidence or science.
Confessions of A Dying Mind
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what inspired you to write this novel?
What stories does ‘Confessions’ tell?
What is closer to your heartPhilosophy or Bureaucracy? Entering the IAS was never my dream, but that I became one due to my father’s pressuring. It was always my dream to be a philosopher, due to an inborn talent at philosophic speculation that was richly cultivated during my college years in St. Stephen’s. But I never looked back, and never regret becoming an IAS officer. I often recall how my knowledge of the Indian Administrative Service was most limited and misleading; but that when I actually work as an IAS officer, in learning that the amount of good an officer can do can be quite critical, I realize how great the service is. Nevertheless I continue pursuing philosophy as a favourite hobby. And the consequence is this book, “Confessions of a Dying Mind”
You have served as the executive magistrate of Mount Abu, the municipal commissioner of Ajmer City, the OSD to the State Finance Commission, Rajasthan, and currently the Secretary of Jaipur Development Authority, So how do you find the time to write all these?
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Philosophy has a lot of abstract applications. It helps you to look at things in a more holistic way, which is essential even for the IAS. You start to look at things from different angles.
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Like everyone else, every IAS officer develops hobbies, to alleviate the tensions of work and pressures of life. Some choose to play golf or badminton, others learn music or swimming, and still others entertain themselves in various other ways. My hobby is to read and write. I may state further that philosophy comes naturally to me. I am involved with it right from class XI. I took the subject in my college as a result. After coming to service, it is easy to philosophise about anything including infrastructure, government, religion or anything. So in a sense, it has become my second nature. Writing it down, therefore, is only natural.
Have you inculcated any special practices to improve your writing? I read a lot about philosophy. The format of the novel is inspired by Jostein Gaarder book called Sophie’s World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy (1991). This book is about philosophy, but written as a novel. My other inspiration is German philosopher Immanuel Kant, from whom I derive much of the book’s thesis; and other is Karl Popper, who is a great philosopher of science again. I must mention at this point that I was an atheist for a couple of years during my college years, but after reading Immanuel Kant, I returned to have belief in God.
How do you use this inspiration in your administrative work? Philosophy has a lot of abstract applications. It helps you to look at things in a more holistic way which is essential even for the IAS. You start to look at things from different angles. For example, I was working as OSD in the Finance Commission. There we have to look at things financially of course, but other elements also, including the issue of allocating funds. It requires critical, often qualitative, thinking. Philosophy can train us to make more judicious choices as it is all about reasoning. UPSC understands that and hence, a lot of reasoning questions come in the civil services. Ethics, which is another branch of philosophy, has become another optional paper in the UPSC now. So for civil services, the philosophical bent of mind is very essential.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Different Strokes
Confessions presents arguments against atheism that are found nowhere else, and it does this by using the theories and findings of atheists themselves. Case in point, the philosophy of the acclaimed philosopher WV Quine. All these are dealt in the near-death experience of the protagonist, Albert Dyers. As for the experience itself, are Dyers’ experiences with the angel, real? Or are they delusions caused by his accident? Can reality as it is, be really known to us? Is modern science against religion and faith? Is atheism based on evidence? I have explored these all-important questions by telling various stories woven into the plotline of the novel itself. In doing so, the exploration delves into the nature of science, religion, evidence, even love - including visits to other worlds, to past events, to surreal places, and so on. And it accomplishes all these without using complex or unnecessary jargon, so that the educated lay reader without philosophy background will be able to understand them.
preSchool perspective
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Aiming for Holistic Development of Every Child Each Safari kid school is intended to excite the imagination of the children attending, and provides a stimulating learning environment, says Jitendra Karsan, Chief Executive Officer, Safari Kid, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
What is the philosophy followed by the group for imparting quality education to its students? Safari Kid considers every child is unique and has a unique learning curve. At Safari Kid, we ensure all students are taught based on their abilities and interests. We employ practices like Semi Structured Recreational Physical Activities and Creative Literacy Integration. These activities foster self-help skills and self-regulation along with boosting confidence and inculcating communication skills amongst children. At Safari Kid, creative literacy helps children learn the art of viewing the subject through many perspectives.
As a brand, how do you differentiate from the various other preschool brands operational in the country? Safari Kid believes in the four Cs – Communication, Curriculum, Customisation and Care. Our qualified and well-trained team communicates with children based on their abilities and interests. We update our curriculum regularly with emphasis on experiential learning rather than rote learning and to make it interesting for every child. Empirical studies have shown that Safari Kid curriculum is far more effective, for all round development of a child.
The school franchise business is blooming rapidly and a lot of new players are joining the fray, how does
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
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We update our curriculum regularly with emphasis on experiential learning rather than rote learning and to make it interesting for every child. Our curriculum is based on Dr Howard Gardner’s research that has been scientifically proven effective for development of a child.
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Safari safeguard the interests of the partners? Our franchise model is unique, where by the operational aspects of the business are handled by the brand. Right from selecting a location to hiring staff and ensuring the preschool operates at maximum efficiency is our responsibility.
How does the brand ensure quality of its all partner schools? With our best in class technology for both mapping student progress as well as business growth, gives our partners a complete and in-depth analysis of the operation. Our online training platform for the teaching and non-teaching staff as well as a strong personal follow up by our trainers ensure standardised and qualitative delivery of services throughout all our centres.
What is the vision behind the brand and what are the expansion plans from country’s point of view? Currently Safari Kid is present in more than 40 locations across 7 countries. Our endeavor is to reach out to more students, more communities to change the paradigm of preschool/early education and Day-Care. In India, we are present across multiple locations in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, and by 2017 end we will launch our centres in Delhi/NCR too. We are focusing only on Metros for now and are expecting to sign up with more partners in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Policymaker’s Perspective
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Gujarat Education Sector Scaling New Heights Gujarat is the first State where an end-to-end ecosystem development approach has been adopted and three different support schemes by Department of Education, S&T and Industry have been put in place, says Anju Sharma, Principal Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, Government of Gujarat, in conversation with Hemangini Kant Rajput of Elets News Network (ENN).
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We are focusing on, accreditation and assessment, reforms in governance system, faculty development programmes, research and innovation, industry academia collaboration, career guidance and employability skills, promotion of government initiatives like Skill India, Digital India, Startup India, etc., use of ICT, internationalisation of higher education, addressing regional disparity.
Can you share some initiatives undertaken by the Higher Education and Technical Education Department to promote them? We have introduced Academic and Administrative Audit, a unique initiative which evaluates, assesses and accredited Higher Education Institutes and awards grade to them. We are also focusing on governance system of Education. The university Acts framed for two new universities namely, Bhakta KaviNarsinh Mehta University, Junagadh and Shri Govind Guru University, Godhra has introduced drastic changes in the governance system of the university, giving more autonomy and power to the Vice Chancellor. Faculty Development Programs are held at regular intervals focusing on ICT Education, over 4,000 faculty members have been trained.
How do you view Digital India and Skill India initiatives? Digital India campaign has been started to ensure services get electronically available. With Digital Education, classroom will be more interactive and students will be more attentive.
Tell us more about the unique initiatives undertaken for Startup ecosystem to encourage them? Gujarat is the first State where an end-to-end ecosystem development approach has been adopted and three different support schemes by Department of Education, S&T and Industry have been put in place and positioned in such a manner that they complement each other. A dedicated strategy has been put in place to cater to the need of innovation culture building and pre-incubation while primarily involving youth to create a strong pipeline for next stage
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We are focusing on, accreditation and assessment, reforms in governance system, faculty development programmes, research and innovation, industry academia collaboration, career guidance and employability skills, promotion of government initiatives like Skill India, Digital India, Startup India, etc.
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of Gujarat Start-up ecosystem. Student Start-up & Innovation Policy, SSIP has mandated Rs 200 crore support system for this through Education Department from this financial year. Academic start-up push has been significant in Gujarat, more than 10 out of 12 DST, and GOI supported TBIs/Incubators are in universities in Gujarat and nearly 18 out of 20 NIs of GOG are in academic environment.
India is moving at a tremendous speed in digitalisation, what ICT initiatives are being undertaken by the Education Department for being more efficient? • ICT has an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives - from working to socializing, learning to playing. The digital age has transformed the way young people communicate, seek help, access information and learn. We must recognise that young people are now an online population and access is through a variety of means such as computers, TV and mobile phones. ICT will help to increase the scope of learning as well as educational administration. • This will enable teachers to learn new pedagogical tools and ways of teaching across the Gujarat. • SANDHAN, initiative by Government of Gujarat, offers an extensive platform for the use of Audio Video tools, multi-media to teach in an innovative and interesting manner. Out of 16 Satellite Channels, 11 Channels have been allocated to Education Department by Government of Gujarat. Live and recorded Lectures have been broadcasted through these channels. • ICT based programmes have been organised by the Technical Education department for Faculty development and improvement.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Policymaker’s Perspective
What steps are being undertaken to make higher and technical education in Gujarat achieve global standards?
preSchool perspective
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Petals Preschool – Carving A Better World of Learning Petals is offering franchises of its preschool, child care, teachers’ training, after school activities and K-12 school verticals. We are looking to setup 100+ schools over the next four years, says Preeti Kwatra, Director, Petals Group of Schools, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN). How Petals Preschool is occupying a distinct place in the industry? Petals is an innovative, vibrant, creative and energetic organisation where each one of us strives through our practices to whole heartedly serve children and make every learning moment a joyful, effective and meaningful one. A combination of highly experienced corporate sales and supports team, highly qualified educationists and trainers, child centric curriculum along with high end technology and best business practices offers a huge competitive edge to Petals when compared to the other service providers. We are the most awarded and preferred preschool of Delhi where all the training and academic resources are provided by UK.
How are you trying to expand the horizon of your chain of schools? Are you also exploring some possibilities in Ladakh? To expand its base throughout the nation, Petals is offering Franchises of its Preschool, Child Care, Teachers’ Training, After School Activities and K-12 School verticals. We are looking to setup 100+ schools over the next four years. The target market for a brand like Petals would be a market covering all towns and cities across the country with a basic business mindset. We have already signed one franchise in Ladakh which is going to be launched on coming 15th August.
In this modern era of innovations, where early stage of education is garnering special attention of educators, what special methodologies have you adopted?
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Modern teaching style of kids also helps in various ways --cross-curricular connections, inquiry-based learning, emphasis on understanding of concepts, linking curriculum with life, emphasis on skill building, life skills and values, differential learning, and problem-based learning.
How would you narrate the significance of ‘smart’ classrooms and modern teaching style for kids?
The Smart Learning approach provides learners of all ages and walks of life with a framework and a host of Smart Thinking Tools that motivate higher levels of understanding.
Technology benefited us in every aspect of our life right from communication to education. New methods of teaching have been introduced which is known as smart class. It uses instructional material, 3D animated modules and videos, and all the renowned schools are using this concept. The Smart Learning approach provides learners of all ages and walks of life with a framework and a host of Smart Thinking Tools that motivate higher levels of understanding. Through the process, learners activate and build background knowledge, process information, transform their learning into a product that shows what they know, and reflect on their learning.
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How much inclusive role do you see of parents in children’s initial stages of learning? Although a parent’s role in their children’s learning evolves as kids grow up, one thing remains constant: we are our children’s learning models. Our attitude about education can inspire theirs. In the early years, parents are their children’s first teachers. The first five years are particularly important for the development of the child’s brain, and the first three years are the most critical in shaping the child’s brain architecture.
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Focus: Tripura
Smart Education via Smart Classes: Reaching Out to Bordering Districts To equip youths of the border areas with jobs, the government is trying to set up coaching centres for competitive exams and run capacity building programmes to enable them to contest in national-level competitive exams, says Dr Sandeep N Mahatme, District Magistrate and Collector, Khowai, Tripura, in an interview with Souvik Goswami of Elets News Network (ENN).
What government initiatives have been undertaken to improve employment status of youths in Tripura? The State of Tripura, having one of the highest literacy rates in the country, has a significant number of educated unemployed youths. Lack of coaching/training institutes offering facilities to prepare for various Central and State government Departments’ recruitment exams result into less people making it to the Central/State Government jobs. Border Area Development Programme (BADP) is a centrally sponsored scheme for ensuring balanced development of border areas through development of infrastructure and promotion of well-being and a sense of security among the border population. At the district-level it is implemented by the district administration through various line departments. One of the important components of BADP is capacity building and skill development. Under this component, the Digital Classroom Coaching programme for Railways and Banking exams for Digital Classroom
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51 SC/ST and other students is being implemented.
What opportunities do Tripura youths have in the government sector? As per the Indian Institute of Bank Management (IIBM), Guwahati, there is heavy demand for trained professionals to man the branches and to replace those who are retiring in near future. The problem is more acute in the North Eastern region where officers and banks’s staffs is reluctant to be posted. So, there is perennial shortage of skilled manpower in North east. Institute of the Banking Personal Selection (IBPS) quoted that there is acute need of banking professionals. Around 7.5 lakh people were to be recruited in next five years. Every year the trend is almost same. BFSI (Banking Financial Services and Insurance) sector skill council of India (Under NSDC)- has projected manpower recruitment of the sector by 2022 to be 8.5 million, an increase
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One of the important components of BADP is capacity building and skill development. Under this component, the Digital Classroom Coaching programme for Railways and Banking exams for SC/ ST and other students is being implemented.
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Which kind of beneficiaries/people/ departments are affected positively? How? The programme is targetted for educated unemployed youths of border villages of North Tripura district which lacks competitive edge due to absence of opportunities to prepare for recruitment exams conducted by banks and Railways. Particularly, the focus is on SC and ST students. This type of coaching would augment, to a great extent, the skills of individuals from remote border villages who are looking for better opportunities but does not have the means to avail quality coaching to prepare themselves for the competitive exams.
What role do nominated departments play in employment and skilling of the youths? The office of the District Magistrate and Collector North Tripura, invited Expression of Interest (EOI) which was published widely including the official websites of the State Government and District Administration. A good response was received during the second call for EOI. A technical committee evaluated the bid documents and called the shortlisted eligible applicants for a presentation before the committee. The final selection was made based on QCBS method. The District Administration is also monitoring the day to day progress of the programme as well as every other aspects of implementation.
What is anticipated initiative?
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The implementation of the programme is still ongoing. By May 2017, around 50 students were trained for Railways and around 50 students were trained for banking recruitment exams.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Focus: Tripura
Facilities at the Coaching Centres: • A coaching institute, namely, Janakalyan Parishad, Dharmanagar, that tied up with Institute of Career Advancement, Agartala, is engaged through open bid following Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method. • 100 students are selected through screening tests by the coaching institute of which 50 students are enrolled to undergo coaching for banking exams and the remaining 50 for Railways exams. • The coaching institute will train 100 students, selected through a test, to make them capable of facing recruitments exams of Railways (Group C and D) and Banks (IBPS Probationary Officers, IBPS Clerk Recruitment etc.) • The coaching institute has set up digital classrooms at Dharmanagar and at Kanchanpur. • The coaching Institute has supplied books and study materials to students. In addition, it will also supply tablets with access to videos and other information based upon syllabus. • The duration of coaching is for a four-month session. The coaching institute is required to conduct at least eight classes a month. The coaching will also conduct at least two tests per month. Attendance of the students is recorded in biometric system. • Trainee students will be provided with travelling allowance of `50 on attendance.
of 4 to 4.5 million from the present statistics. As estimated by the NSDC, Tripura requires 3.25 lakh employee workforce by 2022. So, banking sector job opportunity must be grabbed by the youths of North East/Tripura. North Eastern Frontier Railway Division has its Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) in Guwahati. Opportunities in Rail recruitment lies with Rail Wheel factory Recruitment, Rail coach factory recruitment, IRCTC amongst many others. Recent RRB recruitment shows vacancies of 2,24,656 during 2016-17.
Industry Perspective
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Airpay – Making Paying Fees A Joy for Parents Airpay helps to facilitate online and offline payment options, which enables parents to pay fees, miscellaneous charges, etc. at the convenience of being at home or office.
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arents and students can access the payment options, across screen like (PC, Laptop, Tablets & Mobile). Fees can now be paid, using Credit Card or Debit card or on the campus using m-POS. Parents can also make the payments using their own personal online banking accounts. We provide highest level of security for online transaction processing, as Airpay follows PCI guidelines and DSS Level 2 certification. Airpay resolves challenges faced by institutes as listed below. Reconciliation level-Each institution maintains multiple bank accounts, which would have to be reconciled daily at school/college level and chain level. All transactions done can be viewed under single live dashboard to capture data analytics along with real time confirmation of the fee payments along reconciliation reports for management. Operational level-Payment counters now open 24x7x365 (whole every for full day) and areconnected all the time. There is no more need to stand in queue. You don’t have to operate separate bank account to pay fees or bank coordination required. Our engine has ‘Dynamic Payment Gateway Switching’ functionality enabling the merchants to dynamically switch and toggle between multiple acquiring bank payment gateway interfaces Cost – No additional cost would be incurred to install payment gateway and customisation of Dashboard can be done as per the institutional requirement for free. Parents will be able to save on penalty / late charges, as the fees can be paid anytime. No further technology investment for our payment solutions Technology - We operate on open architecture which can be integrated with the current school / college ERP or provide our own SAAS solution,
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Schoolpay. We do the settlement of the fees to institutes in T+1 days. No issuing cheque for payments, Lost Cheque, Cheque returned due to errors. And we help to monitor productivity of the schools/colleges real-time and give the management a bird’s eye for major decisions.
Policymaker’s Perspective
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AICTE Mentoring to Improve Higher Education The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has taken various steps to improve technical and higher education in the country. The council’s initiatives are in line with the Central Government’s initiative like Digital India and Skill India, says Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE, in an interview with Gopi Arora of Elets News Network (ENN). Excerpts: What new initiatives have been taken by the AICTE to promote technical education in the country? The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) started four new schemes last year—Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Trainee Teacher Scheme, Adjunct Faculty Scheme, and Margdarshan or Mentorship scheme. There are several initiatives embarked upon by AICTE this year such as, mandatory internship for students (4-8 weeks during summer vacations), training of teachers (both induction and annual in service training), single entrance examination for admission in undergraduate engineering programmes, induction training for first year students (PCM, English, communication skills, ethics, values etc), regular revision of curriculum (annual feature), industry interaction cell in each institute, promoting innovation in study and startups, exam reforms with more emphasis on practical subject understanding and skills than mere subject knowledge and preparing perspective plan for the country with inputs from all the States.
At present, barring the IITs, not many Indian engineering colleges are known globally for imparting quality education, how can this scenario be improved to bring engineering colleges in India at par with the finest colleges across the world? All the aforementioned schemes are meant for
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What are the three most significant challenges you see in the technical education domain? Currently, we have an acute shortage of good faculty. Attracting bright and good students to teaching profession is one of the biggest challenges. Along with this, 40% of seats remain vacant in engineering colleges of India and the second challenge revolves around it. It is important to improve the quality of technical education along with attracting students from across the country and also from abroad to make use of the capacity built across engineering colleges. The third major challenge is the employability of students after graduation which needs to be improved by bridging the industry and education gap.
What are the key areas where AICTE needs to change for good? The AICTE is acting as a mentor and facilitator to improve quality of technical education in India. As a regulator, the council is inspecting the performance of every institute in the country and suggesting measures for improvement in the institutes. Sometimes, AICTE also has to take strict actions against poor performing institutions such as closing a course or an institute.
Digital divide between rural and urban areas is a big issue in the country, what challenges are you facing to bridge this gap? What role does technical education play in empowering the rural masses? Internet is an empowering tool. SWAYAM, an online Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) platform is being developed by AICTE with the support from MHRD. It will help the students from different
areas of the country to be at the same level as far as access to good quality education content is concerned. Best faculties from every domain are requested to develop MOOCs content which will be available free of cost to all students.
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We have an acute shortage of good faculty. Attracting bright and good students to teaching profession is one of the biggest challenges. Along with this, 40% of seats remain vacant in engineering colleges of India.
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“Digital India” and “Skill India” are the two most ambitious projects of the Government of India, what is the role of AICTE in skilling and providing jobs to the youths under these two initiatives? All our transactions be it related to approval, finance, education content, courseware, admission processes, degrees are all becoming digital. Thus, AICTE is working according to the true spirit of Digital India. For skilling country’s youth, AICTE has asked all the colleges to provide skill education to school dropouts using their existing infrastructure. The initiative is also supported through “Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana”. AICTE has also permitted to use the premises of polytechnics for starting ITIs.
Research and Development in higher education doesn’t appear to be getting due attention, what are the challenges in this regard? How are you trying to overcome these challenges? It is not true that research and development is not getting due attention. We may require enhancing our efforts. AICTE has a number of schemes to support research initiatives in technical colleges such as “Quality Improvement Programme” to upgrade qualifications of faculty by pursuing PhD in reputed institutes, “Modernisation and Removal of Obsolescence” for equipping colleges with latest equipment, “Research Promotion Scheme” for supporting research projects, support for E-cell and Research park, support for innovation labs, support for attending and organising research conferences.
How has been your experience working with the government? The experience is very good. The Central Government is supporting the council at every level to improve the quality of higher education and research. Recently held “Smart India Hackathon” and AICTE’s start up policy are two examples where the Government has provided its full support for the betterment of higher education sector.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Policymaker’s Perspective
creating academic excellence in the institutes and inculcating problem-solving ability and innovative spirit amongst students. We recently concluded “Smart India Hackathon”, a non-stop coding competition of 36 hours conducted at 26 different centres across India. Over 10,000 students participated in the hackathon and solved 598 problem statements prepared by 29 different government departments and Ministries. The hackathon has empowered the young students, helping them in building confidence.
Industry Perspective
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EdTech: Revolutionising India’s Education Sector With the Internet having far bigger access to influence than teachers, EdTech is taking the front seat, taking India’s education story one step forward, writes Jairaj Bhattacharya, Founder & MD- CG Slate (ConveGenius Group).
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s with most of the sectors, technology has pervaded the education space, thus, challenging traditional structures and service delivery pipelines that had begun to edge on the cosy and comfortable, hence, stifling the possibility of spurring innovation without a substantial overhaul of the existing mindset. With the Information and Communication Technology boom, the first challenge that looked to be addressed was the unavailability of quality educational content, which also led to the streamlining of the delivery of such content, effectively reducing, and more clearly defining the role of the teacher, who had now become more of a facilitator. The Smart Class model was a notable innovation in this phase, and EduComp, a major player. Due to low penetration of ICT infrastructure in the country, the cost for setting up a smart classroom was, till a few years ago, prohibitively expensive. Also, the maintenance of such infrastructure was not a cakewalk. Even now, only the biggest names invest in such technology, but they have proven to be very effective. The second major innovation phase was spurred on by data and analytics. With the ability to assess performance in an unbiased and convenient manner, assessments became technology-intensive. Even after the 2nd phase, the dependence on infrastructure, primarily desktop computers and reasonably quick internet, led to such interventions being inherent for ones at the top of the socioeconomic pyramid. This is what the current phase looks to solve. We are in the third phase of innovation, facilitated by the profusion of mobile devices and
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The major innovation in our phase is adaptive learning algorithms using advanced machine learning techniques, to create a self-learning environment using strong feedback loops.
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2G/3G connectivity across the country, bringing to mind a popular tagline ‘Kar lo duniya mutthi mein’ (The world, in your palm) by Reliance Telecom. Indeed, the world is now at one’s fingertips! It presents other players in EdTech space an opportunity for a substantial contribution in ameliorating quality and affordable access to education for end-user be it child, school or learning centre. Stronger encryption capabilities and cheaper flash memory-based devices, such as pen-drives and SD Cards, have obliterated the need for fast and stable internet connections, and high associated costs, to access high quality learning content. Data syncing and analysis, however, are still internetdependent, but are minimal due to the stronger processing powers of mobile devices at present. Also, education on personalised devices, such as tablets and smartphones, is an immense opportunity to personalise education for the enduser. The major innovation in our phase is adaptive learning algorithms using advanced machine learning techniques, to create a self-learning environment using strong feedback loops. For larger organisations which have chosen to digitise their data, decision-making capabilities have improved manifold. These include high-end schools, and large NGOs. A robust and unbiased data collection system at the field level, linked to an MIS system, ensures that the upper echelons in an organisation are sufficiently informed about ground realities, and help them take major steps in improving the performance of their. Jairaj Bhattacharya, is the Founder & MD- CG Slate (ConveGenius Group) Visit www.cgslate.com for more details.
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Focus: NCERT
NCERT: Universalising Elementary Education in India Since its inception, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been assisting and advising Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education, says Major Harsh Kumar, Secretary, NCERT in conversation with Shivani Tyagi of Elets News Network (ENN).
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Give us an overview of IT related initiatives taken by the NCERT.
How important is teachers’ training programme? What initiatives have been taken by NCERT in this regard? Teacher training is very important. We have five RIs (regional institutes) in Ajmer, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Mysore and Shillong and running various teachers’ training programme through which we will try to recruit skillful teachers. Not only this, for teachers in service, our various departments conduct various training programmes the whole year. These initiatives for teachers are very important as they are the only ones who train students. We’ve such programmes for teachers earlier as well but the present programmes are more improvised as per the changing environment. Earlier, digitisation was not there, everything was done manually, but now things have changed and become easier.
There is a wide gap between facilities available to students in rural and urban India, how NCERT is bridging the gap? We can reach out rural masses through the State governments. Under Government of India’s initiatives, NCERT helps a State in
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We have five RIs (regional institutes) in Ajmer, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Mysore and Shillong and running various teachers’ training programme through which we will try to recruit skillful teachers.
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What are the challenges? Sometimes State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) alone are able to resolve those obstacles. Sometimes our involvement is necessary. At the end, with the coordination of various departments, every obstacle is dealt with effectively.
What steps have been taken by the NCERT to upscale vocational studies? We are planning to start various programmes in our vocational institute – Pt Sunderlal Sharma Vocational Institute, Bhopal. Some new initiatives have also been taken and in some institutes we have added up programmes on vocational training. We might have come up with another institute in Andhra Pradesh.
What are NCERT’s future plans? We plan to reach the masses. There was fabricated scarcity of books and to avoid that in future, we are developing a portal to be launched shortly where all books will be available. The online portal alongwith increased number of vendors so that books are easily available in every corner of India. In other initiatives, NCERT is coming up with innovative online teachers training courses for teacher and educators and development of e-contents.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Focus: NCERT
NCERT was established in 1961. Since then the council is working on research, training and outreach for the prodigy of school learning. In today’s age of digitisation, our online services are one of the finest examples of it. All NCERT books are available online along with e-Pathshala for every class. To resolve the issue of nonavailability of NCERT books, we are soon going to launch a portal to enable students and others to order any number of books of the required subject. We have also launched “SWAYAM” to bridge the digital divide among students who have remained untouched by the digital revolution. After a lot of research, we’ve developed learning outcome paper through which parents, kids and teachers, can check what has been taught and what students have learnt. NCERT is also putting its efforts for children with special needs. We’ve started books in Braille for visually challenged students.
formulation, implementation and execution of any programme, if required. We are developing programmes and parameters for the States. For example, NTSC examination is conducted in two stages, first at State-level and second at national level. At State-level exam, States are free to frame questions and coordinate for other administrative things. Earlier, these processes run at NCERT headquarters only but now it has been conducted in every state through State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) and the guidelines are issued by head office. Now we are trying to develop a hierarchy in which the process will be conducted at the block-level under the supervision of State councils and NCERT will be the supreme authority. This way it will be an integrated effort where everybody has to participate.
PreSchool Perspective
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Envisioning Transformation of Education in Next Decade The advanced technology is changing how the young India is applying geometric formulas or balancing chemical equations. Some of the best minds in the education sector believe that the use of technology in classroom is necessary as we prepare our students for the global economy, writes Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD and CEO, Kalorex Group for Elets News Network (ENN).
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he world today is witnessing disruptions that are impacting various aspects of the economies of the nations. We see emergence of many unique business models riding on the back of innovations. ‘Uberisation’ of the world, as we may call it, has been a revolutionary idea. The AirBnB concept has captured the interest of tourists all across the globe and has had deeply impacted the hospitality industry. The social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc, are influencing politics and businesses equally. Besides this, Artificial Intelligence in the form of robots is likely to be a reality in the future classrooms. Drone technology is another matter that education will have to deal with and harness to imbibe in everyday living. In this view, the out-of-box thinking and the ability to address the needs of the consumers in unexpected ways have now become all the more important for businesses today. Since education is expected to help develop these new skill sets, these technological changes will have a direct impact in the way education is being delivered. The age of startups has led to emergence of young entrepreneurs who have the ability to take risks unabashedly and also face their failures
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India is modernising at a fast pace. Modernisation has touched not just urban centres but also small towns and villages. Technology is aiding farmers positively and improving their yield.
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fearlessly, encouraging hundreds of others to follow them. These ideas are increasingly receiving encouragement in the realms of conventional education now. India is also experiencing these revolutionary changes and is trying to keep up with the momentum. While in the developed world, the educational reforms have kept pace with the changing needs, India too is feeling the need to fill the gaps between education and industry. While reforms in the old education systems are being brought about, science and technology is racing ahead with boundless energy and challenging the brightest of minds. India is modernising at a fast pace. Modernisation has touched not just urban centres but also small towns and villages. Technology is aiding farmers positively and improving their yield. Many institutes are offering futuristic courses for modernisation of Indian agriculture. The next decade, it seems, will witness a generational shift in technology to fill the existing gaps. Education is creating the necessary environment for the development of a futureready workforce that can get the benefits from ICT infrastructure.
Engineering is an art when learnt right Sirena Technologies was formed with a purpose to bring innovative world-class products to the market; designed and developed in India, leveraging global ecosystem. The company has built the first Indian Humanoid Robot ‘Nino’ and introduces SKIP (Sirena Knowledge and Information Program) for schools which is crafted to enable students to learn cutting-edge trending technologies which include Humanoids, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Voice Recognition, Computer Vision, Mechatronics, 3D printing, Android programming and more.
Sirena Knowledge and information program (SKIP) SKIP introduces students to real ‘Technology and Robotics’ early in their classes, while keeping creativity as its core theme. SKIP is a unique comprehensive learning package for students which involves robotic concepts, content and hands on experience with Robots.
Contact Us
+91 80 4130 8885 contactus@sirenatech.com www.sirenatech.com www.facebook.com/sirenatech
Bridging the gap between real-world technologies and education in schools
NVS Perspective
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Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti: Reforming Traditional Education System The objective of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti is to provide quality modern education with a strong component of culture inculcation aming the children, says Bishwajit Kumar Singh, Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, in an interview with Shivani Tyagi of Elets News Network (ENN).
What are the initiatives being taken by Navodaya Vidayalay Samiti to promote education across the country? Navodaya Vidayalay Samiti (NVS) has its presence across the country. As per the Government’s policy, one Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) is to be established in each district. According to the budget announcements of 2016, we have to establish 62 JNVs in newly formed districts. Out of 62 schools, 30 schools will be operational from temporary sites by this year only. Along with this, various State governments have offered over 40 sites to setup Navodaya Vidyalayas. This is one part of the expansion. Second part is to improve quality of education and the results of students. Since last few years, there is shortage of good teachers which is a major problem. To resolve it, we will recruit around 2,300 teachers as PGTs, TGTs and around 100 principals, by end of July this year through direct recruitment drive. So, we are expecting a pool of good school teachers by next year that will result into improved quality of education at the schools. We are also taking different measures to remove the loopholes in the admission process, especially from 6 – 11 standard. We will be having online application process from next year
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Globally many schools are adopting innovative practices to improve teaching-learning practices. How the NVS is planning to bring Indian school education system at par with the world? As far as adoption of latest innovative practices is concerned, we have to take every step very carefully. Navodaya Vidyalayas are fully residential co-educational schools and in case of smart classes, we have to provide smart phones, tablets and I-pads to every student. Though, we have regulated the system of giving lectures through smart classes but it is necessary to take preventive measures to avoid any negative situation. We have made available the smart classrooms to our students for at least eight - nine hours where they can go there and use all kind of technical devices such as interactive boards, laptops under strict surveillance. Technical devices are not allowed to be used in hostels, dormitory and in their regular classes. In order to implement Information Technology (IT) related initiatives in teaching-learning process, various experts will train the teacher through a workshop of 10-15 days on different subjects. During the training of a particular subject, whole curriculum will be enriched in a way that students can learn a topic through traditional classes or through presentations or IT based solutions. A topic or a module of any subject will be taught traditionally followed by the digital demonstrations. The approach followed at Navodaya Vidyalayas is different from the other smart teaching or learning solutions. It is an integrated approach of traditional learning, visuals and digital learning.
There is a huge gap between schools in rural and urban areas, what initiatives have been taken by the NVS to bridge the gap?
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With the collaboration of Sports Authority of India, we will be establishing five centres of excellence for archery, boxing, table tennis, wrestling and athletics.
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Students from urban area always have an upper hand over the students from rural area in terms of education. Navodaya Vidyalayas are established in such a manner that rural students get the same education facilities as that of urban students. Most of our schools are located in districts in isolated areas, having 30 acres campus and residential. Secondly as it is isolated, all features like academics, sports, cultural activities etc are available here. In fact the students, teacher ratio in these discipline is far better than any other schools. So our approach is more focused, we are providing better facilities than any other urban school.
What are the initiatives NVS has taken to enhance vocational training in the schools? We are putting our efforts to start number of vocational courses in JNVs. We have also got principle approval for the schools where we are planning to start vocational courses in vacations. We will conduct vocational courses’ classes for three month in class 11th as well as in class 12th. So, after passing out from schools, the students will have six month training in a particular subject. We have already approached different industries in this regard and are in talks with them to fianlise these training classes. NVS board has agreed in principle for it but exact conceptualisation is under process and we are expected to start the classes by the end of this year.
What are the areas where NVS need to change for good? We need to work on two things, firstly to ensure better results in board exams from what we have got so far. In order to produce board toppers, academics need to be more robust, particularly in English that is the area where we are lacking. In this regard, we are taking the help of British Council and other agencies and also conducting online courses for the students. Second area where we are focussing is teachers’ welfare program. (Our exam system is non verbal, where what a student has learnt in his/her previous classes is totally irrelevant.) We must have welfare measures for the teachers. These measures will help the teachers to devote their most of the time in academics instead of devoting their time in other activities.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
NVS Perspective
for admission in Navodaya Vidyalayas. The Central Board of Secondary Education will be the exam conducting authority. The entrance exam will be Aadhaar based to avoid impersonation. We are also focusing in sports as well. With the collaboration of Sports Authority of India, we will be establishing five centres of excellence for archery, boxing, table tennis, wrestling and athletics.
School Education
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Apar Technologies -Company Profile
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par Technologies have been promoted by Apar Industries (www.apar.com), a US$ 900 million group listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and Basil Capital Partners (www.basilpartners.com), a Private Equity Fund that invests only in niche IT Services companies. The company is headquartered in Singapore with offices across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, US, UAE and India offshore facilities in Noida, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
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Be it developing
The company focuses on: Value-added • Working with enterprises to transform their • Enterprise Mobility (& IoT) – extending Solutions over existing business to a Digital business enterprise applications, seamlessly, to smart partner platforms • Helping emerging companies to convert their phones, tablets and wearables or delivering disruptive ideas into Digital business reality • Business Analytics – leverage existing DW & BI customized – rapidly using an agile approach tools for enterprise benefit Apar Technologies -- Company Profileacross solutions to Applications, Infrastructure, IT & Information • Enterprise Cloud adoption for contemporary enterprises, wemillion groupenterprise applications and Cloud-based Apar Technologies have been promoted by Apar Industries (www.apar.com), a US$ 900 Security. listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and Basil Capital Partners (www.basilpartners.com), a deliver business • In the area of that digital business transformation of Private Equity Fund invests only in niche IT Services companies. The company is headquartered inDevOps for minimizing Total Cost of Ownership value in the most Singapore with offices Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, applications, ouracross key strength lies in the areas US, UAE and India offshore facilities in(TCO) and maximizing ROI. Noida, Bengaluru and Mumbai. cost-effective of Be it developing Value-added Solutions over manner • Social Collaboration – incorporating the ease partner platforms or delivering customized The company focuses on: • of working with enterprises to transform theirMedia existingtools business to a Digital business use and intuitiveness of Social solutions to enterprises, we deliver business • Helping emerging companies to convert their disruptive ideas into Digital business reality – to Enterprise applications rapidly using an agile approach across Applications, Infrastructure, IT & Information Security. value in the most cost-effective manner, without compromising the big picture of the Digital Economy – secure, scalable solutions. End-to-end Coverage of Enterprise IT Landscape With over 2,200 employees, we offer our services / solutions around the following models, based on client situations and requirements. • Best-shore – Onsite, Onshore, Offshore • Best-approach – Custom built, Package implementation, Hybrid • Best-fit – Augment, Outsource, Dedicated center
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In the area of digital business transformation of applications, our key strength lies in the areas of •JULY Social Collaboration – incorporating the ease of use and intuitiveness of Social Media tools to - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com Enterprise applications • Enterprise Mobility (& IoT) – extending enterprise applications, seamlessly, to smart phones, tablets and wearables
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Industry Perspective
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AI-powered Interactive Computers - Moving Beyond Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) We are living in an age where technology has impacted every part of our lives, hiring a taxi to banking services are at our finger tips and connected to the cloud. Mohammed Ghouse, DGM- Business, Cybernetyx, explores products that will improve knowledge sharing, presentation and teaching for Elets News Network (ENN).
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Industry Perspective
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he latest innovations and improved learning experience take Human-Computer Interface (HCI) to new levels. We believe that it is time for the educational institutions to move beyond the traditional point-click-touch Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and adapt to the ecosystem of advanced AI-powered interactive computing educational tools. With the last nine years of experience in developing cutting-edge interactive technology powering interactive projection offerings from the display industry’s biggest names such as NEC, ViewSonic, Sony and others, with deployment in 100s of thousands of units worldwide, Cybernetyx has poured in the research into developing one of our new products, EyeRIS X. EyeRIS X is the first product in the industry to combine the power of Artificial Intelligence with Interactive Computing to create a first-of-its-kind interactive whiteboard/projection solution with its own computing core and custom-designed Operating System (O/S). Not only EyeRIS X can track a large whiteboard or a wall using machine learning with computer vision and convert it into a tablet-like touch surface, but also can run full interactive knowledge sharing, teaching, presenting and learning applications on its own, without a need of connecting any external computer or device. We believe that a product like EyeRIS X has the potential to revolutionise the classroom. It will be a breeze for teachers to use as they will be free from carrying laptop or struggle with classroom PC and plethora of everdisconnecting-connecting cables. EyeRIS X is especially designed for interactivity (and beyond) in classroom from an elite educators’ perspective. The product comes with host of other features which will help the educators in teaching and the management in adapting the technologies at an optimum cost. Simply put, just the freedom of not purchasing and maintaining a separate powerguzzling computer with all the different wirings etc. itself shaves off about INR 25,000.00 or more from the overall budget requirements. The another power of interactivity is in its ability to turn learning from a passive into an active one. Students devote far more of their attention to subject matter, are considerably less likely to be distracted, but do so willingly because they find the entire process substantially more enjoyable. But at the same, we need teachers
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
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We believe that a product like EyeRIS X has the potential to revolutionise the classroom. It will be a breeze for teachers to use as they will be free from carrying laptop or struggle with classroom PC and plethora of everdisconnectingconnecting cables.
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to remain focused on the topic not on tools to further improvise this experience. Cybernetyx has designed the EyeRIS X O/S keeping the same in mind and it helps you make learning an active experience and a collaborative one as well wherein the learning approach can be adjusted. Instead of creating fixed e-learning programs , interactivity shapes personalization as educators offer variety of examples with the help of powerfull UI design. Due to a custom kernel, EyeRIS X O/S is also maintenance-light and virus/malware-free which reduces the downtime in the classrooms by several magnitudes. All these years we have experienced the Interactivity its time to move beyond and the way forward is with AI-powered tools which can understand and process Natural Language. We have been talking about how a classroom can move beyond four walls with interactivity but it’s time to choose what we see beyond these walls. Which platform( as many knowledge / learning portals search engines are available ) to choose and are the search results curated and filtered based on user behaviour? EyeRIS X is powered with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and has free access to MyCloud, Cybernetyx’s very own Cloud-based content search and filtering tool. This expands the sheer amount of content available to you for free endlessly. The contribution of EyeRIS X can be remarkable in different environments for communicating ideas clearly and interactively like never experienced in the classroom before. We look forward to continuing our success story by empowering you with the best interactive computing tools ever available.
LIVE THE DESIGN
international PERSPECTIVE
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TRANSFORMING CHOICE in Dubai’s Private Schools KHDA supports schools, universities, parents, students, educators, investors and government partners to create a high quality education sector focused on happiness and well-being, writes Kalthoom Al Balooshi, Executive Director of Education, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai, for Elets News Network (ENN)
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hoices. We make them each and every day. What am I going to have for breakfast, what am I going to wear today, what decisions will I make at work, how will I spend my income, how will I use my time? Choices, choices, and more choices!!! We make major choices and others that are more trivial. What you wear or what you have for breakfast are some of the less important choices we make – although a nutritious breakfast is always an excellent way to start the day. Major choices include the type of career you follow, your choice of partner, and where you live. One of the major decision points for families coming to Dubai is to choose a school that their children may get admission in. For many parents, ensuring that they have a place for their child in a good quality school is a critical trigger point for if they should decide to move to Dubai or not. With the increase in capacity provided by the introduction of new schools in Dubai, many more places are now available for parents. Even so, parents are still faced with choosing the type
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
71 creating a high quality education sector focused on happiness and well-being. We have undertaken a number of initiatives to support the promotion of positivity, happiness and wellbeing and these include:
As the regulator of the private school system in Dubai, where 90% of students attend a private school, we are often asked by parents which school should I enroll my child in. To assist parents, we have conducted inspections of schools for the past nine years. The detail of these inspections is provided in reports on our website and accessible to all. Parents can look through these reports or use third party websites that collate the inspection results and provide value-added information to parents. Choosing the right school from the diverse variety of schools to suit their child’s interests and match their child’s strengths and capabilities is not easy and many parents deliberate for a long time to ensure that their choice is the best one. When we ask parents what they want for their children in private schools of Dubai, they generally seek three things. Good academic marks and a safe environment are two oft-cited responses. But the most common response we obtain is that parents want their child to be happy. Intuitively, parents know that their aim is to ensure their child is happy at the end of the day. Being happy is influenced by how we perceive and interact with the world around us at different stages of our lives. Happiness is as much an input and a process as it is an outcome. And, this has major implications for schools. Schools don’t need to make a choice between academic teaching practices, results and student well-being. Put simply, children who are happy at school (and in the home) perform better academically, and teachers who are happy deliver better, more engaging lessons. Students with greater happiness display more appropriate classroom behaviour, higher school grades, better peer and teacher relationships, better physical health, and greater participation in classroom and extracurricular activities. Those with lower-level of happiness are significantly more likely to report mental health problems, peer victimisation, poor relationships with parents and teachers, and a whole host of negative behaviours. At KHDA, we firmly believe that the happiness and well-being of students, teachers and parents be considered a mandate, not just for today, but for the long-term future of education. We support schools, universities, parents, students, educators, investors and government partners in
Partnering with the International Positive Education Network (IPEN) to create the regional capital of positive education in Dubai to spread the awareness of positive education in schools and promote character and wellbeing alongside academic achievement.
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Children who are happy at school (and in the home) perform better academically, and teachers who are happy deliver better, more engaging lessons. Students with greater happiness display more appropriate classroom behaviour, higher school grades, better peer and teacher relationships, better physical health, and greater participation in classroom and extracurricular activities.
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Building a Well-being Campus in Hatta where open-air classrooms will host hundreds of students from across the Emirates, ensuring kids utilise the picturesque mountain landscape and enjoy innovative outdoor activity-based experiences designed to boost character strength and confidence. Granting Healthy and Happy School Awards which are designed by a cross governmental team to recognise schools in Dubai that are focusing on students’ well-being for the future success of each and every student. Commencing the Dubai Student Well-being Census in 2017-18 which all students in Grades 6 to 9 will take to provide information back to schools about the wellbeing of their students so that they can target their initiatives Running a series of ‘What Works’ events each year, a platform created by educators for educators, that promotes collaboration between schools and highlights the strengths of Dubai’s education and share positive practices. Through providing these opportunities for schools, we, at KHDA, are promoting change by “bringing out from within” the education system so that school leaders and teachers can make positive choices that encourage the holistic development of students. Parents have chosen to come to Dubai and they have placed their faith in each of our private schools to educate their child in a safe and welcoming environment that encourages learning and character development. The choices we make, in both our big and small choices, have significant implications for parents and students. It is really all about making the right choices. We want parents to choose happy schools. We want children to be happy students. All this starts with the personal choice that we make each and every day. And for me, I choose to make a positive contribution towards a happier society. I choose happiness.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
international PERSPECTIVE
of curriculum, the fee-level and location of the school, choices that are often not needed in their home countries where parents often simply send their child to the nearest public school.
University Perspective
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Diversified Learning through Technology Soft skills, communication skills, entrepreneurship skills and interpersonal skills are part of the curriculum to make students employable, says Prof (Dr) S S Sarangdevot, Vice Chancellor, Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN). In order to make its students technically competent, what strategies or methodologies are adopted by Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University in teaching-learning process? To improve teaching-learning process, Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University (JRNRVU) encourages blended learning by using e-learning resources. The central library facilitates access to best e-resources, e-books, database and e-journals like Inflibnet and Delnet. 12 Smart-Classrooms have been installed at the campus. Facilities such as computer assisted language teaching technology, language speech lab and phonetic lab to make teaching more effective.
Please explain about academic departments and researches conducted at the university. The university offers various undergraduate, postgraduate certificate and diploma courses along with MPhil and PhD in various disciplines. Flexible choice based credit system is adopted in the university with credit transfer facilities. JRNRVU also runs courses on Value Education, Personality Development and Professional Ethics. To improve employability and global competence, skill-based and foreign language courses are included in the curriculum.
To produce confident and self-reliant professionals, what latest practices have been incorporated in the curriculum by the university?
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The university reinforces excellence among faculty members through national/ international conferences, seminars and workshops. The university encourages its faculty members to enhance their capabilities by pursuing higher degree courses.
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We ensure that our students actively participate in field-workshops, training programmes and group discussions to become confident and self-reliant. Our curriculum is designed as per the latest industry trends and requirements as well as keeping in view the needs for professional competence and capacity building of students. The professional competence of students is ensured with a focus on hands-on practice, field work, internship, project development work, in-house seminars and educational tours.
Quality higher education is not easily accessible to students from rural areas in comparison to students from urban areas, what measures have been taken by the university in this regard? Since its inception in 1937, JRNRVU has set up “Lok Shikshan Pratishthan” with special focus on knowledge and information empowerment of the downtrodden and under privileged classes. It provides information about the education needs of the people living in rural/tribal areas.
How the university supports its faculty for their training and quality enhancement? The university reinforces excellence among faculty members through national/international conferences, seminars and workshops. We have instituted Best Teacher Award, Research and Development Award and Best Administrative Staff Award for every year. The university encourages its faculty members to enhance their capabilities by pursuing higher degree courses.
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Industry Perspective
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Transformation of education sector in the next decade The recent decade has seen innumerous columns in the media on the topic future of education. From top universities and the World Economic Forum -- all have started assuming a more active role in either critiquing or redefining what education should be like in the future, writes Ryan Pinto, CEO, Ryan International Group of Institutions for Elets News Network (ENN).
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n the Indian context, the whole ‘ed-tech’ (education technology) space is exploding with new ventures/apps being launched almost on a daily basis. A big dilemma faced by the education sector is that most of the children who are now entering schools may work in jobs that do not exist today. So how does one build ‘adaptability’ in the students? While it is almost impossible to predict what the future will be, some broad strokes can be predicated.
Impact of Technology In many ways, this is now visible that it is absolutely impossible to escape from the interference of technology in the education sector. Technology has the power to completely transform education, which can of course be both good and not so good. One of the key impacts of technology has been that memorising facts is no longer important, with Google being there for instant answers. Application of knowledge is therefore becoming more important. This has an immediate implication on professional development of teachers as now the student’s universe is not limited to what teachers know. This is no longer
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
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The shift from subject teaching will happen in the new future. In Finland, the schools have moved away from subjects to project based teaching.
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the case. In many instances, the child has more resources available than the teacher does. Technology has impacted the entire teachinglearning process right from assessments (becoming easier to create tests, get data and analyse), lesson plans (they are digitised, therefore easy to share), classroom experience (has transformed from ‘chalk and talk’ to ‘guide by side’), and textbooks (now digitised and enriched). Adaptive learning is now a reality. This and many more developments will create new paradigms in education. Technology (or the lack of it) can create big divides between the haves and have-nots and this gap could keep getting wider. That is the not so good that have been mentioned earlier. Schools will have to understand these new paradigms and then leverage them for the benefit of students and improved learning outcomes. This is however easier to say than being done.
Shift in pedagogy/curriculum Already the so called 21st Century skills of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, problem solving (also called SEL – social emotional learning) etc are becoming the most talked about things and many progressive schools like Ryan have integrated them into the curriculum. The shift from subject teaching will
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Transformation of schools Schools in their current form of classrooms, chairs, desks will give way to more collaborative learning spaces. In an extreme sense, the concept of a school itself could change. We are already seeing this with the international curriculum schools where there is a lot of fluidity in the classroom environment. Mutli-age classes are a reality, where learners will be grouped more by interests or intellect, rather than their age group.
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One of the biggest issues with today’s education systems is that it is a “one size fits all” method. A class of 30 – 40 students has children with various learning styles but with just one teacher. Kids with learning challenges are clearly at a disadvantage.
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With concepts like “flipped learning”, schools will cater to the social needs of children and children will do most of their learning at home. Virtual reality is still in early stages but even now it is possible for a child to be physically at home and be “present” in school. Taking this one step further and carrying it to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) – imagine thousands of virtual classes going on at various locations in the world. A child could join any of those virtually. Children (even adults) can learn what they want, when they want and how they want.
Custom Learning One of the biggest issues with today’s education system is that it is a “one size fits all” method. A class of 30 – 40 students has children with various learning styles but with just one teacher. Kids with learning challenges are clearly at a disadvantage. Now with technology, this can be addressed quite well. With the rise of computer-based assistive technologies like adaptive learning, text-to-speech, virtual reality, augmented reality, predictive spellers, artificial intelligence etc, the entire process of teaching-learning can be customised even to the level of an individual. Still early days for this, but the technology is developing fast. Even introvert students will be able to participate in class. When we implemented BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in our schools we were pleasantly surprised to notice that many students, who were otherwise quiet in class became a lot more active in the class and opened up considerably. It was interesting to see them blossoming in the classroom. Adaptive learning engines will help reinforce concepts and help children learn at their own pace. Gamification, which is an emerging trend, will create higher engagement with concepts and make learning more interactive and fun. Artificial intelligence will clearly make its presence felt in numerous areas. Personal robot teachers are no longer in the realms of science fiction and are a reality. In the end, it is very difficult to predict the future. Who knew even 10 years ago that driverless cars would be a reality? We should be ready to embrace technology, use it in a relevant manner and as effectively as possible to enrich the teaching-learning experience of our students.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Industry Perspective
happen in the new future. In Finland, the schools have moved away from subjects to project based teaching. Ability to apply knowledge will become more critical than rote learning. The entire syllabus and learning resources can now be made available either online or on a small Micro SD card. Children will have these resources readily available 24/7. The focus will be on what they do with it. Teaching will thus morph into facilitation and this has already begun. Teachers will need to guide the students through the maze of resources which are out there. Hopefully, students will be more engaged with their learning. Teachers’ roles are shifting from owners of information to facilitators and guides to learning. “Flipped classroom” and other learning models will become more prominent.
University Insights
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Students are Focusing More on Practical Exposure Than Theory Education is the foundation of our society. Despite having the reputation for evolving less rapidly than almost any other industry, education is constantly looking at ways to better our universities and the learning process for students. This gradual enhancement never happens overnight, but there is always progress being made. This change can be easily seen in the students who look for the universities which are providing more of practical knowledge with sound understanding of foundation theories. The movement towards vocational courses is increasing and new courses like Hospitality Management, Agriculture , Design and Law are in demand now a days. Students are looking for the institutes which are providing a good platform for internship ranging from 45 days to 6 months which helps in achieving the final goal of being placed. Prof. Rishi Sharma, Director, Admission, JECRC University opined on this opportunity and spoke that by taking care of this demand JECRC University is offering internships in all its Under Graduate and Post Graduate courses. Along with the internships JECRC University is coming up with all new courses which are more practical focussed. Shri Arpit Agrawal, Vice Chairman, JECRC University also specified that JECRC University has its core focus on increasing the research work and research orientation among the students. Research should be the ground to grow and enlighten the world with new concepts. The changing trends in the education industry now demand institutions to pay more attention towards the research and practical work. Gone are the days where learning and schooling was limited to the four walls of the classroom. 2017 is poised to be a year full of innovative technological learning advancements. And youth is asking for a better understanding and core research.
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
Smart EDUCATION Solutions AUTOMATING YOUR ENTIRE CAMPUS WITH SMART EDUCATION SOLUTIONS
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CAMPUS ERP
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CONNECTING CAMPUS
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VIRTUAL CAMPUS
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GUest column
78
ve ti a iti in is th in n o ti ic v n o c a Is there
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hen I was invited to write an article on Skill Development in India, I must confess that the first question I asked myself is if I am convinced that this initiative is indeed a value addition for our nation and not just another political plank to help create a positive agenda for a particular political party or government. One of the major decision points for families coming to Dubai is to choose a school that their children may get admission in. For many parents, ensuring that they have a place for their child in a good quality school is a critical trigger point for if they should decide to move to Dubai or not. I started to do my own little checks and research on this more so with the common everyday hard working bread earning citizens of the country…the domestic help, the chauffeurs, the masons, construction workers, our longstanding house help at my mother’s home whose grown up son is now looking for a job and many more. I am more than convinced after some of these practical connects that if we do not take this initiative seriously as a citizen of this country, we are likely to reach a stage where the gap between the haves and have nots will widen and the number of youngsters who would be on the edge of anarchy due to frustration will be on the rise. India cannot afford a scenario such as that.
July - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
So, lets visit the Basics first – what is Skilling ? what is this initiative ? Why is the word starting to become a buzzword and why is there still a lack of conviction in mass propogating this initiative ? Here is a list of 5 points that will give an insight into this ecosystem :1. Multiple reports and findings by experts indicate that the number of Indians entering the job market in the coming years could far exceed the number of traditional jobs that exist in India. One of the reports released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) pegs the number at only 140 million jobs for more than 3 times increase in the working age population in the coming 5 to 7 years. 2. India continues to be challenged by High School Drop out rates, lack of formal vocational training, lack of capacity for skill training and lack of industry ready skills. 3. Most of the skills acquired by the youth are due to default option of not finding any other means to earn a livelihood and hence skill related labor starts to become a social stigma in society. The stigma alienates the citizens from one an other and the sheer lack of respect leads to wage labor unions and strikes and distrust. 4. India has only 2% of its population as skilled workforce as against 45% in china and 65 – 80% in countries like UK, Germany and Japan.
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79 Korea has 96% of its population trained in key skills.
With Make in India programs, emphasis on wider education delivery, focus on manufacturing and a population that will continue to be demographically inclined towards the youth, Skilling initiatives will be a core requirement to help sustain India’s growth engine amongst the faster developing economies of the world. So what is the missing Link ? 1. Communication & Awareness – How many of us are aware that there is an Annual World Skill contest that happens every year in one of the countries ? Do you know Saudi Arabia is conducting one in Year 2017 ? Do you know if India is sending a contingent to pit our skilled workforce against the world’s best ? Do you think it will be good for a us to cheer India in this area just as we do for other sports ? 2. Start Early – Let us accept some realities. In government schools where the failure rate is high and drop outs happen quite often, the reality is that not all of the 50 to 60 children of the class will break out to become engineers and doctors and chartered accountants and Bankers. There will be a high percentage of the class that will fall by the way side and when they finally pass out or drop out and realise that the big wide world out there will not absorb them into certain jobs , they tend to take up skilling as a Default Option and NOT by design – it is high time that we provide inputs at an early stage in school to enable skilling expertise in time and get them better prepared than face a rude shock later.
guest column
5. Nearly 24 sectors need 119 million additional skilled workers – To quote Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the minister for skill development, many skilled work force are needed in Chemicals & Fertilizers, Pharmaceuticals, Steel & Mining, Coal, Power & Renewable Energy, Social Justice & Empowerment areas, Heavy Industries, Construction, handloom etc.
3. Industry needs Plug & Play workforce – The industry does not have the resources or the financial strength to train their workforce over 3 months to make them ready for the jobs that they have been taken for. Give them a Ready to Work workforce and they will lap it up. The whole concept of Identifying – Training & Placement therefore becomes a complete circle and a win win for both the employer and the potential employee who undergoes active skill training. 4. Combine Skilling with Soft Skill training – Have you imagined a future world of electricians, beauticians, counter manning employees, welders, plumbers and so on who would be able to speak clear English, show high quality of service levels, will maintain high levels of hygiene and discipline ? This can be achieved if we start combining Skilling training with soft skills management at an early age and make this a course by choice and not by default. 5. Create Skill Ambassadors – How many of you have been reading the tweets of the Honorable minister for Skill Development ? Many of his tweets reflect success stories of many employees who have benefitted from skill development. Citizens of smaller towns, villages who have got gainfully employed with reputed industries. Why cannot we have these folks turn into Skill Ambassadors and pave the way to further increase awareness and communication of this program ?
Vinesh Menon Chief Executive Officer Education, Skilling & Consulting Services , Vibgyor Group
I believe that if each of us citizens who have been far more privileged than many others genuinely try to peel the onion and try to recognize the void that exists in the Indian employment diaspora, we will automatically be convinced about the need for skill development and soon we will start having social conversations about this important topic with the same fervor as we do for topics such as Re Skilling of our much luckier and privileged IT Sector workforce.
Jai Hind !
dl.eletsonline.com | July - AUGUST 2017
University Perspective
80
MVGU -- Nurturing Globally Competitive Citizens Our students are provided with academic tools, practical skills, and real world opportunities necessary to advance as leaders in their professions and their communities, says K L Mina, Founder Chairperson, Maharaj Vinayak Global University (MVGU) in conversation with Elets News Nework (ENN). What is the vision of Maharaj Vinayak Global University? Maharaj Vinayak Global University has pioneered private technical, medical and higher education institutions in Rajasthan. We, at MVGU, offer the best platform to absorb knowledge from all sources and enable our students to access endless opportunities available in the global market. We are committed to instil leadership and offer internationalised curricula in all the core medical and technical courses to shape the future of our students.
Your university has been consistent in academic excellence, what has been the secret? Share us about your journey. Maharaj Vinayak Society was the first institute which got an no-objection certificate from the government to open Jaipur Dental College, the first dental college in the State. We started offering our courses initially under Rajasthan University. Later, we were affiliated to University of Medical & Health Sciences. We have established the first private Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy colleges in Rajasthan. The Jaipur Dental College has been awarded as the best dental college of North India for four consecutive years.
What kind of infrastructure, resource and technology related facilities are made available to the students to boost learning capabilities? Our courses are primarily in medical and allied
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For placement of our students from every course we bring in teams from USA, Canada, and Australia to groom our students for the international job market.
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sciences. These courses demand sophisticated and high end equipments and we have ensured the availability of every such equipment in Dental, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy stream. We have outsourced the equipments from Germany and Canada also.
What are the distinct courses offered by your university? As far as career prospect is concerned, do you offer any value additions in the learning process to offer best exposure to your students and increase their domain knowledge? Jaipur Nursing College is the first nursing college that offers B Sc degree and caters to the growing demand of allied medical services. Jaipur Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy colleges are the first ever in the state to offer these kinds of studies. These colleges not only ensured the quality higher but also offered training as per latest industry to the students of Rajasthan.
How do the courses at Maharaj Vinayak Global University make its students ready for the employment market? Be it dental, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, law etc, all these subjects offers attractive career prospects in government, public and private sector. These courses are highly promising from self employment point of view. In addition, students are encouraged to organise and participate in seminars and conferences.
international perspective
82
Infusing Digital Technologies in Everyday Learning An Education Brief by Cambridge International Examinations
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echnology in classrooms is nothing new. But the exponential growth and importance of digital devices – especially in the past decade – has made it a much more common part of the learning experience in India. As technology has progressed in leaps and bounds, the curriculum, schools and teachers have all had to keep pace. In the recent years, reference to ‘Digital Technology in the Classroom’ (DTC) can be taken to mean digital processing systems that encourage active learning, knowledge construction, inquiry, and exploration on the part of the learners, and which allow for remote communication as well as data sharing to take place between teachers and/or learners in different physical classroom locations. Students also use apps to support their learning – for example, to track their favourite insects, learn more about them and share the information online with classmates as part of a science project. The potential benefits of DTC are that it
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Digital technology can often be exciting for learners and offers a potentially more engaging alternative, it can enhance and transform the learning process for students
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can foster dialogic and emancipatory practice. Dialogic practice is that in which students are active, engaged and empowered participants in a conversation from which learning emerges. For example, learners working on a Maths modelling programme can start to have conversations about what they see on a computer screen without having to rely on terminology that they may not yet have (look at ‘that’, what happens if you do ‘this’?). The teacher can then add the appropriate language into the conversation as the project develops. Emancipatory practice is about something in which an individual student’s ideas go beyond the learning prescribed by the teacher/syllabus as they draw on knowledge gained outside formal education to construct understanding. For example, in music lessons’ learners can use their own knowledge and expertise of playing instruments or using technology to construct their own recording environments (perhaps using their mobile phone). They can then bring in ideas
83 Terms associated with digital technologies in the classroom that you should know: Definition Learners bring their own technology into the classroom for use as part of the learning activity
Example Mobile phone is used to browse the internet as part of a research activity
Benefit(s) Greater range of technologies available and lower cost to institution
E-portfolios
Learners and teachers create an electronic catalogue of work that tracks their learning journey. This is usually online and often uses multimedia files
Provides a way of quickly and seamlessly presenting a wide variety of material in different formats including details of process
Flipped classroom
Learners discover new content before the lesson from online videos or resources and then apply this knowledge in more personalised work in the classroom
A student portfolio of artwork is presented online through an e-portfolio. This includes scans of their sketches, photographs of displays and visits to galleries, written reflections, narrated videos of the artist (learner) at work and an audio logbook Learners watch a video at home about how sedimentary rocks are transformed into metamorphic rocks. In class they work in groups to collaboratively create a diagram explaining this process of transformation Links can be through, for example: online interest groups for example on Twitter and/or online and face-to-face courses
Personal Learning Network (PLN)
A PLN is an individual’s loose collection of links with other people or resources. The aim of such a network is to facilitate an exchange of ideas that supports learning Virtual A VLE is an e-learning education Moodle Blackboard Learning system that is web-based, Environment but modelled on conventional (VLE) face-to-face education. It provides access to courses, course content, assessments, homework, links to external resources etc
that they have created at home or in instrumental music lessons. Digital technology can often also be exciting for learners and offers a potentially more engaging alternative. At the same time, it is important to be aware that some learners may be less confident in learning with digital technologies and steps need to be taken to ensure equality, and safety, of access. It is also imperative that teachers make the best use of technology in the classroom by developing their awareness of a range of digital technologies and considering carefully both how and why they can be used to support students’ learning. Technology can be used to both enhance and transform the learning process, but the tools which are being substituted and augmented by technology should be chosen carefully so that they’re not an afterthought: they must be integral to the task. For example, instead of writing an essay by hand, learners type it on a computer and teachers add comments in that document before emailing it back to the learner. To further transform this
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Infusing digital technology in classrooms aims to prepare students for the future workforce – for jobs that will likely involve technologies and require the types of skills that are being taught alongside how the technology is used.
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More time for activities that promote deeper understanding and reflection
Access to a wide range of perspectives and expertise beyond the confines of the physical institution Easy way to collate and organise courses and information flexibility of access
Risk(s) Difficult to control and monitor usage some learners may have better devices than others lack of teacher understanding/ training Data security and confidentiality lack of teacher understanding/ training
Learners do not understand or are not able to access the flipped material flipped learning is not appropriate misunderstandings arise that are not addressed in class lack of teacher understanding/ training ensuring resources are up-to-date Data security and confidentiality accuracy of information access to the network lack of teacher understanding/ training
Software can limit course structure high level of maintenance
process, the learner could be asked to upload the essay to a learning portal or intranet platform for open learning so that other learners can comment on the essay. Taking this a step further still, a teacher could then set a task based on that essay topic, which asks learners to develop digital responses to the same topic – perhaps in image, video or audio format. DTC fosters active learning; it enhances understanding and helps learners to excel both in the classroom and the exam hall. Infusing digital technology in classrooms aims to prepare students for the future workforce – for jobs that will likely involve technologies and require the types of skills that are being taught alongside how the technology is used. Whether problem solving, thinking critically or creatively, or collaborating - these are all skills that the 21st century increasingly demands to succeed in life. By embracing DTC, teachers are setting their learners on the right path for getting in to college and university, and getting on in life.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
international perspective
Term Bring your own device (BYOD)
School Education
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Marg CompuSoft --Automating GST through Software Being in the domain for two decades, we always understand things from the customer’s perspective. This has helped us to create simple and easy GST offering that can create EASE to adopt, says Sudhir Singh, Co-founder and Managing Director, Marg CompuSoft Pvt Ltd, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN). What specialised GST Solution are you providing? We kept this as a design principle while building GST. Our offerings are 100% GST-compliant and built to help small entrepreneurs and businesses to become GST compliant from day one.
Apart from pharmaceutical Industry Marg is providing customised solution to jewellery industry, bars and restaurants and others, can you elaborate on this? As a legacy we’ve always believed in uniqueness of each trade operations. The same needs to be addressed with specific solution. This design principle helped us to build trade specific solution that can address dynamic segment like Pharma, Jewllery, Bar and Restaurants. To give an insight of Marg jewellery Software, it is easy to maintain different inventories for precious metal or stone. Moreover, there is a provision in which jeweller can set different price rate for different customers, metals or stones which he can update with a single key while billing which helps in saving time. We’ve always created the benefits that will get easily adopted by different trade and it will add up to their business productivity, the same has been done in these three trades also.
It’s been a month since the Government of India launched GST, how do you see the current GST scenario? Has the nation adopted the “one nation-one tax” well? Yes. We do agree there were teething issues
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We’ve always created the benefits that will get easily adopted by different trade and it will add up to their business productivity, the same has been done in these three trades also.
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across small businesses and MSMSs. However, these are expected ones as GST is a big change and it’s having confusion only because of less knowledge transfer across. We are proud to say that MargERP is the first product in GST automation space that has completed 100% customers to GST within 14 days since the latter came into existence. Most of our clients appreciated the effort we took for keeping their business continuity going. We see it as a positive move, while also calculating various challenges ahead in terms of trained manpower and short-term inflationary pressures. The GST in the long-run is believed to boost GDP, simplify trade and generate more jobs.
What is the purpose of ERP Solutions of Marg? The ERP solutions of Marg helps to automate and integrate critical processes ensuring to track all the entries thus, reduces duplication. In GST, businesses are expected to adopt e-filing for GST tax compliance. Marg ERP solutions will help in equipping your business with an automation software to address this challenge thereby making your task relatively easier and hassle-free.
What new softwares are you planning to launch soon (for education sector)? We have plan to push MargERP retail software as it is the software which is helping to create employment in huge no’s in all part of country. We are already penetrating the institute, academies and education domain with our comprehensive ERP Solution.
Industry Leader’s Speak
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Reforming Indian School Education – Some Ideas There are a few things that can be game-changers for India. GST with its attendant digitisation and ability to pull people into the formal system is one, writes Sridhar Rajagopalan, Co-founder, Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd for Elets News Network (ENN), adding judicial reforms cutting down time to justice would be a second.
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he biggest game-changer could be education reform. While other changes would unlock the potential inherent in our systems and people, educational reform would create potential and multiply it many fold adding value not just to the country but the entire world. The problem of educational reform is probably one of the most difficult in modern times. Companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook have in a span of decades revolutionised many industries and our very way of life. Yet, education is a sector that each of them has tried to change but has not been able to make a revolutionary impact so far. There has never been a shortage of wellmeaning efforts in India, by governments, NGOs, companies and individuals. Our company,
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There has never been a shortage of well-meaning efforts in India, by governments, NGOs, companies and individuals.
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educational initiatives, worked with the Government of Gujarat for a number of years. While groups during these efforts feel that they are making a difference and there are clear signs of change, few of these changes have lasted especially when seen from the outside. A problem that has turned into a monster because of short-termism cannot itself be solved by short termism, however good the short-term steps may be! And yet, we keep trying quick-fixes within the terms of bureaucrats and governments. So giving these realities, if I had to make a difference in education, I would focus on these four areas: Learning: Whether we accept it or note, learning levels in the Indian government system are extremely low and the private system is geared
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Organisations like NCERT and DIETs need to be strengthened from the ground up. Universities and private companies that want to work in this area should be supported and encouraged.
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them competent. This is the exact opposite of the 3 Idiots mantra ‘kamyab hone keliye nahin, kabil hone keliye padho’ (Don’t study to merely be successful, study to become competent). When government functionaries and politicians look at this problem, the challenge of building capacity – which is about research, professional development and expertise building – seems like a long and time-consuming route. The desire is for solutions in 2-3 years for a problem that is decades old. It is just assumed that earlier officials were either not as sincere or as brilliant and hence this time ‘we’ll fix the problem quickly’. Organisations like NCERT and DIETs need to be strengthened from the ground up. Universities and private companies that want to work in this area should be supported and encouraged. Building skills and capability in these areas will not just help us in India, it would bring us valuable foreign exchange – this is an area in which most countries need help. The government should set up a Science of Learning Institute – an autonomous centre for school education research and training – on the lines of the IITs, be generous with funding and autonomy and measure success by the quality of the research and training output. Changes in government rules for recruitment in education: If a State government wanted to improve the quality of its DIETs and SCERT’s (the state equivalent of the NCERT) – and some of the progressive ones do – they find that regulations related to hiring of personnel, service rules and remuneration come completely in the way. Private School ‘Regulation’: The last few months have seen many States move to control school fees. It is not clear if these moves are driven by populism or just ignorance, but it reflects an unscientific and poorly thought through approach. It is true that a number of private schools do not offer quality and sometimes charge fees that are not justified. But is the solution a blanket fee cap? Did it work in Tamil Nadu which implemented it some years ago? The thinking seems to be that if we cannot get quality education, let us at least cut down fees for poor quality (though that may further reduce quality!). And this is while spending on tuitions and coaching increases. Not only did we weaken the main system, we strengthen the ‘short-cut’ route in the system.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
Industry Leader’s Speak
towards rote learning. This is the most difficult problem to solve, but it is also the most important. Government and private functionaries alike would like to postpone work here – picking up lower hanging fruit first. Ironically, this is the one that requires a long-term approach. For example, one of the easier steps to take in this direction, is for India to participate in international tests like PISA and TIMSS every round and have a high quality national sample assessment. The government has already taken steps in this direction, which is creditable. Another even more difficult change is Board Exam Reform – making our Board Exams test understanding rather than just rote by changing the types of questions that are asked in them. However, there are 2 big challenges in implementing these steps well. Firstly, these actions are not solutions. They are first steps that will only shine the light more strongly on the problem. They are the investigation that will first reveal more bad news. There could be a backlash against these initiatives to stop them, and it will require courage to stay the path. The second catch is that the system – the sum total of the government and private capacities and capabilities that exist – are not sufficient to actually do these steps well! For that we have to focus on the following point. Building and strengthening capacity in government systems and functionaries: We find it easy to accept that deep expertise and experience is needed to provide certain services like telecom or airline services. But when it comes to education, or running schools and colleges, we tend to think that it requires commitment only not necessarily any deep expertise. This thinking is wrong, and because of that, we have not developed what I call the ‘Science of Learning’ to the extent we should have. Research is neglected in higher education. When I look at China, I think it will not be their investments in manufacturing that will be the game-changer when history assesses them, it will be the investments in research. Even in cutting edge sectors like AI, China is now the World No 2 after the US. Why did India lose this opportunity even with its huge human resource potential? I believe we Indians love shortcuts and jugaad. Our love for our children and desire to see them succeed far exceeds our desire to see
School perspective
88
Innovation Driving Excellence in Teaching-Learning at Jaipuria School Seth Anandram Jaipuria School espouses a hybrid approach of teaching and learning, mixing concept-building with enquiry-based learning in an appropriate degree, says School Principal-cum-Director Manju Rana in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN). How does the school embed best future practices and innovations into the teaching-learning process? The school truly espouses the belief that growth comes not only from doing different things, but also doing things differently. The blended learning approach in classrooms, state-of-the-art technology, social media for customised solutions, or a distinctive assessment system that focuses on academic proficiency as much as it does on the joy of learning. We have adopted novel methods like Maths lab for practical application of theory; Science lab and upcoming Atal Tinkering Lab that is based on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to inculcate scientific temper; IT labs and smart class to explore the true potential of learning methods; digitised and well stocked libraries; ‘Work-Ex’ clubs for developing vocational acumen; student exchange programmes with British Council, French Embassy, Environment Online (ENO) initiatives, etc to support the teaching-learning process.
What initiatives have been taken by the school in monitoring innovative progress, performance and behaviour of students? Jaipuria espouses a hybrid approach of teaching and learning, mixing concept-building with enquiry-based learning in an appropriate degree. Innovative progress is examined by the management and the principal at the helm. The school takes each student’s academic assessment,
JULY - AUGUST 2017 | dl.eletsonline.com
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Jaipuria espouses a hybrid approach of teaching and learning, mixing concept-building with enquirybased learning in an appropriate degree. Innovative progress is examined by the management and the principal at the helm.
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innovative progress and evaluation acutely. Marks in assessments are collated and analysed by the leadership team with the help of IT department. Data is analysed student wise and subject wise, to identify common areas of concern and redressed through remedial classes.
For innovation in school it is important to have skilled teachers, what measures have you taken to improve the teaching experience? At Jaipuria, we undertake teacher training acutely and adopt a policy of minimum 40 hours of teacher training through internal and external workshops. Furthermore, comprehensive measures are also taken up like simulated social skill training; microteaching among peers; programmed instruction with use of ICT and other technology-based tools; team teaching; and interaction analysis for analysing and observing the classroom behaviour used as a feedback device.
It is very important for school and parents to be in sync for the holistic development of the children. Share the processes you follow for it. Education is a three-tier process where parents, teachers and students work together for holistic learning. Parents are welcomed to actively participate in the school activities. The school not only conducts PTAs, but also takes up many initiatives to keep the parents in sync through orientation programmes.
Industry Perspective
90
Decoding the Future of Education in Next Decade Breaking away the conventional classroom teaching, today there is a need for learning to take place anytime, anywhere at a pace that is comfortable for a learner and interests him, writes Ratna D Reddy, Founder Director,Chirec International for Elets News Network (ENN).
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riven by technological innovations, most professions have made dramatic changes in the way they function. While teaching still appears a lot like it did when the teachers were themselves students, there are few key trends that are fast driving change in the world of education. These trends would perhaps define the emergence of a new system in the future.
Transition from teaching to learning From time immemorial, teaching has followed the process of transferring information from the teacher to the learner on one-on-one basis. This methodology has created a demand for experts at every level, who are required to create coursework so that information can be transferred in an organised way for effective learning. Breaking away the conventional classroom teaching, today there is a need for learning to take place anytime, anywhere at a pace that is comfortable for a learner and interests him. This learning has led to an urgent need for teachers to transition from topic experts to a role where they can become mentors to inspire an environment of learning.
Simplifying information Constant research and development has led to creation of new concepts requiring experts to decode their meaning. Due to this, there has been a need to simplify the process of attaining and grasping information as information is not just text based today – it is graphical, musical, based on audio and visual adaptation.
Technological education
innovations
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The online education movement has pushed towards individualised instruction for students as opposed to learning that happens inside a social context.
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Technological innovation has facilitated imparting information and knowledge beyond the walls of the classroom. There are attempts being made to translate and package these blocks of information into digital courseware, which has allowed learning to take place anytime and anywhere. The Open Education Movement was inspired by the open source software movement and mixes the powerful communication abilities of the internet and applies the result to teaching-learning materials. Some open education projects like MIT Open CourseWare, Wikiversity and Moodle are efforts that encourage contributions from all corners.
Social environments camps
of
learning
The online education movement has pushed towards individualised instruction for students as opposed to learning that happens inside a social context. When a classmate asks a question, the whole class learns. These are pieces of the learning environment that may disappear if the learning process becomes too hyper individualised. It can be argued that learning can best be achieved through hands-on experiences. Keeping this in view, learning camps ranging from one day camps to multi week camps, would proliferate around specific topics in future.
Emergence of relevant curricula This is important in fulfilling the gap between education and employment. Competency based certifications, testing specific skills and bundling individual skills into professional groupings will become a global currency for both employers and job seekers.
eduleader’s perspective
92
Manipal University jaipur: Fostering Academic Excellence At Manipal University, Jaipur, qualitative improvement is the watchword of both the management and the faculty. We strive to provide our students with the best learning environment along with impeccable education, says Dr Sandeep Sancheti, President, Manipal University Jaipur, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).
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eduleader’s perspective
Please describe briefly about the professional courses offered at Manipal University? In Manipal, most of the courses are professional ones whether it is in design or management, or journalism or engineering. All these are four year courses but we do have five year courses in architecture and law streams. In most cases, we prefer four year undergraduate courses and honors courses, as they are well-accepted across the industry as well as for higher studies because their depth and rigor. Such courses are generally better as they also have the components of flexibility in terms of exposure to internships and industry projects.
In the light of latest technologies evolving across the world and the global products are being created from various education institutions itself, do you offer any job-oriented course and make your students job ready? Yes, most of courses offered are professional and are job oriented. For job orientation, we are fully geared and do our best to prepare students for it by delivering multiple skills and courses beyond conventional schemes. In fact, placement has become the foremost criteria for students and parents to choose an institute before joining it. Unfortunately they are less worried about the main things like quality of programmes offered and how these things will affect their studies and future. Basically, we try to inculcate the lifelong learning abilities in a student and not necessarily the ability to get a job only. We do very well in terms of our placements. But in my opinion, an ideal institution’s focus should be to make students versatile and enable them to do what they want to do. To offer them better choices, we have recently started new generation programmes like BA Liberal Arts, BPES, BDes, etc.
Which distinct branches of engineering are offered at your university, share their scope as far as career prospect is concerned? We are dealing with many branches of engineering. In all, we have 10 branches and I personally believe that branches of Chemical, Automobile and Mechatronics Engineering, etc, are distinctly different and advanced at least in
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We have 10 branches and I personally believe that the branch of Chemical Engineering, Automobile Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering, all of them are distinctly different, unique and advanced at least in the context of Rajasthan.
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the context of Rajasthan. We offer best of the class infrastructure, laboratories and learning environment for these branches in the country and we are striving to make it even better in terms of overall excellence. We also offer highest standards of learning in conventional streams of engineering such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer and Communications, Electronics & Communications, Electrical, Civil and Mechanical Engineering. All of these engineering programmes offer better career prospects, as the students are better equipped with multiple skills of IT, analytical and logical abilities, communication skills, industry exposure, etc, which are generally lacking in other conventional streams.
Do you think traditional engineering discipline is being eclipsed by the new engineering ones? Traditional engineering branches such as Mechanical, Civil, Electrical etc. are discipline oriented and are offered by most of the institutions as well as preferred by the students. In my opinion, our institutions should also support branches like mining, metallurgy etc. as they are very important for our growing economy. Given a choice, I will be the one to advocate for branchless engineering. I would call it as a general engineering or basic engineering or inter-disciplinary engineering. It basically means that right from the day one, a student should not freeze his/her options. Reason is that when a student gets enrolled in a college, they would not know about what branch to choose. Therefore they prefer to follow what their friends are choosing or what their parents are advising them. Through branchless engineering we can allow and help them to identify and choose specialisation of their interest at a later stage when they are more matured and their future directions are better known. Though, this agenda seems difficult and is generally not offered in our country but regulatory agencies and good institutions should lead efforts to make it happen.
Most of the undergraduate engineering students in India readily opt for the first job opportunity during the placement drive. What is your take on this? Most of the students tend to go for it as there is a pride associated with it both for the students
eduleader’s perspective
96 as well as for the institution. Institutions also generally promote and desire good placements as it helps them to improve their profile and performance in ranking through NIRF, NAAC and NBA, etc. The third stakeholder i.e. the industries also take part in campus drives as they know that it is easiest way to get the best talent with the least cost. Generally it is a win-win situation for all stakeholders and hence it is flourishing. Placement is another reason why the family or student blindly opt for engineering while sacrificing other interests. Industries are sometimes very keen to outdo each other and therefore start early placements which distract students from their normal teaching-learning processes during important phases in pre-final and final years leading to poor quality of graduates. Students also tend to go for jobs providing higher CTC irrespective of the job being of their choice or not due to their social compulsions. We should collectively make efforts to improve on these counts. In addition to placement activities we also promote entrepreneurship as an option to outgoing students. A number of initiatives have been taken to promote it by providing proper exposure from experts, incubation facilities, technological support, partnerships and equity, etc. in their enterprises. As a special effort we also allow students to take entrepreneurship as their final year project to give them a head start and a better exposure of this domain.
What are the latest and upcoming initiatives by the university? Please share the details of some of the prominent ones? Lots of initiatives are on-going as far as academics, research and betterment of overall performance are concerned. Academically, electronics engineering students will all go through the semiconductor fabrication exercises where they make devices which generally are not offered at most of the institutions. Computer engineering students would be exposed to Super Computing or High Performance Computing. Majority of students of Mechanical, Mechatronics and Automobile engineering undergo training at BOSCH training centres where they work on different aspects of a vehicle such as designing, drive system, safety, comfort etc. So lots of hands on practices are being offered to improve the learning experience in all specializations. We are also able to place
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University Hostel
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Lots of initiatives are ongoing as far as academics, research and betterment of overall performance are concerned. Academically, electronics engineering students will all go through the semi-conductor fabrication exercises where they make devices which generally are not offered at most of the institutions.
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around seventy percent of our final year students for six months projects at the industry to enhance their industry readiness. In assessments domain, we do follow open evaluation and open book examination system and provide relative grading. This means that even if you have scored 75 and you are highest in the class, you will get a top grade. Similarly if you are at the last position in a class with 75 marks, you will get a poorer grade. This is the beauty of relative grading and these practices are usually not fully followed in most of the institutions as they follow absolute grading. In general, in Manipal University Jaipur, there are no re-evaluations, reexaminations or re-totaling as all answer scripts for all examinations are shown to the students. This practice also helps us declare all our results in time. Similarly practices such as Tinkering Labs, Virtual Labs, summer internship for students from other colleges, one compulsory MOOC course and one online experiment every year and practicals in industry supported laboratories, faculty internships in industry etc, have been started. Further, since we have just about completed six years of our existence and graduated one or two batches of most of the programmes, we are now intending to focus more on quality and set even higher benchmarks. In our formative years itself, we have found a rightful place in NIRF ranking and hope to continuously improve it. We are also actively working towards our IQAC, NAAC accreditation, improving research profile and offering more industrially and socially relevant courses. Dr Sandeep Sancheti is an eminent educationist and has had varied experience as the head of NITs and of School of Planning and Architecture, New delhi. Dr Sancheti is an institution builder and currently is President of Manipal University, Jaipur.
PreSchool Perspective
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EuroKids: Transforming Preschool Education through Innovation EuroKids is among the first to adopt innovative learning initiatives to stay ahead of the others. We realise that the preschool is children’s first step outside the comfort of the home and away from their parents, says Prajodh Rajan, Co-founder & CEO, EuroKids, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
What are the emerging trends you see in early childhood education in India as well as globally? Preschool education in India is set to witness tremendous growth owing to increasing levels of awareness around early childhood education and increased cognizance among parents for the need of a well reputed and structured preschool
Kids playing at a preschool
education. Parents today keep themselves updated with latest developments in the world of education and knowledge. They want their children to flourish in a nurturing environment. Another trend we observe is the increase in the demand for technology-driven content. We, at EuroKids, have a clear philosophy to ensure that only age appropriate technological exposure is provided to pre-schoolers in structured and supervised environment, which ensures holistic growth for the young children. Many parents express great concern and are anxious about the levels of safety observed at pre-schools. A preschool being the child’s first experience away from the parents is a huge leap for both the parents as well as the child. Hence, a parent’s trust increases when a professionallyrun preschool brand ensures safety of the child. Lastly, many parents do realise that a preschool education is incomplete without their children remaining physically fit even at the tender ages of up to 6 years. Parents today are of the view that a fit body is as important as a focussed mind and look for a preschool that focuses on shaping the health of their children.
What are the major challenges of running a preschool (chain) in a country like India?
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How do you think your schools differ from others? EuroKids is among the first to adopt innovative learning initiatives to stay ahead of the others. At EuroKids, we place tremendous importance on providing a caring atmosphere for children. We realise that the preschool is children’s first step outside the comfort of the home and away from their parents. Hence we provide a nurturing environment with emphasis on child development, enhanced safety protocols, superior hygiene norms. We also establish a close connection with the parents of each child so that a close bond between the home and the preschool is created. All these elements when in synergy make that perfect ‘second home
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We realise that the preschool is children’s first step outside the comfort of the home and away from their parents. Hence we provide a nurturing environment with emphasis on child development, enhanced safety protocols, superior hygiene norms.
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for the child’. Our curriculum focuses on developing ‘Executive Function Skills’ (EFS) in children that are crucial for learning, development and positive behaviour. It integrates multiple representation, expression and engagement to focus on developing EFS vital for the next gen learners. This approach has been our growth driver and has ensured that brand EuroKids has had significant impact on the education domain in the country. Our presence extends across three countries, over 900 pre-schools, more than 350 towns and cities. We have positively contributed to the growth and development of over 3,00,000 children.
What are your plans for expansion in India as well as abroad? We are a franchised business and we intend to expand it beyond more than 900 pre-schools that are already present. We do sense a maturing of the major metro cities and believe that there is great untapped potential in tier-II and tier-III towns and cities and have focused our energies on these territories. We are present in over 350 towns and cities and our plan is to expand our network and double it in the next 48 months. Internationally, we are present in Nepal and Bangladesh and will be shortly entering Sri Lanka.
How does your chain of schools utilise the power of technology for improved early education? Technology today is all pervasive. However when it comes to pre-schooling, the amount of technology that a child must be exposed to in his formative years must be supervised. At EuroKids, we believe we provide a controlled learning environment for the child where there is age-appropriate tech-enabled learning initiatives. As part of our curriculum, we offer Motion-Based Learning, a unique programme which makes use of innovative visual techniques to showcase a digital curriculum in the form of games, stories, rhymes, videos etc. Additionally, to keep the parents in the know of all the developments at our pre-schools, we have the Buddy App which showcases all the fun activities, learnings, pictures of fun times, details of field trip schedules, engagement programmes and many more so that the parents are aware of the typical day at EuroKids.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
PreSchool Perspective
I think the most significant challenge we faced was at the onset, to create a sense of awareness for the benefits of a structured pre-schooling experience for the child and to showcase to parents how child-centric all our efforts are. Back then, most parents were comfortable sending their children to the nearest preschool or the most popular preschool in the vicinity. However as we spread our network of preschools, most parents started to realise the benefits that brand EuroKids brought to the table, i.e., the safety norms and standards adopted at our preschools; the high levels of hygiene and cleanliness maintained; the structured curriculum based on research findings by ‘Centre on the Developing Child’ at Harvard University; our wellness initiatives to ensure the well-being of the child whilst at preschool and many more. All of these made us the preferred choice for the parents. Operationally, we still do face challenges with finding adequately trained teaching resources. To combat this challenge, we initiated EuroVarsity – an online teacher training and certification programme for women who would like to pursue a preschool teaching career. This ensures that we have a steady mechanism to fulfill our teaching requirements at our pre-schools. To ensure that our existing teachers periodically update their skill sets, we have developed ETAT (EuroKids Teacher Assessment Tool) – an online teacher assessment and training tool which ensures that teachers at our pre-schools comply with specific uniform standards and that their skill sets are continuously upgraded so that they remain the best in the business.
University Profile
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Jaipur National University Providing Quality Education Jaipur National University, a private self-financed university sponsored by Mahima Shiksha Samiti, came into existence on October 22, 2007. The university is one of the many institutions of the Seedling Group of Educational Institutions of the Mahima Shiksha Samiti, a society founded in 1986 by eminent people from all walks of life.
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he Jaipur National University is foremost among the recently established selffinancing universities in Rajasthan, and is offering several technical and professional programmes. The university was accorded approval under Section 2(f) by University Grants Commission (UGC) and after six years of establishment was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The accreditation was based on a very comprehensive evaluation of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in streams like Engineering, Pharmacy, Life and Basic Sciences, Business and Management, Education, Law, Mass Media, Hotel Management, Computer and System Sciences, Language, and Social Sciences. All the technical and professional programmes are approved by various regulatory bodies – All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Bar Council of India (BCI), Indian Nursing Council (INC), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and Medical Council of India (MCI). Jaipur National University has once again been ranked (India Today – Nielsen Survey 2017) among the top 30 best universities of India and 17th amongst private universities. JNU Hospital and Medical College, a part of the illustrious Jaipur National University, was established for undergraduate and postgraduate quality medical education and research. The medical college received the permission of MCI for the first batch of MBBS in 2016-17 and second batch in 2017-18. The JNU hospital started in 2014-15 boasts of world class environment, friendly infrastructure, cutting edge technology,
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Jaipur National University has once again been ranked (India Today – Nielsen Survey 2017) among the top 30 best universities of India and 17th amongst private universities.
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highly experienced and qualified faculty and skilled paramedical staff who work with motto “care with compassion”. JNU hospital is a multi-specialty premiere healthcare destination, spread over an area of 21 acres in Jagatpura, Jaipur. JNU hospital aims to provide holistic healthcare that includes prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and health education for patients and their families. Right from the infrastructure to the latest medical technology acquisition, it has always kept its patients first and strived to deliver not only world class but world’s best care to its patients since its inception in July 2015. The hospital offers a tertiary level care, where it brings together state-of-the-art medical infrastructure, cutting edge technology and a highly integrated and comprehensive information system along with the quest for exploring and developing newer therapies in the field of medicine. JNU hospital is backed up with trained supportive staff, efficient system and modern procedures with an aim to cater to the needs of Rajasthan and people across the globe promoting the international medical tourism. JNU hospital strives hard to make world class clinical care available to the population of Jaipur and nearby area at affordable prices. The university has evolved into the most sought after educational institution in its nine years spotless and creditable journey. The university has grown into a multi-faculty and multi-disciplinary university and continues its march for newer heights of excellence. The university believes in holistic development of students with a view to make them effective professionals.
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university Perspective
104
BITS Pilani: Generating, Disseminating, Preserving Knowledge At the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, academics are supplemented by pervasive industry engagement and every student is exposed to practical applications of classroom knowledge under structured programmes, says Prof Souvik Bhattacharyya, ViceChancellor, BITS Pilani, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).
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Our commitment to transparency and stress on strong student support have been the key contributing factors behind emergence of BITS Pilani as an institute of eminence. At BITS, conventional learning is supplemented by immersive industry engagement via a twophase practice school – a seven-and-a-half month structured industry/research internship wherein a student is mentored and assessed by BITS faculty apart from industry mentors while working on a live project. In addition to academics, BITS also focuses on providing students with opportunities for all round development. All our campuses are thriving nodes for student-driven social-cultural, sports, technology and many other activities.
Research being an institution’s integral part, what are the ongoing research projects at BITS Pilani? How the corporates are involved in these projects, can you share a few names? In 2016-17, we had a 130 per cent growth in new external research grant received by our faculties from agencies such as DST, DBT, CDAC, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and several international and bilateral research organisations. Some of the ongoing projects are as follows: • A consultancy grant of Rs 1.8 crore from HCL infotech in the area of financial inclusion • An International grant of Euro 1,35,000 under INNO INDIGO project with SINTEF Norway • Two major consortia projects worth about Rs 3.9 crore in the area of food from RD Tata Trust and ICAR jointly with CDAC, Jadavpur University and IARI to develop sensors for fruits and vegetable quality • A technology for purification of harvested rainwater has been developed. It is supplemented by a research grant of Rs 2 crore from DST. • Two prestigious grants from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of $1,35,000 and $42,000 in partnership with Cranfield University, UK
BITS Pilani
The campus area
and Caltech, USA on water and wastewater treatment. • A grant of Euro 3,70,000 by DAAD and FESTO Didactic, Germany
BITS Pilani has designed a Work Integrated Learning Programme (WILP), what is it all about?
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BITS Pilani has recorded a decent growth over the last year in terms of placements. Preplacement offers through Practice School has been a growing and contributing factor.
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In WILP, working are exposed to the latest findings of academic research. It provides them an opportunity to integrate these innovations into their work, and thus put them into practice leading to enhanced performance, cost-effectiveness and quality. Again, more specifically the programmes offered in the pharmaceutical or health systems areas provide the opportunity for work that directly impacts the quality of human health and well-being.
What are the policies with integration of technology followed at the institute to provide the best possible teachinglearning experience? Since over a last decade BITS Pilani has taken several initiatives to use technology in education and the institute is enabling its faculty members and students to use technology enabled platforms, digital content and innovative practices. Physical Infrastructure (in the form of studios for digital content recording, TelePresence classrooms, inclass recording of lectures, remotely operated anytime, anywhere laboratories) as well as digital infrastructure (in the form of learning management systems, MOOC-platforms, software for simulations, programming environments, etc.) are provided to faculty and students. Flipped/ blended classes are encouraged. A teaching and learning centre has been established to innovate and propagate pedagogic practices including digital and online learning practices.
dl.eletsonline.com | JULY - AUGUST 2017
university Perspective
BITS Pilani is among the top 20 universities from India in QS World Ranking, what measures have been taken by BITS to match global standards of education?
University Insights
106
Inculcating Self Reliance in Young Minds through Education
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he University of Kota was established in the year 2003 by the Government of Rajasthan. With the enrollment of 81,735 students, 37 affiliated colleges and two PG programmes in 2004-05, the university had 2,33,579 enrolled students, 172 affiliated colleges and 24 postgraduate programmes in 2016-17. The University was granted 2(f) and 12(b) status of the UGC Act 1956 in 2004 and 2012 respectively. Over 280 scholars have obtained PhD degree in 25 disciplines from the University. Improving its position in India Ranking 2016 (in 151-200 rank band) conducted by National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), the University of Kota has been placed at 78th position In the India Ranking 2017 conducted by NIRF. NAAC–LOI (National Assessment and Accreditation Council–Letter of Intent) of the University has been accepted and Peer Team visit is expected in September 2017. Also, the University has been awarded “RICOH Education Excellence Award 2016” from the Bussiness World for “Best Institution in Use of Technology in Teaching-Learning Practices” and ranked 29th in the India Today survey-2017. Many national and international projects
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Improving its position in India Ranking 2016 (in 151-200 rank band) conducted by National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), the University of Kota has been placed at 78th position in the India Ranking 2017
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University of Kota
worth around `550 lakhs, funded by different funding agencies, has been on trajectory of growth with 175 lakhs infrastructural grant for multipurpose sports complex. awards, patents, MoUs (with education institutes and industries) are signature of our resilient progress of the university. The university has a central library with Inflibnet, DelNet, OPAC, LAN and Wi-Fi facilities. The university also houses Central Analytical Instrumentation Facility and English language lab. University students are also awarded with medals in national and state level games i.e. Kabbadi, Judo, football, basketball, boxing etc. Recently, University established Swami Vivekanand, Dr. Bheem Rao Ambedkar and Vanshavali Addayan Shodh Peeth. University is also planning to establish Sindhu Addayan and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhaya Shodh Peeth in current session. The University has conducted four convocations on June 29, 2013; March 13, 2016; April 21, 2006 and on July 20, 2017. The University has also conducted state level entrance examinations – PTET 2016 and BSTC 2017. The University is developing its adopted village Dungarjya as a Smart Village.
University Perspective
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Bhagwant University – Offering Higher Education A Special Meaning It is must to develop professional competence in students and faculties to use their intrinsic potential for uplift of the society, says Dr Anil Singh, Chairman, Bhagwant Group, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
To make students professionally competent, what strategies are being adopted by Bhagwant University in teaching-learning process? Bhagwant University, located in Ajmer, Rajasthan, is a co-educational private university, which emphasises on practical training of students. We encourage students to organise and participate in seminars and workshops. Eminent industry leaders, professionals and esteemed professors are invited to deliberate on latest industry trends and technologies. Technical experts from reputed organisations are employed as senior faculty members to teach and guide students about core subjects, practical training and projects.
Tell us about the academic departments and researches being conducted at the university. Are there any corporate sponsored researches and courses available at the university? Bhagwant University lays strong emphasis on the sponsored research, collaborative research funded by the national and international agencies. The institute has set up modern laboratories. Faculty members of the institute maintain strong industrial links by undertaking consultancy assignments and run short-term company specific training programmes. To achieve enhanced industrial participation in the engineering education, the institute has taken various initiatives to start the
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We have 10 branches and I personally believe that the branch of Chemical Engineering, Automobile Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering, all of them are distinctly different, unique and advanced at least in the context of Rajasthan.
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industry sponsored masters degree programmes.
On what parameters Bhagwant University collaborates with a foreign university to provide better exposure to students? The Bhagwant University has collaborated with reputed universities like the University of Western Australia, Australia; Gannon University, US; Sheffield Hallam University, UK and Kasetsart University, Thailand. Before any tie up, the core competency of the universities, their quality of labs, their Learning methodologies are being researched. The collaboration is done for progression opportunities of students, semester abroad training programme, student/faculty exchange and for joint research collaboration.
How does the university help its existing faculty members to enhance their skills? The university has a blend of experienced and young faculty members. Young faculty members are being encouraged to participate in training programmes, seminars and workshops. Under exchange programme, the faculty members visit foreign universities for their global exposure. Our faculties have visited Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; Kasetsart University, Thailand; Nanyang Technical University, Singapore; and University Technologies, Malaysia.
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University Perspective
110
Shridhar University – A Rural University Aiming To Be World Class The university has a vision to set up a world class education facility for students pursuing technology, agriculture and livelihood courses, says Brig (Retd) Kartar Singh, Vice Chancellor, Shridhar University, Rajasthan in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN), shares his institutions vision and key achievements along with their unique academic inputs to their students.
What is the vision of your university? Our vision is to establish a world class education facility for students in technology, agriculture and livelihood courses. Being a rural university, the local students will find a natural environment with robust academic infrastructures to learn and excel. Due to this infrastructure and rural set up, we engage our students in curricular activities in the best possible way.
What kind of infrastructure related, resource related and technology related facilities are made available to the university students to boost their learning capabilities? Sridhar University has three-fully equipped computer labs with CADD, Virtual lab and system
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Our vision is to establish a world class education facility for students in technology, agriculture and livelihood courses. Being a rural university, the local students will find a natural environment with robust academic infrastructures to learn and excel.
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operation software lab. We have 70 acres of green field with 24x7 water, electricity and WIFI connections. The infrastructure also includes 4.75 lakh built up area and excellent hostel accommodation. The project for converting smart classroom is underway. There is sufficient area for games and sports. We are also constructing a separate stadium for students.
What are the distinct courses offered by your university? What career scope do they offer? With conventional engineering and technology, legal, basic life sciences and management courses we have special 4-year course B.Sc. - Agriculture. In addition to it, we are now admitting student for Bachelor in Vocational degree.
The university offers good placement opportunities in the State. What kind of training programmes are being offered by the institute to improve students’ prospects of placement? Our placement record is very high. We offer 100% placement in mining and approx 50% of other courses. Our efforts for placement are increasing. B.Sc (Agriculture) batch has been placed in local areas. Mining and BCA placements are also increasing.
University Perspective
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Inculcating Entrepreneurial Skills Among Students With excellent infrastructure, strong focus on placements and a proper mix of experienced, young and dynamic faculty members, our university is building technocrats and leaders of tomorrow, says Dr Devi Singh, Vice Chancellor, J K Lakshmipat University, Jaipur, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN). What is the vision of your university? The vision of JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU) is to encourage a value-based innovative learning environment that engages intellectual, spiritual and moral stimulation to promote holistic personality development and nurture leadership.
What kind of infrastructure related, resource related and technology related facilities are being made available to the university students for boosting their learning capabilities? JKLU’s sprawling hi-tech 30-acre campus with picturesque surroundings provides a refreshing environment for stimulating intellectual creativity. The lush green and Wi-Fi enabled campus has several amphitheaters, air-conditioned classrooms, conference rooms, a computer centre, a fully automated library, a Management Development Centre and modern sports facilities. The university has established an E-Cell (Entrepreneurship Cell) for inculcating the entrepreneurial skills among students. Various entrepreneurship colloquiums and seminars on different themes are held regularly. To enrich the students with practical training the university has established 57 high-end laboratories to hone the engineering skills and collaborated with various industries and academic bodies. The university has signed Memorandum of Understanding with The Hanyang University, South Korea, University of Wales, United Kingdom,
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JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU), Jaipur has partnered with IBM and offers programme in B Tech Computer Science Engineering degree with specialisation in Cloud Computing, Mobile Computing, Big Data Analytics and Information Security
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St. Cloud State University, U.S.A., Széchenyi István University, Hungary.
What are the distinct courses offered by your university? What is its scope as far as career prospects are concerned? JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU), Jaipur has partnered with IBM and offers programme in B Tech Computer Science Engineering degree with specialisation in Cloud Computing, Mobile Computing, Big Data Analytics and Information Security. The recent MOU signed with SAP provides enterprise solutions and is one of the largest vendors of ERP to manage business operations and customer relations. The courses will include a beginner’s course, compulsory for all students of JKLU and expert-level optional courses in the field of Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Sales and Distribution Management, Materials Management, Advanced Business Application Engineering. JKLU has signed MoU with Moody’s Analytics & Edu Edgepro , the joint degree programme with Moody’s Analytics in MBA programme, provides a thorough understanding of practical problemsolving in core areas of Finance and Banking. JKLU has signed MoU with Confederation of Indian Industry-Institute of Logistics (CIIIL). Under the MoU, an integrated management degree programme with specialisation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is offered to students.
RNI NO. UPENG/2008/25311/UP/GZB/70/2015-17