Two Indian institutes have for the first time to the top 200 list of the world's best universities

Two Indian institutes have for the first time made it to the top 200 list of the world's best universities.

The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, has taken the top spot among its Indian counterparts, bagging the 147th rank. The only other Indian institute to make it to the top 200 is Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, ranked 179th this year. It has made great progress from last year when it was ranked 235th in the world.

According to the QS World University Rankings 2015, there are 14 Indian institutions in the World University Rankings and half of them are among the global 400. The bad news is that the University of Delhi and the University of Mumbai have lost ground.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the world's top university, closely followed by Harvard. The University of Cambridge is tied to Stanford University for the third place. London is the only city in the world with four universities in the top 50, more than Boston and New York (3) Paris, Sydney, Hong Kong and Beijing (2), with the London School of Economics and Political Science making the top 40 for the first time.

In an exclusive interview to TOI, Ben Sowter, QS head of research, said, "India has two institutions in the top 200 this year, which has occurred as a result of QS evolving its methodology to be more even-handed across subject areas and it has revealed strength in research in engineering, technology and the natural sciences. If you want to compare India and China, the primary shortfalls are money and consistent policy leadership."

Thirty-four countries are represented in the top 200.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/In-a-first-two-Indian-institutes-make-it-to-worlds-top-200/articleshow/48964009.cms

Read More

First national education policy meet a success: Smriti Irani

Union HRD minister Smriti Irani on Saturday termed the first zonal-level consultation meeting for a new education policy held in Agartala on Friday a success.

She said the draft policy will be published in December after a nationwide consultation of the draft policy. "This is for the first time in Independent India, that a collaborative effort has been made from the grassroots level to formulate a national education policy involving teachers, students, district magistrates and other sections of society," Irani said.

Representatives from the NE states came up with a few suggestions on universalization of education, expansion of the ambit of Right to Education Act and increase in budget allocation. Irani said that following the launch of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, the infrastructure of schools across the region has improved and there has been adequate recruitment of teachers. Hence, there is no need to increase the budget allocation at this stage.

She said the HRD ministry is emphasizing on the quality of education, teachers training, expansion of basic amenities and strong monitoring of the functioning of schools. It is planning to launch mobile apps that would allow parents and ministry officials to monitor the functioning of schools.

"I have received a very positive feedback and some suggestions from the states during the meeting," she said. The initiative is to reach out every possible stakeholder before adopting the national education policy, she added.

She advised the NIT authorities in Agartala to invite at least one foreign academician to the institute for delivering lectures and teaching the students at least for 15 days. She asked the authorities to furnish a list of foreign academicians to the ministry.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agartala/First-national-education-policy-meet-a-success-Smriti/articleshow/49032876.cms

Read More

IDP Education Fair-UK and Canada` from Tomorrow

It offers students opportunity to explore the various study options available in four countries, under one roof. “Short-listing universities and working through the application process can be  challenging for students, and pursuing higher education abroad entails a high investment.

IDP Education India, a leading student placement service provider and co-owner of IELTS, will organise the ‘IDP Education Fair-UK and Canada’ here on Monday.The fair, to be held at Holiday Inn Hotel, is meant for students aspiring to pursue higher education abroad.At the fair, institution representatives and faculties from the UK and Canada will come together to attract Indian students to their countries for higher education.

Admission is open in over 15 leading universities and institutions in the UK and Canada, for 2016, to courses such as Business Management and Finance, Hospitality, IT, Engineering and Computer Science, Pharmacy, Biological Sciences, Public and Health Administration, Law, Medicine and Nursing, Art and Design, Mass Communication and many more.IDP will organise education fairs in various cities across the country. It offers students opportunity to explore the various study options available in four countries, under one roof.

http://www.nyoooz.com/kochi/204027/idp-education-fairuk-and-canada-from-tomorrow

Read More

The e-learning market in India is estimated to be around $3 billion and it is growing

India’s education system — be it primary, secondary or higher levels — is fraught with quality and quantity challenges: There is a shortage of quality teachers, an enabling environment for students and infrastructure, just to point out a few.

These hurdles are not going to go away soon even though there is a surge in the number of students at all levels and an increasing demand for quality education. There is also a corresponding demand from industry for skilled human resource.

But this thirst and demand for quality education and trained personnel will not be easy to quench because it takes time, funds and quality human resource to set up good institutions.

Then there is the rule book: Starting a school or a college in India needs magical levels of energy and perseverance.

In such a scenario, online education could be a boon for those who do not have access to quality education or are keen to reskill.

The e-learning market in India is estimated to be around $3 billion and it is growing. Take, for example, the massive open online course (MOOC) provider Coursera.

With one million users, India ties with China as its biggest source of online learners after its home base, the US. That the market expectations from this business model are robust can be gauged from the fact that the firm has raised $49.5 million, coinciding with the US-based firm’s plans to tap the Indian market to increase its user base.

The UTV Group is in talks with top institutions such as IIMs, IITs and even globally to start these courses. A few months ago, IIT-Bombay launched three MOOCs. The world of online learning is attractive not only because learning is no longer tethered to a classroom and timetables, but also because software programmes can “seamlessly integrate social media, making it possible to create online communities that are course specific”.

Along with the traditional textbooks, blogs, tweets, podcasts, webcasts, online chats, discussion boards, virtual study jams ensure that learning becomes multidimensional. Online courses can also help all those who are already in jobs to reskill and remain competitive without taking time off from their careers.

There is evidence that a majority of those registering for these courses have an undergraduate degree or higher and the courses are not being accessed by those who could benefit from education — women, the less educated and the poor.

India’s challenge, say experts, will be to make these facilities reach these social groups. India truly cannot afford to miss this bus.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/comment/india-s-education-system-needs-to-get-online-with-access-for-all/article1-1385860.aspx

Read More

Google India Celebrating India's educators this Teachers' Day 2015

New Delhi: Around the world, teachers and students have found that they can support their teaching and learning with technology in the classroom. Whether it’s collaborating on stories or projects with Google Docs, or going one-to-one with students using Chromebooks.

Here in India, teachers have also been using technology to enrich student learning. From giving rural students access to new online tools, to developing online resources for other teachers to use, or finding new ways to help gifted students accelerate. This Teachers’ Day we wanted to celebrate some of these teachers from across India who are championing technology in the classroom and helping their students thrive.

Bringing web-based education to rural areas

Dipak Tatpuje is a senior lecturer at Satara Polytechnic with over 30 years teaching experience. He has pioneered technology in rural classrooms and trained over 150 rural teachers on how to use free online tools. He believes technology can be a great equalizer and says that empowering rural students through technology “allows them not to spread their wings and walk further in life.”

Balaji Jadhav is another rural teacher who supports teachers. A few years back Balaji taught himself HTML on YouTube, then developed a series of interactive, HTML-based online tests which are now used by over 500 teachers everyday. He launched a blog for fellow educators in Maharashtra, and is now an advisor for five state government departments and trains teachers in 36 school districts about how to use blogs for teaching.

Nurturing student’s abilities

As director of the Gifted Education and Research (GEAR) Foundation in Bangalore, Sarvesh Srinivasan champions technology adoption for personalized learning.  He ran a 10-month pilot program with Google Apps for Education for middle schools students to help teachers identify students’ strengths and tailor their teaching for them

Bringing digital tools to urban schools

Sangeeta Gulati is the Head of the mathematics department at the Sanskriti School in New Delhi, and has championed the use of technology in the classroom for over a decade. Recipient of the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching in 2011, Sangeeta encourages her students to be creative with technology. She is currently focused on building her students collaborative learning skills, and says she finds herself “a stronger, more effective teacher who is connected with her students” using Google Apps for Education and Chromebooks.

A huge thanks to these teachers, and all the teachers across India that use technology to enrich their teaching and their students learning.

http://indiaeducationdiary.in/Shownews.asp?newsid=35773

Read More