US Ambassador rues quality of education in India

NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell today said that the quality of education in India remains a "concern and major challenge" while underlining the need to address the gap in reading levels to prepare children for the future in a better way.Quoting reports that have pointed out that basic reading levels have shown a marked decline, she observed that it was critical to provide children with the right kind of environment to make them learn.Addressing a gathering after handing...

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UK education comes sixth in global league table

The UK education system is ranked sixth best in the developed world, according to a new global league table.Finland and South Korea top the new league table, followed by Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.The global study, carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for education firm Pearson, used data from international tests, as well as data on school literacy and university graduation rates to draw up the index. UK education has come sixth in the worldThe UK was found to have the second...

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Innovations in education help Texas post top high school graduation rates

With witnesses in a school finance trial testifying daily on the challenges facing public education in the state, and with a chorus of state leaders citing the failings of traditional public schools in calling for reform, some might be surprised to hear that by one measure, Texas schools appear to be doing quite well.Preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Education this week shows that Texas — along with five other states — ranks fourth in the nation for its four-year high school graduation rates. With an overall rate of 86 percent...

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Private unaided schools apprehensive about Right to Education

BANGALORE: A greater dialogue with private schools will help the government successfully implement Right to Education in Karnataka. The idea evolved at a discussion on financial and governance challenges of RTE organized by the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS) on Thursday.Speaking at the event, Anita Kaul, principal secretary, planning and statistics, said: "Many private unaided schools are afraid that children from weaker sections might not be able to cope with the requirements of such schools. They are also worried about children...

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NC education programs win $16.8 million from Powerball lottery

Three lucky people in North Carolina are $1 million richer after winning part of the Powerball jackpot Wednesday night.According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, the three tickets worth $1 million beat odds of 1 in 5.1 million to match all five white balls were from Burlington, Charlotte and Kinston.Fourteen other tickets sold in the state matched the numbers on four of the five white balls plus the number on the Powerball and are worth $10,000 each.NC Education Lottery officials said there were 269,916 winning tickets throughout the state,...

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5 institutes chosen for national edu scheme

Five technical institutes in the city have been selected for the ambitious National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The scheme aims at integrating vocational education with conventional streams, thus, increasingemployability or enhancing working skills of the learners.The selected institutes include the IES College of Technology, All Saints College of Technology, Scope College, AISECT College and Sparta College of Technology. The scheme is open to all students, irrespective...

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Cargill launches new global scholars program in 5 countries

NEW DELHI: Cargill, working with the Institute of International Education (IIE), has launched a new scholarship program in five countries including India to help build future potential leaders. The Cargill Global Scholars program will provide financial support, leadership development and enrichment opportunities to nearly 200 talented and high-performing undergraduate students in these countries over three years, selecting at least 10 students in each country every year. The selected individuals will be chosen based on their demonstrated high...

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Andhra govt not to allow new engineering colleges

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh government has decided not to permit opening of new engineering colleges or increase in the existing number of seats anymore.The state cabinet that met here this evening under the chairmanship of chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy accepted the recommendations of a high-powered expert committee appointed in 2010 to suggest modalities and remedial measures for strengthening un-aided (private) professional institutions.A senior minister said after the meeting that there were 716 engineering colleges in the state with an...

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India 3.0: The way forward is education

CNBC-TV18, in association with Lenovo, explores the far corners of the country to highlight how technology is redefining the roots of social innovation. The previous episode delved into the role of information technology in the healthcare sector. It brought to light some fantastic efforts by private hospital and government bodies alike in ensuring that people from both rural and urban areas get access to top notch healthcare services. (Watch here)This time around, India 3.0 Powered by Technology...

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Higher education sector to push real estate demand: DTZ report

MUMBAI: The country's higher education sector will create real estate demand of around 900 million sq ft by 2020 to maintain the current gross student enrolment ratio of 12 per cent, according to a report by property consultant DTZ.Although India is aiming to increase its higher education gross enrolment ratio (GER) to 30 per cent by 2020, it is unlikely to achieve the target before 2036 at the current pace, the report said. GER indicates the percentage of students enrolled for an education grade...

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Google to hold education summit in India

MUMBAI: For the first time in India, Google is conducting workshop for Educators by introducing various education apps in collaboration with InOpen, an IIT Bombay spinoff.The 'Google Education India Summit' is a high intensity two day events that focuses on deploying, integrating and using Google Apps for Education to promote student learning and achievement in both K-12 and higher education. Events feature Google Certified Teachers and representatives from Google's Apps for Education team....

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HP funds IIM-A to promote education innovation

New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on Tuesday received a grant of Rs1 crore from US technology company Hewlett-Packard Co. for developing an education innovation bank.Overall, as part of its education innovation fund for India, HP awarded grants of $1 million (about Rs 5.54 crore) to education providers in the country.“This is the first time we gave direct grants and depending on the success, we will continue to fund more education projects,” said Neelam Dhawan,...

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‘Partnerships in tertiary education hold tremendous potential’

In a freewheeling interview, minister for education and skills in the Welsh Government, Leighton Andrews, talks about issues such as the withdrawal of the post-work visa options for students, future plans of Welsh universities and comments on recent media reports that university professors in the UK are often pressurised to accept sub-standard work by overseas students for financial reasonsHow have tough visa rules and withdrawal of the post-work visa option impacted the number of Indian students planning to pursue their higher studies in the...

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India poorest in education, literacy & knowledge: President

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday lamented that India, once the cradle of civilisation, is now the poorest in terms of education, literacy and knowledge. Describing lack of literacy as the biggest challenge facing the country, Mukherjee said the largest number of illiterates in the world resided in India.He was speaking after laying the foundation stone of an auditorium at the Sat Paul School Ludhiana. The President, in his interaction with a few students of the school, exhorted them to love the institution and respect the teachers if they...

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More students going to UK to study: British Council

The global economic slowdown is unlikely to deter an Indian student from aspiring to study abroad. According to Sujata Sen, Director, East India, British Council, more Indian students are going to the UK for higher studies.Close to 30,000 Indian students applied for higher education in the UK in 2011. Though the figures for 2012 have yet to be collated, trends indicate that the numbers would either remain steady or even post a marginal growth this year, she said.“This is primarily because students are looking for global exposure, good universities...

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Workshop to introduce education apps to pupils, teachers

MUMBAI: Use of technology in classrooms has widely been discussed in the state and slowly but steadily, schools have been implementing new forms of teaching in classrooms. To give a boost to this trend, for the first time in India, a workshop for educators and students will be conducted to introduce various education apps.Events at the two-day Google Education India Summit will focus on deploying, integrating and using apps for education to promote student learning and achievement in higher education. The summit includes two keynote presentations...

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Education must be secular, says spiritual leader

BANGALORE: The good old Indian education system which was meaningful has paved the way for a materialistic system, said the Dalai Lama on Monday.He said: "Education must be secular and not religious in nature . We have to do some research work on the present education system in India."The Dalai Lama urged the old and the younger generation to work together to create a 'happy world and a happy century' .He was speaking after inaugurating Puneeta Khatri's painting exhibition 'Footage of Buddha' at the Welcomart Gallery, ITC Windsor where he also...

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UP to give youth jobs in police, education departments

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said his Government would soon start recruiting unemployed youth in education and police departments to provide them jobs.“Appointments in education and police departments will be started soon and youths will be given jobs”, Yadav said while talking to reporters here.Yadav said his Government was already giving unemployment allowance to youths and now planned to employ them by filling vacant posts in Government Departments.Regarding the announcement of cane price, Yadav said it would be more...

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Two Indian Americans Among Forbes' Top 15 Education Innovators

Sal Khan, the Indian American founder of Khan Academy, the revolutionary online education platform, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Anant Agarwal have been named by Forbes magazine among the 15 "classroom revolutionaries" who are using innovative technologies to reinvent education for students and teachers globally.The Forbes list names 15 education innovators who are "harnessing a slew of disruptive technologies to change everything from the way we teach grade school math to how we train the next generation of teachers."The...

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TERI offers literary treat for Delhi kids at Bookaroo festival

In a unique initiative, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organised a series of exciting activities to introduce young kids to the wondrous realm of literature at the fifth annual ‘Bookaroo’ festival held today.Through the initiative, TERI sought to inculcate among children a spirit of sensitivity towards the environment, while encouraging them to read and explore various literary works. In this context, eminent author, social worker, and educational consultant Ms Vijaylakshmi Nagaraj took young kids on a mystic journey through an enthralling...

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Building strategic links in education Bric by Bric

Increased student exchange and research collaboration is paving the way for stronger ties with India, Brazil and RussiaIrish educational institutions are signing an increasing number of memorandums of understanding (MOU) with the Bric countries, to allow for increased student exchange, and more importantly, increased international research collaboration.While growing links between new economic Goliath China and the Irish government, academia and industry have already been well documented, less...

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Can MOOCS be a substitute for campus education?

At first glance, a massive open online course ( MOOC ) appears to be a boon to Indian and American students, though for different reasons. In the US, educating oneself has almost become a luxury, where the average cost of a BA is now upwards of $100,000 (Rs 55 lakh) and families often mortgage their houses in order to afford it. Educational debt, at $1 trillion, has now surpassed credit card debt in the country. An Indian, on the other hand, has to score absurdly high marks to even be considered for admission into a college of some repute. He...

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Indian education sector – Opportunities for UK providers

This piece explores the changes in the Indian education sector and how UK institutions can take advantage of the opportunities while navigating the complex legal structures.India is at a critical juncture today. On the one hand it is a fast growing economy, waiting to take its position as a global force. On the other hand, India faces the Government-set challenge of training 550 million people by 2022 with skills relevant to the demands of a modern economy. It is truly a mammoth task, one that...

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Indian American Sanjay Sarma appointed first digital director of MIT

WASHINGTON: An Indian American professor of mechanical engineering and IIT alumni has been appointed as the first director of digital learning of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).In his new capacity, Sanjay Sarma, the Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering, will work closely with the Institute's faculty, staff and students to assess how new models of online instruction might become integral parts of MIT students' on-campus education.A...

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PTC India celebrates double digit growth in their ATC Partner program

Report by India Education bureau, New Delhi: PTC today celebrates the success of their ATC Partner program. PTC initiated the Authorized Training Centre (ATC) Program to help the future engineers to realize their potential and expertise under the guidance of PTC-authorized expert instructors. Being an integral part of global PTC Academic Program, PTC’s Authorized Training Centre (ATC) Program, aims at addressing the growing and diverse need of academia by offering market leading software training to students.With 94 ATCs across India, the program...

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90% technical schools in India flouting norms: AICTE officials

LUCKNOW: The mushroom growth of technical institutions imparting sub-standard education across the country has led to a situation where supply is outstripping demand. In a startling revelation by officials of the All-India Council for Technical Institution (AICTE), around 90 per cent technical institutes in the country are flouting norms.AICTE adviser MK Hada said, "In a surprise inspection conducted by AICTE in 400 colleges, as many as 350 were found not fulfilling basic norms stipulated by the council.'' Hada was in the city to attend a one-day...

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Bank to start scheme to help girls' education

PUNE: The Mann Deshi Foundation of Satara, working for the empowerment of rural women, has come up with a scheme for girls to pursue education beyond Std VIII. Under the scheme, a girl can open a bank account on which the bank will add 5% interest as well as deposit 5% of the cumulative savings and interest earnings as its contribution.Each account will have to be opened in the Mann Deshi Mahila Cooperative Bank, part of the foundation. Parents of the beneficiary girl have to decide on a certain amount they will be depositing periodically.Since...

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New Market Study Published: ICT Adoption in Education Sector India 2012

Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/20/2012 -- ICT in education sector consists of the implementation of various IT tools / applications which help facilitate imparting of better and efficient educational services. The market size was estimated to be valued a little over INR 40 bn in 2011. Encouraging Government initiatives and need for better and high quality educational services is boosting the ICT usage in education.The report begins with an overview of the Indian education sector (IES) depicting the hierarchy in terms of 'Formal' and 'Non-formal'...

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India-China Education Series: Contract? What contract? - The biggest mistake made by Indian companies in China

Bar & Bench brings to you the third column of the India-China Education Series written by DH Law Associates Partner and Head of China Practice, Santosh Pai on the biggest mistake (of not executing formal contracts or execution of improper contracts) made by Indian Companies in China.In 2011, Indian companies imported goods worth US$ 50.49 billion from China and exported goods worth US$ 23.41 billion to China. China is India’s largest trading partner and India is China’s seventh largest trading partner. Considering these statistics one would...

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Australia-India Fellowship Fund to support more than 80 scientists

Hyderabad, Nov 20: A new Australia-India Fellowship Fund will support more than eighty scientists from Australia and India to spend time at a research institution in the other country.The program, supported by the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, a joint government initiative, will build stronger ties between the two research communities. Around 11 crore rupees has been committed to the fellowship program in its first year.The program offers opportunities for promising researchers at the beginning of their careers. Sixteen young scientists...

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