British kids cannot escape Maths, English any more

British kids cannot escape Maths, English any more

 

London: The British government is all set to ensure that pupils in the country do not skip learning Mathematics and English, as they will now be forced to study these subjects until they complete their school education.

The latest step follows criticism from bosses that many school-leavers lack the basic skills required in the job market.

According to British ministers, the ones not sitting A-levels will be given work experience to make them more employable.

Under the reforms, pupils failing to get a grade C or better in General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Maths and English, will continue to study them in some form until they are 19.

GCSE qualification, highly valued by schools, colleges and employers, is assessed mainly on written exams. It can facilitate a number of routes -- work, further study or an apprenticeship. In its grading system, higher tier exams lead to grades A - D, while foundation tier exams lead to grades C-G.

Alison Wolf, who carried out a report on vocational courses for the government, welcomed the move, saying: "These reforms should radically improve the life chances of millions of young people."

A Tory-led committee, however, condemned plans by Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove to set up a single exam board to stop the dumbing down of GCSEs and A-levels.

The Education Select Committee opined that the move would be "disruptive". IANS

More smart Indians opting to be space scientists - ISRO

More smart Indians opting to be space scientists - ISRO

Mysore: More and more smart graduates and research scholars across India are opting for an exciting career in space science, as evident from thousands of applications the space agency gets every year, of late.

"On average, about 150,000 graduates and scholars apply every year for postings in our organisation though we select about 300-400 on merit and long-term commitment to become space scientists," said Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K. Radhakrishna on the margins of a space summit here, about 150km from Bangalore.

Interestingly, the state-run ISRO, which was losing young scientists and scholars in droves earlier for a lucrative career in other sectors, especially the IT industry, and to its overseas counterparts, has also been able to retain as many over the past five years.

"We have seen a steep decline in exits from our organisation over the last five years. Voluntary attrition rate is also coming down substantially as many of those who have joined in the recent years are interested in a career in space science, as they find it too fascinating and exciting to pursue," Radhakrishnan said.

Though the space agency has regular retirements on superannuation and some leaving for further studies (research) and on deputation or exchange programmes with other space agencies abroad, it has been attracting hundreds of NRI scientists and its former employees from overseas.

"We have been able to maintain our human capital at 16,000-17,000 people despite retirements and exits, as we were able to hire about 3,400 science/engineer grads and research scholars since 1999-2000 from across states with attractive pay package," Radhakrishnan asserted.

Inability to attract best talent and retain those hired owing to better opportunities elsewhere forced the five-decade old organisation to set up a space university at Thiruvananathapuram to groom science and engineering grads wi h assistantship and a guaranteed job for a bright career.

"Successful launch of the moon mission (Chandrayan-1) and dedicated space missions for various applications and national programmes during the past decade have inspired many science grads to explore a career in space science," Radhakrishnan observed.

To enhance capacity for launching more satellites for communications, broadcasting and spatial data, the space agency has initiated a series of measures in collaboration with its stakeholders to double-hiring during this decade.

"To convince more youngsters that a career in space science will be equally rewarding and remunerative, we have sponsored about 1,000 science graduates and scholars from across the country to participate in this space summit and interact with fellow scientists from the world over for inspiration," the chairman pointed out.

The space agency is hosting the seven-day biennial 39th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (Cospar-2012) in the sprawling green campus of the IT bellwether Infosys Ltd on the outskirts of this city of palaces. IANS

Changing professions - to become police officers

Changing professions - to become police officers

New Delhi: Till a few years ago, Shweta Chauhan was a lecturer at Delhi University and analysed Shakespeare and John Keats with her students. Now she spends more than 12 gruelling hours in a police station to train as an Indian Police Service officer and is enjoying every moment of it.

Like Chauhan, there are many other professionals, including a doctor, a psychologist and a copy editor who have quit their comfortable well-paying jobs to join the IPS. Currently 10 such IPS trainees, including three women, are undergoing training at various police stations in the capital.

Chauhan, who used to take three to four lectures in a day during her eight-hour duty as a lecturer, is enjoying the tough training.

"After my work as a lecturer for three years, this job is definitely more challenging, but I am prepared for it and am enjoying it to the hilt," said Chauhan.

"I am reminded of the old days when I would teach students in the morning and go for my M.Phil classes in the evening," she added.

Besides Chauhan, the others are: Santosh Kumar Meena, Rajender Pradhan Meena, Amit Sharma, Sagar Singh Kalsi, Eish Singhal, Isha Pandey, Vijender Kumar Yadav, Benita Mary Jaiker and A. Koan - all from diverse professional backgrounds.

Benita Mary Jakier, a 26-year-old psychologist, decided to quit her profession due to her deep attraction for the 'uniform'. She cracked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam in her first attempt and secured the rank 120.

"If I were not an IPS official, I would try for the military or navy because I like the uniform," said Jaiker.

"This profession is not as easy as other people think it to be. During my SHO training, I was able to sleep only for four hours in three days. But the feel of the uniform on my shoulders enhances my stamina and I forget my tiredness," said Jaiker.

Eish Singhal, who has done his MBBS, was treating patients in a civil hospital in Punjab for one year before his selection in IPS in 2010.

He attempted the UPSC exam twice and managed to secure a seat for himself in his second attempt.

Explaining his IPS training experience, Singhal told IANS: "It's easy to diagnose and treat patients' diseases, but to handle crime and criminal activities is not an easy task. Every day I have been facing a new kind of criminal activity."

Isha Pandey, who had completed her master's degree in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), got selected in the UPSC in her third attempt when she was pursuing her Ph.D. She was at the time also working as a copy editor with a leading daily in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

Pandey told IANS that the police service is not just a job; "as an IPS one has to prepare to deal with any unprecedented incident 24 hours".

"When I am deputed to handle a district or more than one police station, it would be really very challenging," said Pandey.

The 10 trainee officers say the reason for them changing professions to pursue a career as an IPS officer is the desire to serve people by learning their real problems.

"The batch of 10 IPS officers is on their first phase training here since this January. From July 29, they will get the second phase training at the New Police Academy (NPA) in Hyderabad, before their deployment," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Training) Robin Hibu.

Hibu explained that the training is necessary for an IPS official to understand "real policing from the level of a beat constable to inspector". IANS

IGNOU opens admission for three visual arts courses

IGNOU opens admission for three visual arts courses

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has started the admission process for three courses in visual arts with an aim to develop creative and aesthetics sensibilities of the students, an official said on Thursday.

The three visual arts certificate programmes in painting, applied art and sculpture can be pursued by those who have passed their 10th standard board exam, said the varsity.

"The programmes aim at imparting basic knowledge and skill of drawing, developing applied and design skills and understanding and use of material and technique to create expressive sculptures in turn inculcating creativity, precision and use of tool and materials," it said.

"The programme also helps to develop self-observation, visualisation and self-motivation to create an art work."

The last date to submit forms for the courses is Jul y 30, 2012. IANS

Over 40,000 scholarships provided to minority community

Over 40,000 scholarships provided to minority community

Ne w Delhi: As many as 42,476 scholarships were awarded to students from minority communities during 2011-12 under the merit-cum-means scholarship scheme of the ministry of minority affairs, it was announced on Thursday.

According to the ministry, an amount of Rs.115.72 crores was spent on the purpose during the year.

"Of these 32,723 scholarships went to students belonging to the Muslim community; 5,764 were awarded to Christian students; 3,463 to Sikh students; 516 to Buddhist students and 10 to the students belonging to the Parsi community," the ministry said.

For 2012-13, the budgetary provision for this scheme has been increased to Rs.220 crore and the physical target has also been increased to 80,000 scholarships.

The scheme is meant for the students belonging to the minority communities studying in technical and professional courses.

The scheme also provides for earmarking 30 percent of the target for girls. During 2011-12, the percentage of girl students benefiting from scholarship scheme was 36.82.

This scheme was launched in 2007-08 and cumulatively 162,967 scholarships have been awarded till March 2012. IANS

IGNOU to start course on power distribution

IGNOU to start course on power distribution

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has started its admission process for a course in power distribution meant for professionals seeking to upgrade their skills in the electricity sector.

The Advanced Certificate in Power Distribution Management (ACPDM) has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Power, USAID-India and the Power Finance Corporation under the Distribution Reform Upgrades and Management (DRUM) project.

"The advanced certificate programme is meant for professionals employed in electrical power utilities or the electricity sector to upgrade their skills, enhance systematic efficiency and deliver quality power to the satisfaction of the beneficiaries," said an official statement on Sunday.

The programme further aims to disseminate information about the current developments and reforms in the power distribution sector while generating awareness about the applications of emerging technologies and trends.

"It will also educate the personnel employed in the sector about various prospects of power distribution management," the statement said.

The last date to apply for this programme is July 30, 2012. IANS

Bastar to get central tribal varsity

Bastar to get central tribal varsity

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Scheduled Tribes Advisory Council, a powerful statutory body looking after developmental aspects in tribal areas, has given the green signal for setting up a central tribal university in the Bastar area.

"To realise Bastar's dream to have its own tribal university, the state government will provide 100 acres of land besides other logistical assistance," said Chief Minister Raman Singh, who chairs the committee on Sunday.

According to Singh, besides giving focussed attention to providing higher quality education to youths in the Bastar area, the central varsity will also facilitate research and development of tribal culture and dialects.

The proposal will soon be sent to the central government through the Chhattisgarh governor. IANS

IGNOU opens admission to tourism courses

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has begun admission to various courses in tourism management and studies, the university said on Monday.

The varsity offers courses like Master of Arts in Tourism Management (MTM), Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Studies (BTS), Certificate in Tourism Studies (CTS) and Diploma in Tourism Studies (DTS).

The Master's level programme is aimed at professionals intending to pursue a career in the tourism industry or providing tourism-related services through their own enterprise, IGNOU said in a statement.

The varsity also offers research-based programmes to help individuals associated with the tourism industry update their knowledge and skills.

"The course content for the diploma programme includes a foundation course in tourism; tourism development: products, operations and case studies; tourism management; and a project work," the statement added.

The last date to apply for all the tourism programmes is July 30, the varsity said. IANS

Facebook drive brings in rain gear for poor kids

Facebook drive brings in rain gear for poor kids

 

 Panaji: The severe monsoon of Goa will now not hold back over 200 children from poor families from attending school.

Thanks to a civil society initiative, the students from an open school have been given rainwear and umbrellas, collected with the help of a Facebook-led donation drive, 'The Umbrella Project'.

"The idea was to help under-privileged children get to school during the rain. We used Facebook to leverage the idea. This was the first time we tried it," said Millisha Silveira, who anchored the initiative.

"We received around 200 umbrellas and rainwear which donors dropped at the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry office that served as a collection centre."

The umbrellas and rainwear were donated to the Loyola National Open School in Navelim village, 45 km from here, where students from underprivileged background study.

"Often it is a problem to coax children from slums to go to school during rain. And in Goa, it rains for days on end. They cannot afford to buy rainwear and you also cannot blame them if they cannot make it to school. So the rain gear really helps," open school headmaster Krishnanand Desai said. IANS

Delhi government plans to hire 1,000 Urdu teachers

Delhi government plans to hire 1,000 Urdu teachers

New Delhi: The Delhi government plans to appoint around 1,000 Urdu teachers , an official said on Monday.

"The government has sent a proposal for appointing around 1,000 Urdu teachers to directorate of education ," said the official.

Besides, the government will recruit 100 Urdu language teachers and the process has already begun, the official said.

"This was decided in a meeting where Education Minister (Arvinder Singh Lovely) expressed his displeasure over the vacant seats of Urdu language teachers in schools," the official said.

There are 21 Urdu medium schools in the capital, which Lovely said will be upgraded to class 12.

It was also decided to acquire around 2 lakh ultra modern desks for the state government-run schools. IANS

UPSC announces SCRA Examination Result 2012

UPSC announces SCRA Examination Result 2012

New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the results of the Special Class Railway Apprentices' (SCRA) Examination, 2012. A total of 49 candidates which includes 22 General (including 04 PH-I), 16 Other Backward Classes, 07 Scheduled Castes and 04 Scheduled Tribes have been recommended for appointment as SCR Apprentices in the Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineers.

This recommendation is on the basis of result of the written examination which was held on 29th January, 2012 followed by Personality Test from 18th June, 2012 to 20th June, 2012. The medical examination for these recommended candidates shall be conducted by the Ministry of Railways. A communication for medical examination is expected to be issued by the Ministry of Railways to the candidates individually within 21 days from the date of declaration of final result.

UPSC has a `Facilitation Counter` near the Examination Halls in its campus. Candidates can obtain relevant information/clarification regarding their examination/ recruitment on any working day between 10.00 hrs. to 17.00 hrs in person or over telephone Nos. 011-23385271 / 23381125. The result will also be available on the UPSC website.

Further the relevant marks are likely to be available on the Commission's website within 15 days from the declaration of the final result for access to candidates. The candidates can access these marks on the website after keying their Roll No. and date of birth when prompted to do so at the appropriate link.

http://indiaedunews.net/Delhi/UPSC_announces_SCRA_Examination_Result_2012_15784/

IES and ISS Exam Result 2011 declared

IES and ISS Exam Result 2011 declared

New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the results of Indian Economic Service(IES)/Indian Statistical Service(ISS) Examination, 2011. The list for the Indian Economic Service contains names of 29 candidates, including 08 belonging to the Other Backward Classes, 06 to the Scheduled Castes, 03 to the Scheduled Tribe and that for the Indian Statistical Service contains names of 33 candidates including 10 belonging to the Other Backward Classes, 02 to the Scheduled Caste and 01 to the Scheduled Tribe.

UPSC has a "Facilitation Counter" near "C" Gate of its campus. Candidates may obtain any information/clarification regarding their examination/recruitments on working days between 10:00 hrs. To 17:00 hrs in person or over telephone Nos. 011-23385271/011-23381125/011-23098543 from this Counter. Result is also available on the UPSC Website, i.e., http://www.upsc.gov.in.

Kalam to give lesson on fundamental duties

Kalam to give lesson on fundamental duties

Shimla: Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will teach a lesson on fundamental duties at a public colloquium to be held in Shimla on Saturday.

Kalam will deliver the keynote address, while Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court Justice Kurian Joseph will preside over the function.

According to the statement, the colloquium will focus on Article 51 (A) (j) of the Indian Constitution.

The article says it is the duty of every citizen "to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement".

The colloquium, last in the series, is being organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority in association with the state directorate of language and culture, NGO Swarn Education Welfare and Awareness (SEWA) Trust and the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), Shimla chapter.

School and college students are among the gathering to interact with Kalam. IANS

IGNOU extends last date for MBA admissions

IGNOU extends last date for MBA admissions

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has extended the last date for admission to its management programmes to July 16, a statement said on Tuesday.

"Those who have qualified OPENMAT (MBA entrance exam)... held on Aug 21, 2011 and Feb 12, 2012, the last date has been extended from May 31, 2012 to July 16, 2012," said the statement.

"Similarly, the last date for MBA (Banking and Finance) has also been extended upto July 16, 2012," it added.

As per the varsity, no late fee would be charged and the eligibility criteria would remain the same as earlier.

"Other prospective students of open and distance learning mode who have missed the deadline of May 31, 2012 and are eligible, can also avail the benefit," it added.

The students will have to buy IGNOU's student handbook and prospectus and apply through the prescribed form. IANS

Road safety to figure in school curricula

New Delhi: As India maintains the dubious distinction of having one of the worst road safety records in the world, reflecting the lack of a culture in "road use behaviour", road safety is belatedly being set to be included in the school syllabus, but not as a "boring" subject.

According to Nitin R. Gokarn, joint secretary, ministry of road transport and highways, road safety is being related to all the subjects for Classes 8-12 as part of the Central Board of Secondary Education s(CBSE) syllabus.

"It won't be a boring chapter on road traffic rules, but related to science, civics, history. It will be incorporated as interesting snippets so that students keep it in their mind," Gokarn said on the sidelines of an event organized by FICCI Ladies Organisation here Tuesday evening at the FICCI Auditorium.

"The NCERT syllabus committee is fixing up the text. It will be very practical," he said, adding that the core committee on the syllabus of the human resources ministry would take a final call.

Giving an example, he said students would be asked to ponder over what the impact would be if a motorbike driven at speed of 80 kmph swerves off the road during a turn, relating it to physics.

Earlier, speaking at the event, he pointed out that there was a fatality every nine minutes due to road accidents in the country.

"There are 5 lakh (500,000) accidents in the country every year and 1.4 lakh (140,000) deaths due to accidents. This works out to an accident every four minutes and a fatality every nine minutes," he said.

The major proportion of accidents was from Tier-II cities, where people tend to break traffic rules more, he added. "The fatalities are much more in Tier-II cities," he added.

Stating that people tend to flout road rules with impunity, Gokarn said one reason was "lack of enforcement".

Gokarn said people in the country don't have the culture of "road user behavior" and tend to ignore rules relating to right of way, use of service roads among other things.

Explaining how speed could turn fatal, he said for a motorcycle being driven at beyond 20 kmph the chance of an accident is high. "In the case of a bike being driven at beyond 40 kmph, the risk of accident is exponential and beyond 80 kmph, fatality is certain," he added.

He also said that there were no scientific studies on road safety. IANS

Eight IIM-B graduates awarded gold medals

Bangalore: Eight bright students of the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) were on Friday awarded gold medals for their outstanding performance in the post-graduate programme (PGPs) courses at the B-school's 37th annual convocation in this tech hub. Of the 371 graduates passing out from the reputed institute in management course, gold medallists Ritesh Ritollia bagged first rank and Shravan Chandra second rank while Anish Nazimudden was judged for best all-round performance. In the software enterprise management course, gold medallists Harsh Vitthal Badli secured first rank while P.S. Sanjeev Kumar was honoured for best all-round performance among 96 graduates. Out of 28 students who passed in the public policy and management course, gold medallist Neelima Rebecca Phillips got the best academic performance. Of the 62 graduates in the executive management course, gold medallists Vimal Chandra was ranked first while Harish Balkrishna Shetty was selected for best all-round performance. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D. Subbarao, who was the chief guest at the convocation, presented the degrees to the two-year PGP batch of 571 students passing out in the four main courses. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, who is also chairman of the B-school, addressed the students in the presence of their parents, director Pankaj Chandra, institute faculty and distinguished invitees. An electrical engineer from IIT-Roorkee, Ritolia will soon join Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in New Delhi, while bio-engineer from IIT-Kanpur Sharma has been selected by the global financial services firm Nomura to work in its London office. Nazimudden, an electronics engineer from Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) at Pilani in Rajasthan, will also join BCG as a management consultant. Similarly, Badli, a computer science grad from Visvesvaraya Technology University (VTU) at Belgaum in Karnataka, is a geek at Honeywell Technology Solutions Ltd. Kumar heads solutions engineering for the APAC region at Philips Lighting and Neelima is an additional general manager in the state-run BSNL at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Vimal Chandra, an electronics engineer from Lucknow, has worked in various capacities at Indian Oil and IT bellwether Infosys, and Shetty, an electrical engineer from Mumbai University, will soon join Tata Consulting Services (TCS) in Mumbai. IANS

Jharkhand to hold talks with villagers for IIM, IIIT land

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Wednesday constituted a five-member team to hold talks with villagers protesting against the acquisition of 227 acres of land for building educational institutions on the outskirts of state capital Ranchi. The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday directed the government to hold talks with the villagers to acquire land for three institutions - an Indian Institute of Management (IIM), an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) and a law university - and submit a report before next hearing on July 16. The five member team is headed by Land and Revenue Minister Mathura Mahto. Other members include Land and Revenue Secretary N.N. Pandey, Finance Secretary Sukhdeo Singh, Ranchi Commissioner Surendra Singh and Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Vinay Kumar Chaube. The 227 acres of land at Nagri, around 20 km from here, belongs to the government. However, it had been lying vacant and used by villagers for farming for the last many years. Last year, when the government began the acquisition process for building the institutes, a protest was launched by the villagers. They moved the high court against acquisition of the land, but the court ruled in favour of the government, and in an order passed April this year directed it to expedite the work on the educational institutions. Subsequently, the case went to the Supreme Court, however, it refused to hear the case. After the set back, villagers stepped up their protests. Last week, they demolished a boundary wall at the project site and clashed with police in which more than 20 people were injured. IANS

www.gimt-guwahati.ac.in GIMT Guwahati MCA Entrance Test 2012

Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management and Technology (GIMT) Guwahati MCA Entrance Test 2012

Eligibility:

MCA Admission-2012

Approved by AICTE, Affiliated to Gauhati University

Candidates with Bachelor’s degree with 50% marks (45% in case of candidate belonging to reserved category)

Passed Mathematics at 10+2 level

Students having first class in degree examination/qualified in any other state level examination may also be considered for direct admission

However, those admissions will be given on availability of seats

The candidates who have appeared in their final year degree examination may also appear the admission test

However, selected candidates have to submit their pass certificate at the time of admission

Age: Age between 20-26 years as on 01st July, 2012 may apply for admission

Admission Test: Admission to the MCA course through an admission test

The admission test will consist of modules on Mathematics (10+2) level, aptitude test of reasoning and English

For details visit www.gimt-guwahati.ac.in 

IIM Indore Entrance Test 2012 Programme in Management (IPM) Admission

IIM Indore Five year Integrated Program in Management (IPM) Entrance Test 2012

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore

Website www.iimidr.ac.in

5 year Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) Admission-2012

Eligibility:

Candidates who have passed Higher Secondary/XII standard/+2 level/equivalent examination and those who are likely to complete the examination by the end of 31st July, 2012

60% aggregate marks in SSC/X standard equivalent and 60% aggregate marks in HSC/XII standard/+2 level/equivalent; or SAT-1 overall score of 1600 out of 2400 (for General/NC-OBC category)

55% aggregate marks in SSC/X std/equivalent and 55% aggregate marks in HSC/XII std/+2 level/equivalent; or SAT-1 overall score of 1475 out of 2400 (for SC/ST/PwD/DA category)

SAT-1 score obtained during 01st January, 2011-20th July, 2012 are only valid

Age limit: Not more than 20 years as on 30th June, 2012 (for General/NC-OBC category); not more than 22 years as on 30th June, 2012 (for SC/ST/PwD/DA category)

For details visit www.iimidr.ac.in

Silchar Medical College Courses Admission MBBS MD MS

Silchar Medical College and Hospital

Silchar Medical College and Hospital was established in 1968 in the town of Silchar, India.

The Silchar Medical College and Hospital is the only referral hospital in the southern part of Assam and so is the sole custodian of health care system of the entire Barak Valley. Being situated in a strategic geographic location, it also renders its services to the ailing community of the neighbouring states like Mizoram, North Tripura, West Manipur and South Meghalaya.

Graduate courses:
Degree awarded: M.B.B.S.

Post-Graduate courses:
ENT MS
Medicine MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology MS
Ophthalmology MS
Psychiatry MD
Surgery MS
Pathology MD
Orthopedics MS
Anesthesiology MD
Radiology MD