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ONE
CHILD COMMITS SUICIDES EVERY SIX HOURS Thesynergyonline
Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, FEB 05 : The
exam season is approaching and there are murmurs of much-needed intervention by
stakeholders. Academics, psychologists, nutritionists, fitness experts and media
came together this Friday to find out ways and means to ensure that students don't
have to bear the burden of stress and anxiety, particularly during the build up
to exams. "The
situation worsens when environment factors like temperature fluctuations (observed
primarily in the month of February and March) are at play. It is therefore necessary
to ensure that immunity levels are strong enough. Role of micronutrients is essential
at this time of the year as they help in building body immunity and in increasing
concentration and attention levels," he added. He also expressed his concern on the rising number of suicidal cases. According to him, every ninety minutes a considerable number of students try committing suicide. Of them, one succeeds every six hours. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) AADARSH
UNVEILS THE TALKING PEN IN INDIA Thesynergyonline Education Bureau
The Talking Pen was launched at the World Book Fair on January 30, 2010. Mr. Ashish Rajoria and Mr. Manish Rajoria, co-founders of Aadarsh , Mr. Pradeep Kishen, author of Trees of Delhi and Film maker of Massey Sahib and Electric Moon and Naresh Khanna, Editor and Publisher, Indian Printer and Publisher were present as Special Guests at the occasion. Priced at Rs 5,600 Talking Pen is available at Stall 110 at the World Book Fair, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Multimedia Print Reader is a giant leap in the educational technology, which uses listening skills along with traditional reading. It is a unique concept where the Pen recites the written text. The technology has been developed to elevate the learning experience of students by focusing on the enormous benefits of listening. This
education tool will also cater to the special needs of the visually challenged
population and people suffering from various levels of Dyslexia. It will also
help in empowering volunteers responsible for public service education or vocational
training with technological proficiency. As
per the recent UNICEF report our education system is plagued by shortages—teachers,
resources, schools and classrooms. India has the world’s largest Visually
Challenged population, which is 15 million out of the 47 million worldwide and
on an average every 3–4 students of a class suffer from varying levels of
dyslexia. Keeping these in mind, the MPR is a blessing for society, it will help
elevate the learning experience of students. Speaking about the Talking Pen, Mr. Manish Rajoria, Director, Aadarsh ., said, “We feel honoured and elated in introducing this technology in our country. There has been an exceptional support and faith in the technology from almost all the verticals of society. We are in talks with various national and international NGOs, Publishers, Government organizations, International firms and have received most encouraging feedback from all."
The Talking Pen (MPR) is not just a technology innovation, it is a social revolution
in the education system.” The Talking Pen (MPR) will make storybooks, poems and rhymes interesting for the young readers, helping in improving the attention span, reading ability and concentration of the dyslexic and visually challenged. This little wonder will also help language learning with improved pronunciation by countering regional influences.
MPR will foster a self-learning process, specially in the rural areas, encouraging
the students to work independently in the absence of teachers or teacher’s
attention, this would heighten results even in a poor student–teacher ratio.
MPR ‘Talking Pen’ comes with an in-built speaker, camera and 2 GB memory card; When the MPR pen is positioned over a book with MPR codes, it activates the pre-loaded audio files, so a reader is also able to hear the text they are reading. This technology gives a human face through voice in the learning process, making it interactive, interesting and educational. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) ONGC EXTENDS GRANT FOR EDUCATION OF DEHRADUN JAIL INMATES Thesynergyonline
Education Bureau
NEW
DELHI, DEC 14 : The Jail authorities will utilize the donated amount for upgradation of educational qualification of the jail inmates through courses run by National Institute of Open School (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). As many as 113 jail inmates will be benefited by this noble gesture of ONGC. Mr. Sundar Lal, GGM-Chief, Employee Relations & Head, Corporate Administration, ONGC, presented a cheque for Rs.1,82,850 to Mr. B.P. Pandey, Superintendent, District Jail, Dehradun at a function held at Tel Bhavan, Dehradun recently.. Mr. B.P. Pandey, Superintendent, District Jail, Dehradun thanked Dr A.K.Balyan, Director (HR),ONGC for this noble gesture for education of jail inmates. Mr. A.K. Shah, DGM(HR) and Mr. S.P. Toppo, DGM(HR) were also present at the function.(editor@thesynergyonline.com) Thesynergyonlinde Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, NOV 14 : The Post Graduate Diploma in Management programmes take a holistic approach, helping to shape complete managers, who can balance the needs of various stakeholders - customers, owners and society at large. The programmes offer a unique opportunity to fresh graduates and experienced persons who want to enter the challenging area of management where professional growth is limited only by their aptitude, ambition and application. It is also suitable for entrepreneurs already in business - as it empowers them to optimize, expand and diversify their operations. Asia-pacific offers four PGDM programmes - PGDM with Dual Specialization, PGDM with specialization in Marketing, PGDM with specialization in International Business, and PGDM with specialization in Banking & Financial Services.
The Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Management programmes - E-PGDM and E-PGDM (Marketing) - have been designed to fulfill this vital need. These programmes are meant for those who want to acquire professional qualifications on a part-time basis, for building a fast-track career in management. These are ideally suited for executives, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals. The classes for these programmes shall be held on weekends and on evening hours, depending on the composition of student batches. The eligibility criteria for Full-Time PGDM programme is a Bachelor's degree with minimum 50% aggregate marks under 10+2+3 system or equivalent in any discipline recognized by Association of Indian Universities or AICTE. Students appearing for final year of degree examination in 2010 can also apply. Asia-Pacific uses CAT/MAT scores for short-listing candidates. The selection criteria will be based on academic record, communication skill assessment, group discussion and a personal interview. Asia-Pacific Institute of Management has recently achieved the much-coveted accreditation from National Board of Accreditation (NBA) for its flagship programme Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM). All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has constituted National Board of Accreditation (NBA) primarily to act as an instrument for enhancing quality and attaining excellence. NBA's aim is to upgrade programmes offered in technical institutes in India to bring same on par with programmes offered in USA and Europe. The Institute already enjoys the much-coveted honour of being one of the few B-Schools in NCR to attain 100 per cent Placements and 100 per cent Admissions in 2009. Asia-Pacific claims to have a faculty which is a rich mix of academicians and industry professionals. The core faculty has hands-on industry experience aggregating 250 years - so the students receive application-oriented management education. Educated in IIMs and other premier management institutes, Asia-Pacific's faculty designs and delivers courses with contemporized content.
NCR’S
FIRST EVER CHILDREN CARNIVAL IN NOIDA Thesynergyonline
Education Bureau
The
Carnival has been an attempt to bring out the hidden talent among the school going
children and give a platform to show case them among their own peer group, parents
and educationists. It was attended by a galaxy of Child Celebrities and prodigies,
around 1000 students from schools across the NCR, dignitaries from the government,
corporate world, and media. The
Carnival and Quiz was aimed at developing awareness and pride among the children
about their heritage. The meritorious children from the orphanage were also felicitated
on the same occasion. To encourage creativity and talent among them, participation
certificates were also awarded to them. The
Children Carnival has been organized at Great India Place, Noida on Saturday evening.
The Carnival was organized alongwith the final of the Chuckkle Quiz among the
schools of the NCR. On the eve of the Children’s Day, it proved to be an
ideal platform to encourage the children with such an event dedicated to showcase
their talent. The Carnival has been an extremely mega event and fair marks a highly innovative step taken by the educationist and Managing Director of Rit International Chitra Awasthi. She has over the years been a great promoter and contributor towards exposing and exhibiting the talent among the children and young adults. Speaking
about the Carnival, she said, “Just like mom and dad, our children too need
their own carnival but we have tried to make sure it is a wholesome, family friendly
affair. This carnival is the beginning of a series of events for the kids and
we are taking this carnival to the children across the country. There can’t
be a better way to treat your children than to take them to Children Carnival.” The Children enjoyed mimicry, performance, and they had on their platter loads of entertainment, while the quiz competition was an exciting feature of the carnival. The Carnival provided a chance to everybody to come forward and showcase their talents to the audience. Pick
and drop, accommodation and other conveniences were provided and planned well
in advance leaving no stone unturned for the children . "At Carnival we value dreams and fun, and we know that no one excels at dreaming and having fun more than kids," said Chitra Awasthi. "The Chuckkle Quiz and Carnival is a terrific way to capture and share the fantastic dreams of children. After the NCR, Chuckkle Quiz will move to other zonal regions of the country and thus Children’s Carnival eventually involves all schools in the country. We have conceptualized to organise better concept in terms of children’s participation, instead of the previous occasions of Children Day with low level of involvement of children. This Carnival is unlike other carnivals and fairs where children were given a small corner amidst the carnival.” (editor@thesynergyonline.com) SCIENCE , MATHS GRADUATES' RANKING IN INDIA IS 17 AS AGAINST 48 OF USA, 33 JAPAN, 38 CHINA Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, NOV 06 : Ranking
of maths and science graudates in India is 17 as against 48 of USA, 33 of Japan
and 38 in China, says a joint Paper brought out by ASSOCHAM and Ernst & Young
on initiatives to promote manufacturing. The availability of quality manpower
is a favorable factor for India for manufacturing because of maths and science
graduates ranking higher. “The
number of science and engineering graduates per annum is an important consideration
since there are nearly 6,90,000 students from science and maths fields, graduating
every year, much higher than China, Japan, USA and European community” said
Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM. In
China, each year number of such graduates is 5,30,000, 3,50,000 in Japan, 4,20,000
in USA and 4,70,000 European community. In India, nearly 6,90,000 students from
science and maths fields graduate every year. Key
facts about Indian education system include over 2.3 million graudates and 0.7
million post-graduates added each year. India has the 2nd largest pool of scientist
and engineers in the world. It has the highest number of qualified engineers
which is 2nd highest number of trained doctors. India
has a total 389 universities, 14169 colleges and 1500 research institutions.
The high supply of quality manpower can support the long term of Indian manufacturing.
However,
if higher education in India is liberalized with massive expansion of professional
education, institutions through public-private initiatives, Indian education system
can be completely transformed to acquire well established global standards, feels
Mr. Rawat. Releasing
findings of ASSOCHAM and E&Y Paper, Dr. Piramal said, “changes in education
system are necessary to meet the exacting demands of a knowledge economy. Face
transformation of Navodaya schools into smart schools is also called for”.
Changes
in examination system are also required to make it more and more based on problem
solving rather than memorizing capabilities, their by leading to an open examination
system that develops original thinking and categories levels of intelligence quotient
(IQ). Expansion
of public education at all levels are also called for and working towards 100
per cent enrollment of children and preventing droping out through involvement
of social workers and NGOs in parental education is the need of hour. Countrywide technology and innovations development and usage agenda along with industry-university linkages are needed. Research institutions should be encouraged to act as enterprise incubators through a Rs.5000 crore technology and innovation fund. A 3% of GDP target for R&D expenditure needs to be set up to encourage innovations for establishment of original ideas and thinking. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NOIDA,
NOV 05 : The Carnival is an attempt to bring out the hidden talent among the school going children and give a platform to show case them among their own peer group, parents and educationists. It will be attended by a galaxy of Child Celebrities and prodigies, around 1000 students from schools across the NCR, dignitaries from the government, corporate world, and media. The Carnival and Quiz is aimed at developing awareness and pride among the children about their heritage. The meritorious children from the orphanage will also be felicitated on the same occasion. To encourage creativity and talent among them, participation certificates will also be awarded to them. The
Children Carnival has been organized at WOW (World of Wonders), Great India Place
Mall, Noida on Saturday evening. The Carnival is being organized along with the
final of the Chuckkle Quiz among the schools of the NCR. On the eve of the Children’s
Day, it would be an ideal platform to encourage the children with such an event
dedicated to showcase their talent.
(editor@thesynergyonline.com)
INDIAN , SCOTTISH UNVIERSITY BODIES SIGN MoU TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, OCTOBER 13: Highlighting the significance of this occasion to both countries, the signing of the MoU was witnessed by Mr Ashok Thakur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and Mr Michael Russell, Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, Scottish Government. This bilateral agreement is the first international MoU signed by Universities Scotland and the first signed by AIU with the United Kingdom. "Indian and Scottish institutions have valuable knowledge and expertise, so both countries stand to benefit from the collaboration that will result from this agreement." said Michael Russell, Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, Scottish Government. Under the agreement, Universities Scotland and the AIU will facilitate knowledge exchange and sharing of best practice between institutions, promote student and faculty exchanges, and drive collaboration in research and development. The two bodies will also encourage joint degree development and help identify opportunities for enhanced funding to support institutional initiatives and drive advocacy in areas of mutual interest. Michael Russell continued: "With a world-class educational system, Scotland is actively seeking to support India's goals of significantly growing its education sector, enhancing research and development capabilities and skilling its workforce to boost sustainable economic growth. Today's agreement is a great opportunity to ensure that two countries with similar goals work together for mutual benefit. It also reflects why India is our number one country of interest for educational collaboration. "Excellence, achievement and innovation are key features for which Scotland's education sector is renowned, making it the ideal partner for India in this field. "Scotland has global strengths in key industries such as life sciences, energy, financial and business services, and information technology, which are also important to India's continued growth. Coupled with India's capabilities in these areas and our respective governments' strong commitment to continued innovation, the opportunity for mutually beneficial partnerships across many sectors is clear. This MoU was facilitated by Scotland's international development agency Scottish Development International (SDI). To further develop the relationship between Scotland and India, SDI will lead its first education mission to India in November where Scottish university principals and professors will attend the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Higher Education Summit, where Scotland will feature prominently as an event partner. Mr Russell has also announced an application round for Scotland's Saltire Scholarships - a scheme offering students from India, Canada, China, and the USA the opportunity to study at postgraduate masters level in Scotland. 2009 marked the first year of the scheme which offers 200 awards of £2000 towards successful applicants' course fees. Under the scheme, 50 Indian students are now studying for a Masters degree at a Scottish University. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)
Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, JULY 31 : With
a view to make the students more equipped with experience and knowledge, Turtle
Animation will set up a fully-equipped state-of-the-art lab. The in-house facility
of the institute will function like a simulated production house complete with
real world infrastructure and headed by a team of highly experienced industry
experts. The new venture also plans to initiate various Industry Academia Interface
(IAI) under which it will sign with a few universities to give its students an
exposure to the production environment and also an opportunity to interact with
key industry players. The institute will also tie-up with one of the universities
for accreditation of courses. To
create awareness about animation education, Turtles will regularly organize Animation
Beginners Classes for aspiring students to understand the concepts of 3D animation
from the initial aspects of pre-production, production and post-production. Turtles
will also tie-up with other institutions to organize a series of crash courses
covering pre-production, conceptualization and execution and animation scripting.
The master piece work of Turtle animation Angelina Joe Lee had bagged the Nasscom award in 2007 for the most innovative and creative concept in Indian animation. The proposed institute aims to cater to those students who can not afford the high fee of foreign institutes in the country but are dissatisfied with the quality of animation education by the existing Indian institutes. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) 89% OF STUDENTS DEVELOP SOFT SKILLS FOR SUCCESS IN CAREER Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI,JUNE 26 : The Study on “Importance of Soft Skills: Students Perspective” says that out of the 15 transferable skills identified by ASSOCHAM Research Bureau (ARB) to be perceived by university students, 76 per cent of the them consider oral communication as the most preferred soft skill for future career, followed by written communication (72 per cent) and team work (67 per cent) among others. “Corporate
India has two major concerns first to hire good employees and secondly to train
them. Soft skills learned by students during their university education help them
to learn trade efficiently by using their technical abilities as a part of a team,
to understand conflict as a means for discussion instead of an angry confrontation,
and to respect ASSOCHAM’s
study is based on the survey of 427 students attending graduate and post graduate
courses across 12 “Soft” skills also called as “Transferable” skills, “Employability” skills, “Generic” skills or “Key” skills are not job specific, but are skills which serve horizontally across all industries and vertically across all jobs at all levels in an industry. The degree to which students develop these skills determines how well they can communicate, make presentations & reports, solve problems, function in teams, self assess and do performance reviews of others, learn new knowledge, and manage stress when they have to cope with changes. ARB observed that 58 per cent of the students in first and second year of their graduation are least concerned in developing their employability skills, whereas 93 per cent of third year graduates and post graduate students are keen to acquire on an average more than 5-6 skills. Sixty three per cent of students agree that individual personality plays an important role in acquiring any skill. Fifty two per cent of the students feel that soft skills should be learnt on job instead of university/college. Forty eight per cent of students expressed that prominent soft skills can be developed during class presentations and through information management. Presentation skills and time management skills are perceived to be among the most important skills learnt by students yet 44 per cent of them are not able to master this skill, scoring average points on it. Certain commercial skills such as leadership quality, coping with multi-tasking and networking that are required in all types of jobs are considered as least important by students due to general lack of clarity about their career direction. On
an average 1.4 crore students get enrolled every year in various graduate and
post graduate courses across Indian Universities. The Chamber feels that employers
found that entry level job applicants are deficient in soft skills, thus, the
apex chamber suggests, the need of hour is that higher learning schools or institutions
needs to lay more emphasis on developing these skills by encouraging students
to identify it. (editor@thesyerngyonline.com)
AIR ARABIA, SHARJAH CHARITY OPENS NEW SCHOOL IN KERALA Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, JUNE 23 :
The school, built as part of Air Arabia’s Charity Cloud project initiative that is driven by on-board passenger donations, is the company’s first community school project in India and is in line with Air Arabia’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme for 2009. The school will offer quality education to children from the underprivileged sections of society.
Air Arabia became one of the first companies from the region to introduce a sustainable CSR programme when it launched the “Charity Cloud” project in collaboration with Sharjah Charity International in 2005. The programme is aimed at raising funds for community development initiatives through on-board passenger donations. The fund collections are reviewed annually and invested in health and education projects in impoverished nations through a planned CSR programme.
A senior delegation from Air Arabia and Sharjah Charity International attended the inauguration of the school. “We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all Air Arabia passengers and patrons for helping this project achieve its aim through their direct and generous contributions,” said Abdulraoof Al Meer, President of Charity Cloud Committee. “We at Air Arabia believe in a positive and proactive engagement with society on development initiatives, as demonstrated through our Charity Cloud project. With the support of our passengers, we have been successful in growing and expanding the reach of our community initiatives to include different sections of society in various parts of the world. The opening of our latest Charity Cloud school is another accomplishment for us in this regard, and our contribution to the local community here in Trissur and for the people of Kerala.”
“We are pleased to partner with Air Arabia on this community initiative. At a time when communities across the world are struggling to raise funds for development projects, Air Arabia’s sustained effort in proactively engaging with local communities is indeed commendable," said Mohamed Hamdan Al Zeri, Board Member of Sharjah Charity International. "Sharjah Charity has successfully worked with Air Arabia in executing similar initiatives in the past, and we look forward to further extending this partnership in strengthening local communities across the developing world."
Air Arabia is not only committed to providing affordable air travel but also aims to actively engage with local communities to achieve better health and education for the underprivileged. Taking on a proactive role in facilitating the development needs of local and international communities is at the heart of Air Arabia’s success in achieving its CSR goals.
Last year, Air Arabia sponsored a new school in Warkabola , Sri Lanka , through its Charity Cloud project initiative. The company also sponsored the first phase of renovations of the Shree Shagyodaya Secondary School in Kathmandu , Nepal , in the same year, funds for which were raised mainly through on-board passenger donations. Full adoption of the school renovation will commence as phase two of this project.
In
2007, Air Arabia and Sharjah Charity International inaugurated the Charity Cloud
Medical Centre, the first free medical clinic in the Jallas area of Sudan . Jallas
is a desert area about 450 km away from the national capital, Khartoum , and has
a population of over 20,000. The clinic, which is constantly being upgraded to
provide better facilities, currently include an operation and examination room,
maternity room as well as a fully equipped laboratory and pharmacy.
(editor@thesyerngyonline.com)
Thesynergyonline Economic Bureau NEW
DELHI, JUNE 11 : Tony Blair said ,"The Face to Faith programme provides students with a unique opportunity to interact across continents, to talk about their own faith, and learn more about other religions and cultures. It is only by discussing different cultural and religious perspectives that young people can build their awareness of the role of faith in today's world." Designed by an international group of education experts and piloted with more than 1,000 students on three continents, Face to Faith uses video conferencing, an online community and a course syllabus to support encounter, exploration and exchange between young people of different faiths. Face to Faith contributes to the project component of the 'Global Perspectives' IGSCE from Cambridge Assessment as well as to a range of national RE, Humanities, Social Sciences and Citizenship qualifications and curricula. Simmi Kher, Director/Principal at The Indian Heights, has been at the forefront of the drive to expand the network of schools in India taking up the programme, and her pupils have responded superbly. Her skill and expertise is a testament to the way in which India has embraced the concepts of a globalised world and the way in which people of different faiths must live within it. She said: "Having piloted the programme I foresee this programme connecting students with different cultural and religious backgrounds across the world and within India too as India is a land of vast diversities." The programme has already been taken up by schools in India, Pakistan, Singapore, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Thailand, Indonesia, the US, the UK and Canada, who have recognised the programme's potential to improve young people's religious literacy, which is a vital skill in an increasingly complex, global society. Schools who have participated in the pilots are already reporting increased awareness by their students of the role of faith in today's world as well as improved communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills from collaborating with those of different faiths and cultures. Annika Small, Director of Education, Tony Blair Faith Foundation,"Drawing on educational best practice, Face to Faith promotes active participation, collaboration and personal reflection which helps students to explore diversity both within and between religious traditions. By encouraging young people to enter into genuine dialogue with each other, Face to Faith leads students to a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and worldviews as well as those of others. The pilots have shown there is real enthusiasm for this sort of encounter and exchange within a structured framework, which supports collaborative learning and respect for difference." (editor@thesynergyonline.com) CENTRE TO SET UP 1000 NEW POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTIONS: HIGHER EDUCATION SECRETARY Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, India , JUNE 01 : Inaugurating ASSOCHAM organized two days 5th Education Fair Mr. Agrawal clarified that remaining amount of capital cost for the proposed institutions would jointly come from concerned states and industry selected by them. The opening up exercise of 1000 Polytechnic institutions and 374 degree colleges would commence from 2009-10 for which the focused approach would be to impart skills as per modern requirements of governments and Industry, said Mr. Agrawal . He disclosed that the Union HRD Ministry has recommended to the Finance Ministry to accord host of fiscal concessions for promoters of such institutions so that larger participation is received by the government for promoting institutions for imparting skills. On the issue of education loans, Mr. Agrawal said that nearly 16.5 lakh students have been extended education loans worth Rs. 27,500 crores for higher education through Indian banking association. The loans have been extended to students studying in authorized institutions. The Higher Education Secretary also said that no collateral is required for obtaining Rs. 4 lakhs of education loan for higher education and that parents of students applying for loans need not to stand a guarantee for them, pointed out Mr. Agrawal. According to him, the centre government is going to spent a good deal of money in training and refreshing 10,000 science faculties and as many teachers in social sciences group in updating their knowledge in the current summer itself. "This
is being done as most of the faculties have not been able to update them through
their own means and teaching students on the prototype knowledge so that teachers
also modernized themselves to teach modern skills to students for their adoption
in industry," said Mr. Agrawal. Speaking on the occasion, ASSOCHAM Education Committee Chairman and Head of Rai Foundation Mr. Vinay Rai demanded collateral of centre government for students obtained for higher education loans so that their disbursement becomes hassle free. Among others who spoke on the occasion included Head, Department of Science ad Technology Mr. Anuj Sinha and Secretary General Mr. D. S. Rawat. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) PEARSON, ICSSR UNVEIL SERIES OF BOOKS ON ICSSR SURVEY OF ADVANCES IN RESEARCH Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI. MAY 23 : This association between Pearson Education and ICSSR, has put together a well researched collection in the fields of sociology, Geography and psychology and is definite to be of great value to researchers and students. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. K. Srinivas, Publishing Manager (Higher Education & Professional) Pearson Education India, said; "This series provides greater insights and knowledge through statistical studies which will be informative for scholars and students in the related fields. It is matter of honour for us to have collaborated with ICSSR to publish these volumes that are indispensable resource material for researchers." Releasing the book, Prof. Javeed Alam, Chairman, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), said; "Survey of Advances in Research, is a series that will give the readers an in-depth knowledge of the researches promoted by ICSSR. We acknowledge the great work done by the team of distinguished researchers and our publishers Pearson Education for making this work readily available in India." As the premier organization for social science research in India, the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) conducts periodic surveys in the major disciplines of the social sciences to assess disciplinary developments and to identify gaps in research in these areas. The ICSSR Survey of Advances in Research documents the research done by a team of distinguished scholars with the objective of making the intellectual history of India readily available to younger generations and to the rest of the world. __________________________________________________________________________________ SOCIOLOGY
AND SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY IN INDIA THE Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the premier organization for social science research in India, conducts periodic surveys in the major disciplines of the social sciences to assess disciplinary developments as well as to identify gaps in research in these disciplines. This volume on sociology and social anthropology represents the fourth round of surveys covering the period since 1988. Sociology and Social Anthropology in India analyses the intellectual history of sociology and social anthropology in India. The survey begins with an examination of the historical background of tribes; rural and agrarian studies; political sociology; and urban sociology. It proceeds to study the role of caste and caste organizations in local and national politics; the organizational structure of industries; the journey of women's studies in India since its inception in the 1970s; the demographic transition in India and its progress; and the socio-cultural and political dynamics of the Indian diaspora. Finally, the survey provides a detailed analysis of criminological and development studies, and the notable and sociologically relevant aspects of the emergent Legal Culture in India. Yogesh Atal is Professor Emeritus at the Madhya Pradesh Institute of Social Science Research, Ujjain, and member of the governing board of the National Institute of Health and Family Planning, New Delhi. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… GEOGRAPHY
IN INDIA: SELECTED THEMES Geography in India is the fifth ICSSR survey of research in the subject and discusses its priority research areas as identified by the Council, namely, physical geography, population and settlement geography, regional geography and regional planning, remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS), and analytical techniques-with special reference to quantitative techniques in geography. The chapters critically analyse past research as well as emergent fields of specialization, and suggest areas where further research can prove beneficial. In addition, the introduction and thematic discussions showcase the gradual shift from largely qualitative, regional studies to systematic and quantitative geography, and document the growing number of interdisciplinary studies with space as a common theme. The contributors have also taken note of the progress in geography overseas and the access to new technology for the development of analytical techniques in the field. L. S. Bhat retired as Professor of Geography and Regional Planning from the Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… PSYCHOLOGY
IN INDIA. VOLUME 1: BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT This is the first volume of the four-volume Psychology in India, which is the latest survey of research in psychology conducted by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. It comprises six original essays and an overarching introduction. It analyses research conducted over the last decade on the building blocks of mainstream psychology: psychological processes. The chapters in this volume discuss integrated biological and ecological approaches to the study of behaviour; recent research in developmental psychology; studies on language acquisition and language processes, reading, and bilingualism and multilingualism; contributions from neuroscience, cognitive science, and cultural psychology towards the knowledge of cognitive processes; research on affective and motivational processes; and approaches to the study of the personality. The authors have paid special attention to indigenous concepts, methods and theories and to cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research. Girishwar Misra is Professor of Psychology at the University of Delhi.(editor@thesynergyonline.com) EDUCATION INTIATIVE AIMS TO HELP MEET DEMAND FOR NETWORKING PROFESSIONALS Thesynergyonline
Education Bureau
NEW
DELHI, India, MAY 22 :
The GTAP Academy in New Delhi is operated jointly by Cisco and business partners Aricent and HCL. There are nine associate Customer Support Engineer (CSE) delegates graduating in the first Delhi cohort.
GTAP has particular relevance in India, where demand for networking skills could require an additional 118,000 professionals by 2009, according to a 2004-2009 IDC report on global skills. Designed to be sustainable, delegates receive a salary and go through training programmes in relatively small groups. This enables GTAP to put a strong emphasis on technical and professional training, mentorship and on-the-job training.
John Livingston, GTAP programme lead at Cisco, said, “In addition to in-depth product and technical knowledge, engineers also require sophisticated management and communications skills. Cisco’s Global Talent Acceleration Programme has been specifically designed to cater to this need and support the future growth of Cisco service delivery in developing markets such as India, the Gulf Region, South Africa and Latin America. Our investment in this programme is aimed at bringing about a climate of confidence for businesses and governments in these markets to commit to major new projects”.
GTAP works towards accelerating business development and growth opportunities for Cisco and its partners in emerging economies where technical resources are known to be scarce. GTAP trains associate and experienced professionals as network consulting engineers, project managers, customer support engineers, system engineers, and account managers, who subsequently can be absorbed into the professional workforce at Cisco, its partners, and the wider industry.
Globally, Cisco has established GTAP academies in Amman, Jordan, and Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as in Bangalore and New Delhi in India. ( editor@thesynergyonline.com) INDIAN ACADEMIA CAN MAKE THEIR GRADUATES 'GLOBAL WORKFORCE READY' AT LOW COST Thesynergyonline Education Bureau CHENNAI,
Tamil Nadu, India, MARCH 10 : Virtuosity will work with universities and colleges across the country in establishing 'Centres of Excellence' - Virtuosity Academy of Professional Excellence (Virtuosity APEX), to ensure that the students who are passing out are pre-trained, pre-assessed, pre-profiled and industry-ready, by supplementing the regular curricula with its "Global Workforce Ready System". 'Virtuosity National Skills Bank', a first of its kind in the country, will house 'Graduate Skills e-Portfolio' with Skills Audits by an automated Skills Map engine for each student, analyzed from their performance in the 'Global Workforce Ready System', providing universal access and life-long storage for their credentials. The Skills Bank will help the graduates find the right employers and the employers find the rightly 'skilled' graduates. In India about 5 million graduates remain unemployed, at any point of time. The issue is not shortage of employment opportunities, nor availability of graduates, but shortfall of 'employable graduates'. A finding by McKinsey Global Institute says MNC's find only 25% graduates employable. On the other hand, a NASSCOM report foresees shortage of 500,000 knowledge workers by 2010. In Tamil Nadu, according to the report "Mapping of Manpower Skills for Tamil Nadu-2015", released by CII, 43% of graduates and 47 per cent of diploma holders find it difficult to get suitable employment even after 2 years of graduation. The reason has been found to be the huge mismatch of skill-level of graduates and the demands of employment. Virtuosity with its knowledge partners, will offer students its 'Global Workforce Ready System', a learning model developed to avoid skill gaps in graduates, and thereby fulfill the future needs of India's knowledge economy. Every semester students will be trained in four areas of skills: Technical Skills, Functional Skills, Life Skills and Soft Skills, while supplementing their regular curricula. Students will also be benchmarked against global standards in Technical Assessments, Aptitude Assessments, Personality Assessments and Soft Skills Assessments. Virtuosity has a library of 6000 + courses, 2000 + curriculum reference books and 500 + skill assessments and certifications. Virtuosity also offers Colleges, an e-Library, with over 30,000 books all available at the click of the button, along with author summaries. Virtuosity is the first to offer a wholesome solution in first equipping the students with international industrial training, then quantify their obtained skills with international assessments, and place them in the right job endorsing their skill sets in the National Skill Bank. Virtuosity's partners are training partners for India's top companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and many others. Virtuosity is the first initiative to provide a long-term solution and the most affordable one too, to fix the unemployable graduates crisis and Industry-Academia gap, by empowering the Academia with these powerful blended Industrial e-learning solutions. "The industry needs graduates who are workforce-ready. It does not want to invest time and money on them, especially, in this time of economic downturn and 'just in-time' hiring. The current situation states that, out of 3 million people added to the workforce every year, about 500,000 could be considered employable in the international corporate workspace. Even though there is recession, if students get industry ready with the right kind of competence levels, the opportunity to ensure a berth in the job market is prominent" said Dr. R. Palani, Chairman, Afflatus iLabs. "Our main focus will be to work very closely with the colleges to supplement college education to avoid skill gaps in graduates. Virtuosity will develop Centers of Excellence in educational institutions located in major cities as well as in tier II cities and rural areas. In the first phase, we are looking to reach about 30,000 students to make them globally competitive and provide them good employment opportunities" said Mr. P. Shiva Prasath, Managing Director, Afflatus iLabs. ( editor@thesynergyonline.com) EXAMINATION
PSYCHOLOGY IN SCHOOL STUDENTS : AN ANALYSIS By
Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences
'One
needs to take pills to improve memory and concentration.' Three per cent of boys fell in the moderate category and 4 per cent of boys in the high category on this item. Three per cent of girls were in the moderate category and 2 per cent of girls were in the high category. Seven out of every 100 boys and 5 out of every hundred girls find taking medications to enhance memory functioning an essential and viable option. Some of this is attributable to the way memory pills are promoted as well as to the fact that these misconceptions are prevalent due to what students observe and people around them believe which includes peers, families, friends, and relatives. 'Many
times I skip meals because I do not want to waste study time.' Eleven per cent of boys scored in the moderate category and 4% scored in the high category. Seventeen per cent of girls scored in the moderate category and 4 per cent scored in the high category. Approximately 20 per cent students are missing out on their dietary intake due to the pressure to study more.
'I
tend to start daydreaming when I should be concentrating on my studies.' Thirtythree per cent of boys and 37 per cent of girls scored moderately on this category. Thirteen per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls scored high on this item. Approximately 50 per cent students (46 per cent boys and 56 per cent girls) do end up wasting their time in daydreaming when they are supposed to be studying. More often than not this results due to the fact that students are trying to study continuously without taking breaks and avoiding all sorts of fun activities. What they and those around them forget is that an average human being has an attention span of about 45 minutes and a break is needed beyond that, be it only for 5-10 minutes.
'I
find it difficult to fall asleep before a test/exam.' Nineteen per cent of boys scored in the moderate category and 17 per cent fell in the high category. Twentythree oer cent of girls scored moderately on this item while 21per cent of girls scored high on this item. This indicates that more than 30 per cent of both boys and girls find it difficult to relax and sleep before an exam. The significance attached to the exams is tremendous which places an excessive amount of stress on the student. Inability or difficulty sleeping prior to an exam is a potent indicator of high stress levels. 'If
I don't score more than 80% in school, I will be a failure.' Fourteen
per cent of boys and 18 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item. However,
20 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls scored in the high category. This
indicates that more than 30 per cent of both boys and girls feel pressurized to
score well, another indicator of stress. More often than not performance in examinations
is taken to be a benchmark of the nature of that person and people would like
to be associated with high achievers. Much of this is reflective of the need inherent
in most of us to be surrounded by people who do well. This over preoccupation
with marks, has a negative impact on the students. 'Smoking
helps one to relax and remember more information.' Two per cent of boys and 1 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item. Only 4 per cent of boys and 2 per cent of girls scored high on this item. About 10 per cent of the student population is looking towards smoking and other such means as a way of relaxation which is clearly indicative a lack of education and guidance about harmful effects of smoking, and that myths around smoking are prevalent in students. 'I
eat chips and other snacks so that I do not need to leave my studies because I
am hungry.' Sixteen per cent of boys scored moderately and 10 per cent of boys scored high on this item. Twentyone per cent of girls scored at the moderate level while 9 per cent of girls scored high on this item. This indicates that more than 25 per cent of both boys and girls feel pressurized to study and do not want to waste study time in eating proper food and prefer to snack in order to save time without giving due to regard to the negative consequences that it may have for their health in general. 'I
need the television while I am studying.' Nine per cent of boys scored moderately on this item while 4 per cent scored high. Six per cent of girls scored in the moderate category while 5 per cent of girls scored high on this item. Ten per cent of the student populations feels the necessity to have the television on while studying which is reflective of their lack of understanding of the fact that television, phones and other such commodities are mere distracters and do not help build concentration in any way and only lead to a significant amount of wastage of time which they may then be trying to compensate by avoiding taking breaks for proper food as well.
'I
experience blank outs even if I am prepared for a test.' Twentysix
of boys and 32 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item. 13% of boys and
18 per cent of girls scored high on this item. More than 40% of both boys and
girls experience high level of stress and a significance amount of anxiety before
taking an exam due to the pressures that are placed upon them and the significance
attached to these examinations. Relaxation exercises, study and exam skills training
would help in reducing this. Twenty per cent of boys and 19 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item. Nineteen per cent of boys and 22 per cent of girls scored high on this item. Sixty per cent boys and girls find it difficult to make study schedules and stick to them indicating the lack of prevalence of effective study skills amongst school students.
'There
is never enough time to cover all the course material.' Twenty
per cent of boys and 27 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item while
14 per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls scored high on this item. This indicates
that more than 40 per cent of both boys and girls feel that they do not have enough
time to finish course material which is somewhat an indicator of the habit of
last minute studying by students as well as a reflection on the teaching methodology
in schools. My
teachers and parents constantly remind me that I need to work harder and longer
than I already do.' 'Coffee
or tea really helps me to study till late.' Fifteen per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item while 25 per cent of boys and 23 per cent of girls scored high on this item. This shows that about 40 per cent of boys and girls drink tea or coffee to stay up late to study ignoring the biological rhythms of the body and the normal sleep-awake cycle which can potentially give them significant amount of difficulty in getting up for exams and performing well as the mind and body are habituated to sleeping at that time. 'I
feel lethargic and tired most of the time.'
'To
take a break from studying, I sit on the computer and chat.' Thirteen per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls showed a moderate score on this item. Fortythree of boys and 37 per cent of girls scored high on this item indicating that more than 50 per cent of students sit on the net to take breaks from studying not realizing that this would further increase their fatigue and more so reduce their concentration spans. 'I
feel panic and my heartbeat increases before I get my test papers.'
'No
matter how hard I try, I never score well in school.' Fifteen per cent of boys and 20 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item. Fourteen per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The result on this item indicates that 30 to 35 per cent of both boys and girls felt that their efforts to study and perform well were in discrepancy with the results they received. 'I
need to constantly stay in touch with my friends so that I can compare our progress.' Sixteen per cent of boys and 18 per cent scored moderately on this item. 20 per cent of boys and 19 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The results on this item indicated that about 40 per cent of the student population felt a need to know about their peers, indicative of a sense of pressure felt with regards to how others around them are doing. This is clearly reflective of the competitiveness that is prevalent in every profession and it appears to start as early as student life. 'I
feel scared I have bad results in tests even though I had felt that I had done
well.' Twentysix per cent of boys and 30 per cent of girls scored at the moderate level on this item. In addition, 20 per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The score on this item indicates that 40 per cent of the students experienced stress even though their fears of failure might be baseless; frequently it is not just their expectations that are on the line but also the expectations of their families and teachers. . 'My friends manage to find time to have fun but I never have time to relax.' Fifteen per cent of boys and 14 per cent of girls scored moderately on this item. Twelve per cent of both boys and girls scored high on this item. This indicates that about 25 per cent of students felt that their friends managed to find time to relax, whereas they did not have the luxury of the same opportunity.
'I
am always trying to finish studies just before the exam.' Tweentysix per cent of boys scored at the moderate level and 33 per cent of boys scored high on this item. Twentyfour per cent of girls scored moderately and 36 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The results on this item indicate that more than 50 per cent of students end up doing what can be termed as last minute studying in order to cover the entire syllabus that has been prescribed for the exams. 'I
feel scared of exams and am usually in a panic state.' Sixteen per cent of boys and 19 per cent of girls scored high on this item. There appears to be a large percentage of students experiencing a sense of panic and fear of exam situations. 'Through
the media reports on how well some students do, I feel the pressure to perform
well.' Tweentyfive per cent of boys and 30 per cent of girls scored at the moderate level on this item. In addition, 32 per cent of boys and 33 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The scores on this item indicate that 50 to 60 per cent of boys and girls felt a strong trend towards being pressurized because of media reports of success stories. Students follow media, and we can also utilize media for positive changes in the student population. 'I
feel a lot of pressure to do well and make a career from my teachers and my school.' Twentythree per cent of boys scored moderately and 31 per cent of boys scored high on this item. Twentyeight per cent of girls scored at the moderate level and 27 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The results on this item show that more than 50 per cent of students feel pressure to perform from teachers and their school.
'I
feel tempted to cheat in exams to perform well.' Seventeen
per cent of boys and 14 per cent of girls scored at the moderate level on this
item. In addition, 12 per cent of boys and 7 per cent of girls scored high on
this item. The results on this item indicate that 20 to 30 per cent of both boys
and girls feel tempted to cheat when taking exams so that they score well so as
not to be a disappointment to families and teaches and not be laughed at by peers.
'I manage to take outdoor breaks even during exam time.' Fourteen per cent of boys scored moderately while 21 per cent of boys scored high on this item. Fifteen per cent of girls scored moderately and 31 per cent of girls indicated a high score on this item. This score indicates that 35 per cent of boys and 45 per cent of girls do not get to take outdoor breaks when exams are occurring, indicating high amount of pressures felt. .
'I withdraw from everyone and get irritable during exam times' Eighteen per cent and 20 per cent of boys and girls scored moderately on this item. Fourteen per cent of both boys and 22 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The results on this item indicate that 30 to 40 per cent of both boys and girls that a large population of students withdraw and get irritable during exam times which is a clear indicator of a need for them to take breaks and engage in relaxation exercises in order to calm themselves down and be able to study in a more effective manner.
'After
exams, I need to ask my friends how they have done.' Results
show that 8 per cent of boys and girls scored moderately on this item. Sixteen
per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls scored high on this item. The results
on this item indicate that 20 per cent of both boys and girls feel the need to
compare their performance with fellow students, which is clearly indicative of
the competitiveness of these examinations.per cent.(Total sample size : 2000
Students ,944 Boys ,1056 Girls 'Age group : Class 9-12 ,Schools : NCR (over 20schools)
(editor@thesynergyonline.com) JNTUH, MISSION10X COLLABORATE FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, FEB 22 : The major focus in this affiliation will be given for conducting Faculty Enablement programs empowering senior faculty members of engineering colleges to innovate in their class rooms using Mission10X Learning Approach which would help in turn developing students with higher levels of understanding their technical subjects along with augmenting their employability skills. Both Mission10X and JNTUH will collaborate in developing curriculum, conducting faculty enablement workshops and engagements, undertaking joint research in creation of educational assets and disseminating new learning. Announcing the MoU, Prof. D. N. Reddy, Hon. Vice-Chancellor, JNTU Hyderabad said, "JNTUH is keen to unleash the creative potential of the teaching faculty and to promote successful educational experiences for our engineering students. We are very happy to announce Mission10X affiliation which would help our Engineering Colleges to benefit from the best of breed innovation practices that Wipro's Mission10X has brought for the Engineering Education." "We thank Mission10X for extending its support to the state of Andhra Pradesh. We look forward to a long association with Mission10X " Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Pratik Kumar, Executive Vice President - Human Resources, Wipro, said, "This partnership is a significant milestone in the journey of Mission10X as it provides a platform to reach out to all the colleges under the JNTU umbrella thereby helping graduating engineers across the entire state of Andhra Pradesh. We are very proud to be partnering with JNTU and look forward to the opportunity of sharing and learning from each others experiences ," he added. Formally
launched on Teachers Day, September 5 2007, Mission10X is a fast growing community
of learners and innovators. Mission10X program involves a layered set of capability
building workshops to help engineering Faculty nurture talent pool across the Mission10X
is backed by a dedicated team of individuals with sound academic and industry
track record. As planned, its workshops have already empowered over 2300 faculty
members from 182 colleges across the country. Mission10X's vision is to empower
10,000 faculty by the year 2010. (editor@thesynergyonline.com) EDUCONVEX2009 ZEROES IN ON EDUCATION, EMPLOYABILITY Thesynergyonline Education Bureau
NEW DELHI, FEB 09 : The seminar proved to be a success in bringing Govt. officials, academicians, teachers and other concerned stakeholders on a single platform. The steering committee was headed by Prof. M. M. Pant, former Pro- Vice Chancellor, IGNOU. EDUConvEx was a unique educational event which created awareness about learning pathways that align education with employment opportunities combining international concepts within the Indian milieu. It successfully facilitated objective-based deliberations about enabling successful careers for learners with varying learning styles and interests through innovative pedagogy. Professor M. M. Pant, former Pro- Vice Chancellor, IGNOU says, "An appropriate education is the spring board for the success of learners and strengthening this foundation has been the ideal of educationists across the world. In this scenario, evolution of the current education system is a must and through this conference we have come to the conclusion that new and innovative ideas are an obligation for the development of education sector hence leading to the growth of the overall economy". The conference was attended by delegates from across the region including educators from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Edexcel, the UK's largest awarding body and Pearson Longman were the sponsors of the conference. Talking about this initiative, Mr. Sami Baig, Regional Director South Asia, Edexcel International, said "Edexcel as an awarding body is deeply concerned with education and its advancement in various regions. We have always been innovators in the field of academic qualifications, curricula and syllabus and our involvement as sponsors has a lot do with the topicality of issues being addressed by a distinguished steering committee. We are glad to be associated with the conference. The outcomes have been extremely stimulating and we will continue this association with EDUConvEx in the coming years." The conference focused on issues like Education and Employability: Harmonizing useful / employability skills with a purpose addressed by Mr. Ross Hall, Director of International, Edexcel. Prof. M. M. Pant & Mr. D. C. Pant presented aspects of concerning assessment of learning analyzing the past, present and future. Taking the discussion forward Mr. Ross Hall, Dr. Vasudha Kamat and Mr. Sachin Uttam undertook participants on a stimulating journey on understanding the dynamics of designing an educational experience for multiple intelligence and varying learning styles. Prof. G.D. Sharma and Prof. D.V. Sharma threw light on different challenges along with their solutions in implementation of international education in India. There were also panel discussions on the implementation of innovative ideas in an education enterprise and other skills for higher learning and Global Employability addressed by Mr. Henry A S Ledlie, Senior Advisor (Global), IDP Education, Australia and Col. S C Mohan, Former Director General, All India Management Association. The steering committee of the conference also awarded Teachers, Schools and Students for excellence in their respective fields. Mr. Parvez Ahmed Khan: RIMS International School & Junior College, Mumbai and Mr. Salil Adak: Primary School Teacher, Howrah won best teachers awards for "Innovative ideas for using a laptop Computer for School Teaching". Pathways World School. Gurgaon, G. D. Goenka World School, Gurgaon, Vidyaniketan Academy, Bangalore and St. Stephen's International School, Chandigarh are few among the 15 who grabbed awards in the best school category. ( editor@thesynergyonline.com) Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, JAN 26 :
Answering one of the questions "How teachers can help students during exams' a master trainer from Dale Carnegie USA, Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed, said "Teachers can cut down on homework and assignments during the exam period." He suggested that the teachers should encourage and motivate students during exam time. Messages such as "exams are going to be tough, but I know you'll do well", "don't be nervous, I'm sure you won't disappoint me", and "don't underestimate yourselves. Each one of you is capable of doing very well in the exams, just work hard, don't panic and go for it" should be passed on. What is important is that teachers should make themselves accessible to students anywhere, anytime (if not personally, either on mail, SMS or on phone) prior to and during the exams. Also, they should not draw comparisons between students.
In addition, the workshop outlined some fruitful and convenient study techniques for students. The
tips include: "
Relax before commencing with studies using stress relieving techniques like yoga
and meditation "
Plan your work and work your plan "
Dedicate low energy time for revision, studying easy subjects and preparing notes.
Difficult subjects, problem solving, learning formulas or definitions should be
done in high energy time slots. "
Try using the same study place "
Allot the first 10-30 minutes of study to the boring subjects "
Always apply the SQ(3R)T principle, which says Survey the book or chapter first
to get an idea of what parts you need to study in detail, Question your portion
or lesson, Read and track out the main points and ideas, Recall/recite what has
been read, Review your understanding of the subject and take a Test of what you
remember. " Also, use mind mapping to monitor progress: take a big sheet of paper or KG card board, start making the topics and sub topics with a pencil. Write the name of the topic in the center, and keep branching out in a tree form. In reply to another question "What can relieve stress and make exam time study easy", Ahmed said, "There is a need to bring about a change in the current study methods. Many parents think that studying alone is the best option for their children. This is only partially true. Studying alone at times become monotonous and hence leads to stress. Group study on the other hand may help students resolve many of their doubts as and when these surface." "Enhancing your performance through a complete understanding of your subject" formed one of the core themes of the workshop. It was emphasized that outright cramming might lead to a situation where a student forgets ideas and concepts at the time of the examination. On the other hand, if you understand the concept thoroughly, you can frame it well on paper. Some other techniques that the workshop brought to light include making acronyms/ interesting songs to study, taking a break, and letting students develop their own methods of study. "Making acronyms/ interesting songs to study is a very innovative method. If an answer has a number of points, the first letters of all the points could be clubbed together in the form of a word. This helps quick memorization", said Ahmed. Taking
regular breaks every 50 minutes or so is a very good idea, also according to Dr.
Jitendra Nagapal, Psychiatrist, VIMHANS, New Delhi. He says, "Long hours
of continuous study make it difficult to retain focus and also reduce concentration,
leading eventually to stress. Constant 10-30 minute sporting breaks help rejuvenate
and refocus." 'EDUCATION KEY TO BRIDGING GENDER GAP ' Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEWDELHI,
DEC 19 : Panelists at the concurrent session on 'Gender and Society: What Women Want' agreed that things have already begun to change for the better and empowerment should come through economic, educational and legislative means. The first speaker, Ms Krishna Bose, former Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs of India, said that the attitude of political parties towards the women reservation bill reflected the state of society. "We have wasted so many years but could not settle the women reservation issue , " she added. Her Private Members' Bill to make a one-line amendment to the Representation of People's Act to made it mandatory for all political parties to field a certain percentage of women in the elections, faced a similar fate. She said we have women leaders but not empowered women at the society level. Ms Bose, however, noted that education is not necessarily the tool for bringing the change in attitudes. She gave the example of Phoolan Devi who had no education but had a lot of common sense to become a leader. Ms Navita Mahajan, Researcher and Academic, Punjabi University, said ,"Our women have freedom of thought but not freedom of action. We often hear that we in India respect women. It has become a cliché,"she added. "We cannot ask for respect from others. It is for us to get respect by first start respecting ourselves," she said. Sex ratio is highly skewed in the two northern states of Punjab and Haryana, which are certainly not the poorest states in the country. She finds education to be the biggest tool to bridge the gap between freedom of thought and freedom of action. Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Group General Manager and Country Head, India, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd, said that women do not want to be discriminated either positively or negatively. They want to come up the ladder on merit. She said that because women have to drop out because of their own reasons and roles in the society, there should be a policy to make their reentry or reemployment easy. Ms Kavita Bhartia, Founder, Ogaan, said the it is poverty that bring aggression of men against women to the forefront. She said that education is a must for empowerment. Ms Manju Bharat Ram, Chairperson, Shriram School, said that education is not the panacea for gender equality. She noted that sex ratio imbalance is the highest among the educated and the rich. Women have to be economically independent to get respect and get involved in the decision making. Mr
Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage, who moderated the discussion, kicked
off the discussion by saying that we always pay a lot of lip service to the issue
but have not yet begun to respect women in the social perspective. INDIA LAGS BEHIND EMERGING ECONOMIES IN QUALITY EDUCATION Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, DEC 16 : According to an ASSOCHAM Eco Pulse (AEP) Study “Comparative Study of Emerging Economies on Quality of Education’, India was ranked at the second last place among seven developing countries in terms of education quality as it score minimum points in primary, secondary, tertiary and demographic parameters as compared to other six emerging economies of the world. The analysis was carried out on the basis of 20 parameters relating to primary, secondary, tertiary education and higher education and demography. Data provided by UNESCO, IMF, WEF, Financial Times was used for the study purpose. Mr. Sajjan Jindal, ASSOCHAM President while releasing the Study said, “serious attention needs to be paid towards the education system. India may stand to loose its competitive advantages against the other countries in long term if corrective measures are not taken to strengthen the Indian education system qualitatively”. China, the largest in size among the developing countries and with the fastest growing GDP, has secured second place with score points of 6.7, at the competitive distance from Russia at 7.,3 points whereas India could score only 3.3 pints. The South American giant economy, Brazil has positioned itself at third place with 5.56 score points as the quality of education in Brazil remains stable across all levels of primary, secondary and higher education. Mexico has been ranked at fourth place on the strength of its higher education. South
Africa, a relatively new entrant to the club of developing Indonesia, the seventh largest developing economy, got the last position in terms of quality of education. The country secured the overall score of 2.68, as the secondary and higher education in the country could not match the quality standards. The ASSOCHAM analysis revealed that the primary education in India is highly under-developed as compared to the other emerging nations. Although primary education is compulsory and there is legal guarantee of free education, the gross enrolment ratio in primary education is least in India at 98.1. The highest gross enrolment ratio is in Brazil (148.5), followed by China (116.2) and Russia (113.8) Even Indonesia (110.9) and South Africa (105.1) enjoy better enrolment ratio than India. The ratio is highest in India among all the emerging nations as for every forty students, there is one teacher. There is marked difference between India and other developing economies in terms of pupil teacher ratio as the ratio was a slow as 17 and 20 for Russia and China. India was at the last position in terms of quality of secondary education while Russia and Brazil had maximum scores. The pupil teacher ratio was highest in India with average 32 students for one teacher. Next was South Africa with the ratio of 30. For China and Brazil, the ratio was 19. Private enrolment of the total enrolment is highest in India for the secondary education as was the case in primary education. Around 42 per cent of the students studying in secondary classes belong to private schools. The quality of tertiary education in India was lowest among the other emerging nations. It score points on scale of 2, was 0.1. The gross enrolment ratio in tertiary education was least in India with only 11 per cent enrolments taking place. The percentage of females out of the total enrolment was least in India and also was way low than other emerging nations. While the average share of female in tertiary education enrolment was 52 per cent for other economies, it was only 8.1 per cent for India. The ratio was highest in Russia and Brazil at 56.7 per cent and 56.1 per cent. However, India enjoys a better ranking in quality of education at higher levels. It was at third place while China was the top performer, followed by Mexico. Two parameters were studied for comparative analysis of higher education among the emerging economies. The first was number of universities in each country to have been ranked in top 200 universities of the world by The Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings. India has one business school among the top 100 management institutions of the world but not a single university which falls under the best 200 universities. Even as the demographics of India are considered its strength, the country scored minimum in demographics and was ranked at last place. This was primarily because of the lowest literacy rate in India among its peers. The gender parity in educational attainment in India was lowest among the emerging economies; its overall rank among all the countries of the world was 116.(editor@thesynergyonline.com) . Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, DEC 06 : In around 2000, leading public schools in Delhi would normally sell off prospectus, containing details about admission processes in their respective schools for a sum of Rs.300. In 2008, one prospectus costs parents roughly Rs.1000, according to findings of the ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF). Parents on an average are shelling out a minimum sum of Rs.5,000 on their single child for buying prospectus. Obviously, for 2 children, the sum spent on buying prospectus doubles up, says the Mr. D S Rawat, ASSOCHAM Secretary General. The cost of prospectus for nursery and KGs is costlier than the prospectus sold off by reputed management, engineering and chartered accountant institutions which really provide qualitative education. According
to estimates made by ASDF, in Delhi alone good public schools are likely to earn
revenues by selling prospectus to an extent of Rs.5,000 crore. This is absolutely
a conservative estimates based on finding of ASSOCHAM, added Mr. Rawat pointing
out that this is despite the Delhi government directives to school management
to have The ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation further points out that generally parents do not refuse to buy prospectus as these contain important details about admission procedure along with the admission forms. Now, with more schools starting the sale of forms, parents can't help but shell out more. Many parents also believe it wise to buy the forms of as many schools as possible to secure admission for their wards. Single parent keep aside around Rs 4,000/- to 5,000/- to apply in at least 10-12 schools so that at the end of the day, their child is enrolled in one of the schools of their choices as majority of parents can't afford to miss out a chance. Most of Parents feel that selling out Rs.5000 on buying prospectus pinches them the most as there is no certainty that their child will eventually get through that school. "It's like a wild shot. They have to unwillingly pay for the prospectus and a CD on the school curriculum in two schools even when they are almost sure that their child would not get admission there”. These days prospectus are made fancy with lot of unwanted reading materials as the intention of the schools is to make prospectus voluminous to attract good pricing. Increasingly rising school admission form in most of privately managed schools in large cities including metros have deterred even well to do young parents. The Chamber has not only opposed escalation in cost of prospectus but it is equally against proposed fee hike move in public schools which is likely to be within the range of 40 per cent. The Chamber feels that at times when economy is on doldrums, downsizing in corporate world is on peak and people are loosing jobs and inflation continues to push up prices of all essential commodities, it would be extremely unfair to raise the fee as it would put most of the parents under severe pressures. Mr. Rawat said that majority of school management boards have referred to the 6th Pay Commission hike as one of the reasons for tuition fee hike which is totally unjustified as majority of the workforce is engaged in unorganized sector and is not at all beneficiary to pay hike. Parents, however, complain that education is now being run like a commercial business enterprise. The high tuition fees no more justify the services offered at schools and the erratic fee hike effected each year by management of schools. An estimated over 30 million children are now educated in private schools, with fees usually rising well above inflation. Parents have to spend sleepless nights worrying about how they are going to pay for what their child needs simply to go to school. It is hitting their budget very hard and potentially having a direct impact on children’s schooling. Parents are especially concerned about schools that put pressure on parents to make so-called ‘voluntary’ contributions.” (editor@thesynergyonline.com) INDO- CHINA COALITION IN MEDIA EDUCATION MOOTED Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, NOV 26 :
The specific areas of intent for cooperation and collaboration between the Indian and Chinese Universities would be Student Exchanges, Faculty Exchanges, Research Projects, Lectures through Video Conference, Chinese and Indian language. According to Prof. Nagaraj K.V. Professor & Chairman, Department of Mass Communication & Journalism, Mangalore University, Karnataka, one of the prominent mission members who made presentation at both the Universities in Shanghai, "A socially responsible and culturally sensitive India - China coalition in media education will help both countries bring a deeper and more focused "Asia perspective" to media education"
The Mission, organised by India China Alliance Centre (ICAC) helped Indian media schools familiarise themselves with the prevailing scenario in China, especially in the field of Journalism, Media, Design and Communication and Management. The visit provided a unique opportunity to explore collaborative arrangements with top-of-the-line Chinese Universities covering student and faculty exchange, joint research and joint programmes.
Jointly led by Prof. M S M Rawat, Former Vice Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University, Uttarakhand and Prof. (Dr.) J S Panwar, Director MBA Programme, Sardar Patel University, Gujarat, the 10-member Mission visited and interacted with China's premier Universities – Peking University and University of International Business and Economic in Beijing; Shenyang University and Liaoning University in the Northeastern Capital City of Shenyang and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University and China Europe International Business School (Ranked No.11 in the World) in Shanghai.
The other members of the delegation were: Dr. Sanjeev Bhanawat, Head, Centre for Mass Communication, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur; Dr. C Pichandy, Head, Department of Communication & Media Studies, PSG College of Arts and Science, Tamil Nadu; Dr. N Thirugnanasambandam, Reader in Sociology, PSG College of Arts and Science, Tamil Nadu; Dr. Rajbir Singh, Chairman, Department of Management Studies & Humanities, DCR University of Science & Technology, Haryana, Dr. B.P. Verma, Director, Kohinoor Business School & Centre for Management Research, Maharashtra and Mr. Surinder Kumar, Associate, India China Alliance Centre, New Delhi. DUKE UNIVERITY TO EXPAND GLOBAL BUSINESS PROGRAMMES TO INDIA Thesynergyonline Education Bureau NEW
DELHI, OCTOBER 16 :
The advisory board, consisting of graduates of Duke University & Fuqua’s MBA programs, will also assist Duke in forging new partnerships in the country.
The board will be chaired by Malvinder Singh, CEO and Managing Director of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited. Other board members include, Dr. Amit Mitra of FICCI, Suhail Nathani, Partner, Economics Law Practice, Timothy Kasbe, Chief Information Officer, Reliance; Sanjith Shetty, Vice Chairman, Soham Infrastructure ; Devinjit Singh, Managing Director-Asia, Carlyle Group; Shivinder Singh, CEO and Managing Director, Fortis Healthcare ; Vikrampati Singhania, Deputy Managing Director, J.K. Organization; and Bharat Tandon, president and CEO, SABIC India .
“Fuqua has made a commitment to becoming the world’s first legitimately global business school,” Fuqua Dean Blair Sheppard said. “From the very start, our expansion plans have included India, one of the world’s most quickly emerging and rapidly evolving economic and cultural centers. Utilizing our strong alumni network in India is vital to our goal of delivering The Duke MBA experience to tomorrow’s global business leaders.”
Duke President Richard H. Brodhead noted the importance of India in Duke’s future plans. “I don’t think anyone would dispute that with India’s size, economic and political strength, and its vast pool of talented students and academics, it is a place from which we can learn a great deal,” Brodhead said. “At the same time, we are building lasting relationships that will help secure a shared future of teaching and learning with India. Duke’s strengths in business, public policy, the environment and biomedical research present a unique and compelling opportunity for collaboration with colleagues in India.”
Duke has long maintained a strong association with India, with nearly 300 Indian-born undergraduate and graduate students currently attending the university. The Duke Center for International Development designs and delivers customized educational and training programs for government agencies in India. Duke Corporate Education collaborates with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) to provide custom corporate education programs.
In addition, Duke’s Terry Sanford Institute for Public Policy for many years has worked with the Indian Administrative Service on professional education for civil servants.
In May 2008, Duke’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) offered a three-week residential pilot program on the campus of IIMA for academically gifted Indian students; the program will be repeated next year at IIMA and in New Delhi.
Malvinder Singh, CEO and MD, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd who is also the Chair for the newly formed Duke India Alumni advisory Board, Duke University, said, "I am delighted to see the vision of a world class University, such as Duke, take shape here in India. Being an alumnus, I can say with confidence that I gained enormously from its open, multidisciplinary, multicultural, education format and the top class intellectual input and rigor that Duke provides. I am sure, it will set a new benchmark for liberal university education in India and augment the much needed requirement for world class professional institutions that are urgently needed to bridge the high quality talent needs of the fast globalizing Indian economy.”
Beyond New Delhi, Fuqua’s global expansion initiative will include new Fuqua programs in Shanghai, China; London, UK; Dubai, UAE; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Fuqua’s plans are unique among business schools, extending beyond the limited, casual affiliations that traditionally define international academic programs, Sheppard said. Each of Fuqua’s new regional engagements will feature open enrollment executive education, at least two research centers, Duke faculty or joint faculty appointments, service-based activities focused on local needs, an MBA offering (with the exception of Johannesburg), a Duke Corporate Education presence and involvement of other parts of Duke University.
“A comprehensive understanding of the new world economy requires expertise in a number of areas that touch upon business,” Sheppard said. “To deliver an interdisciplinary experience, we will engage the resources of other schools within Duke: Duke University School of Law, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University School of Medicine, Pratt School of Engineering, and Duke Global Health Institute.”
Fuqua’s new global initiative will begin in August 2009 with students entering The Duke MBA – Cross Continent program, which targets high-potential junior and middle managers. Fuqua launched its Cross Continent program in 2000, building on the strengths of its well-regarded Duke MBA – Global Executive. (editor@thesynergyonline.com)
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NEW
DELHI, JAN 30 : 
NOIDA
, NOV 08 : 
The
aim was to understand students' exam stress, confidence building and motivation
techniques, concepts of studying, memory, and concentration - all of which contribute
to students becoming more positive and better equipped to deal with the exams.
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