Higher Education Digest – April 2021 – India Edition – Engineering Colleges in India Special

INDIA EDITION

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FEATURING INSIDE

Dr Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Shahani Group and Ask.Careers

ENGINEERING

Ashish Jhalani, Global CMO & Managing Director, Square Panda India

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Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO, Indian School of Hospitality Dr Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Dean Academics, Sanskriti University Sunil Aggrawal, Dean - Blockchain Programs, TalentSprint

AN ENGINEERING COLLEGE PAR EXCELLENCE APRIL 2021

NITTE MEENAKSHI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BENGALURU

Higher Education Digest April 2021

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

April 2021

Vol - 3 Issue - 4

Engineering Colleges Special (India Edition) Head of Advisory Board Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana K Anna Elza

Navya Venkatesh Stanly Lui Emma James

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Art & Design

Ajay K Das Manjunath R Rohith Poojary

Sales & Marketing

Jyoti Kumari Reshma Ashokan

Arati Waghmare Hanna George

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

When a Hands-On Course Misses the College-Experience

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ike every stream of studies, engineering education has undergone overwhelming change during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closed campuses have taken the studies out of classrooms and labs, which was considered as imperatives in an engineering student’s life. Faculty members are forced to adopt new technology for teaching and figure out how to turn a hands-on education into a remote practice. With these, the tech-fests, seminars, sports, industrial visits, and socializing - ultimately, the college experience is now at risk.

However, the ongoing crisis has provided the academicians and administrators with a freehand to innovate existing practices and policies in technical education. The colleges and universities need to consider this an opportunity to emerge

stronger and find solutions that would help us address the immediate issues and the longer term. Along with incorporating blended learning, the engineering curriculum creators also need to think of including inter-disciplinary concepts. For instance, computer science is becoming fundamental to most disciplines, and all other streams must adopt this new reality.

In this issue, we have hand-picked “25 MustWatch Engineering Colleges in India” who have invested in their teaching-learning resources and considerably improved the quality of education during this unprecedented time. On the cover, we feature Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) Bengaluru that has emerged as one of the most sought-after destinations for engineering education in the country and abroad.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

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ADVISORY BOARD Dr. Kuldeep Kuldeep Nagi, Nagi, Dr. Ph.D, MBA, MBA, BSc. BSc. Ph.D,

Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Former Program Director, Program Director, MS MS in in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Dr. Venus Venus M. M. Alboruto, Alboruto, PhD, PhD, Dr. Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

6 Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Ajay Ajay Shukla, Shukla, Ph.D, Ph.D, Dr. MBA, BE. BE. MBA, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com FormerGeneral Senior General Manager: Senior Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

Mr. Amulya Amulya Sah, Sah, PGD PGD Mr. PM & & IR, IR, PG PG Diploma Diploma in in PM PM&IR (XISS Ranchi)

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT) Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Higher Education Digest April 2021 2020 November

Chief Human Senior DirectorResources HR. Head Officer, Former HeadR&D HR HR group Samsung group Samsung R&D Institute Institute India,Transformative India,Transformative HR HR Leader, Change agent, Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion. and Diversity champion.

Mamta Thakur Former CEO (ASEAN), Arc Skills

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Higher Education Digest December October January 2020 April 2019 2021

CONTENTS

COVER

18 NITTE MEENAKSHI STORY

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BENGALURU AN ENGINEERING

COLLEGE

PAR EXCELLENCE

ENGINEERING

KARUNYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES Addressing Social Concerns Through Education

MAR BASELIOS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

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Leading to the Heights of Excellence

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, SHARDA UNIVERSITY A World-Class University Transforming Educational Experience

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CONTENTS INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

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28 IMPORTANCE OF EMPOWERING CHILDREN WITH THE POWER OF EARLY LITERACY AND LANGUAGES

Ashish Jhalani, Global CMO & Managing Director, Square Panda India

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IMPORTANCE OF VISUALITY IN BLENDED LEARNING

EDTECH MARKET SET TO ELEVATE BLENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India

Ganesh Raju, Founder & CEO, Ken42

76 NEP 2020 AND ONLINE EDUCATION – A PARADIGM SHIFT

CA Rajat Singhal, Co-founder & CEO, Cyboard School

88 STUDENT GUIDE: THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE PLANNING TO START A STARTUP

Rajat Jadhav, Co-founder, Bold Care

ACADEMIC VIEW

MENTOR’S MANTRA

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ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES IN A TIME OF CRISIS

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Dr Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Shahani Group and Ask.Careers

WHY CYBERSECURITY COURSES CAN GIVE YOU LUCRATIVE CAREER OPTIONS

Dr Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Dean Academics, Sanskriti University

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BLOCKCHAIN TECH: PATH TOWARDS SCALABLE BUSINESSES

CLIL - AN UNDERUTILISED PEDAGOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Sunil Aggrawal, Dean - Blockchain Programs, TalentSprint

Sanjhee Gianchandani, ELT Editor, Eupheus Learning

14 OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOSPITALITY STUDENTS IN THE POST-COVID WORLD

Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO, Indian School of Hospitality

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MENTOR’S MANTRA

OPPORTUNITIES FOR

HOSPITALITY STUDENTS IN THE POST-COVID WORLD Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO, Indian School of Hospitality

14 Dilip Puri is the Founder & CEO of the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH), an institution of higher education focused on reshaping hospitality and culinary arts education for today’s generation and tomorrow’s businesses.

Dilip is recognised as one of the thought-leaders on hospitality & hospitality education and is a frequent speaker at education and hospitality conclaves and a regular columnist on hospitality, education & technology trends in some of the country’s largest publications. In a conversation with Higher Education Digest, Dilip talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality sector, global trends in hospitality education, vision for the Indian School of Hospitality and much more.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

We are at the forefront of the changes that are taking place in the world right now

The COVID-19 pandemic has massively impacted the hospitality sector. How has it affected the job opportunities of fresh graduates aspiring to be a part of the hospitality sector?

There have been significant changes, and the postpandemic world requires people to be more agile and hands-on, specialising in new verticals, and willing to upskill. They need to possess soft skills, and many more opportunities have come with the amalgamation of technology and entrepreneurship.

The scope of hospitality is not only limited to hotels but extends to a range of other industries.

What should be the focus of Indian hospitality colleges now to prepare students for the post-pandemic world? How is the Indian School of Hospitality responding to it?

As quoted by many think tanks and research publications, the post-pandemic world will place

an increasing amount of importance on soft skills.

Upskilling human capital, which is at the core of hospitality, and equipping them with business foundations, creative thinking and knowledge of consumer behaviour should be the focus of hospitality colleges. At the Indian School of Hospitality, we always strive to maintain a balance between academic and industry exposure. This translates into learning from real-life case studies with industry experts, deeper industry immersion with better-curated internships and enabling a more inclusive, growth-led environment.

Do you think India has an adequate number of institutes to create a quality workforce to support this growth?

While having an adequate number of institutions is important, it is not really about the quantity but the quality of education these institutions impart.

This means that the curriculum, the pedagogy,

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and the integration of institutions with industry ensure what students are learning is relevant and that they are future-ready and have gained employment skills. In addition, the industry is now not limited to a country; it is global, and it becomes important for institutions to incorporate a learning mix of growth, strategy and leadership.

All big corporations now look for a stellar service experience for their customers. The market has had a mind shift from being product to serviceoriented, and it is imperative we teach students to be customer-centric.

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What are the major changes that you have noticed in the way hospitality students are taught to engage with the world? What are the global trends in hospitality education?

There is more use of technology and more live case studies. What needs to change is curriculum and pedagogy. The foundations need to be stronger; there needs to be a move from the operational and vocational side of the education to include more of business, entrepreneurial and personality development. For example, a culinary student should also be given the foundation of business, so they are ready to begin their own venture and start their entrepreneurial journey if they want to.

What are the career opportunities available for students who completed Bachelors/ Master Programs in Hospitality?

There is a world of opportunities for hospitality students out there. The common misconception that hospitality is limited to only hotels needs to be demystified, which is what we are doing with our education. Hospitality graduates are valued in diverse industries, including travel, event management, wellness and hospitality, cruises, aviation, high-end real estate, luxury retail, and many more. These jobs are high in task variety and personal interaction and demand an aptitude for innovation and independent thinking.

Tell us about your vision for the Indian School of Hospitality.

Our vision at the ISH is to disrupt and transform higher education for the hospitality and allied

Higher Education Digest April 2021

About

Dilip Puri Dilip served as the Managing Director of Starwood Hotels & Resorts South Asia from 2011 till the end of 2017 when he set out to be an education entrepreneur & founded ISH. During his time at the helm, Starwood’s South Asia portfolio grew from 24 to 54 operating hotels & a pipeline of over 100 hotels. He was also responsible for launching the luxury brands of Starwood with the entry of St. Regis & W hotels in the Indian market. From 2008-2010, Dilip was the CEO of Duet India Hotels, a private equity-backed hospitality development company. He had led the raise of circa USD 166 million in private equity capital.

Dilip has over three decades of experience in the hospitality industry & has worked with brands such as Oberoi, Taj, IHG, & Starwood in India, Australia, & Africa. Dilip has an economics degree from the University of Delhi, & completed his postgraduate studies at the Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development (OCLD).

Since the opening of the Indian School of Hospitality, Dilip has completed his Qualified Learning Facilitator (QLF) training at EHL, Switzerland, & besides his role as the founder & CEO, he is also a member of the ISH faculty & a full-time industry mentor to students.

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We always strive to maintain a balance between academic and industry exposure

services industry. ISH exists for today’s generation and tomorrow’s businesses. We are at the forefront of the changes that are taking place in the world right now and want to work hand in hand with the industry to create environments and ecosystems where students thrive and come out as leaders of tomorrow. Not only do we want to strengthen the capabilities of the existing workforce, we want to arm the younger ones with skills that prepare them for the future, often for jobs, careers and businesses that do not even exist today.

What advice would you give to a student thinking about becoming a hospitality professional?

Don’t think twice. Just do it. The world will be your oyster, and you will find a plethora of opportunities across diverse sectors to fulfil your ambitions and aspirations.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

COVER STORY

NITTE MEENAKSHI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BENGALURU

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

ENGINEERING

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AN ENGINEERING

COLLEGE

PAR EXCELLENCE Higher Education Digest April 2021

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itte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) Bengaluru is a landmark among engineering colleges in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

It is a constituent of Nitte Education Trust which has under its aegis Nitte (Deemed to be University) and 36 plus professional and educational institutes of repute.

NMIT was started in the year 2001 and is accredited by NAAC with ‘A+ Grade’ and ranked 128th in NIRF 2020 (National Institutional Ranking Framework). NMIT is ranked 3rd among all private engineering colleges in India

by ARIIA (Atal ranking of institutions on innovation achievements). The Institute Is granted ‘Platinum Grade’ award consecutively for the last three years by AICTECII (Confederation of Indian Industries). Some of the highlights of NMIT Bengaluru are.

• Offers nine prestigious, much sought after courses in Engineering and seven masters in engineering.

• Has Ph.D programs of Visvesvaraya Technological University and University of Mysore.

• Offers BE, M.Tech, MCA and MBA courses.

• Eight Centers of excellence pertaining to engineering and technology.

• Has MoU (more than 25) by which the college engages with the industry and R&D Organizations.

• More than 1000 students are already well placed for the year 2019-20.

• Enjoys the rapport with outside world in terms of more than 25 M0Us • More than 40 funded and active projects • 100+ awards for innovation.

• 30 patents are published of which 3 are granted already.

• 450+ world-class publications Pedagogy - The key to Excellence NMIT follows the Outcome Based Education (OBE) approach which is a systematic approach in an

NITTE campuses have professionally and aesthetically designed buildings, surrounded by gardens making it highly conducive for learning.

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About Dr. H.C. Nagaraj, Principal Dr. H.C. Nagaraj obtained his B.E. Degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering, securing first class with distinction from the University of Mysore in 1981. He received his ME in Communication Systems from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Bharathiyar University in 1984 and secured the first rank. He got his doctoral degree in the area of Biomedical Signal Processing and Instrumentation from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, in 2000.

He assumed charge as Principal, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore, in September 2003, and to date he is serving as Principal.

He has about 36 years of experience in teaching, research and administration. During his term as Principal in NMIT, Bangalore, the institution has been conferred with Autonomous Status by the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Govt. of Karnataka & UGC, New Delhi; accredited

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by the National Board of Accreditation, AICTE, New Delhi for UG programmes, A picosatellite weighing less than one kg was designed, fabricated and handed over to ISRO which was launched on 12 July 2010 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Dr. H.C. Nagaraj has published a number of papers in National and International Journals, Conferences and delivered invite talks in the field of Biomedical Signal Processing, Image Processing and, Mobile Communication etc. He got the Best Paper Award in the National Conference of Biomechanics held during February 22-24, 1996 at IIT Madras. He was awarded the Best Paper Award at State Level Seminar on “Introduction of Flexible System in Technical Education” held by the Government of Karnataka during February 1999 in Bangalore.

Presently, he is the Dean, Faculty of Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi. He is also the Member of Court at Pondicherry University, Member of the Academic Senate of VTU and Member of Expert Team for the evaluation of R&D projects funded by VTU.

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A team of highly experienced and trained professionals of the respective department groom and nurture the NMIT students into industry ready professionals.

education delivery system where the emphasis is on what the student has learnt or has been able to demonstrate as a result learning. Being an Autonomous Institute, NMIT has adopted OBE to inculcate academic excellence through various initiatives such as Student Centric Teaching & Learning Process, Industry relevant curriculum, Highly

qualified faculty with relevant experience in Industry and academics, multi-disciplinary research & development, student mentoring and so on.

OBE ensures that a set of learning outcomes from students are established right in the beginning of the learning process. This helps the teacher to streamline the process of curriculum design, course delivery & course assessment to meet the required learning outcomes. This ensures student centric education system, where each & and every student is assessed against the learning outcome, thereby ensuring high quality in education.

Research: NMIT’s trump card NMIT has taken the initiative in establishing an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre funded by the Department of Science and Technology (NSTEDB), Govt. of India in 2010 and Business Incubator Centre in 2013 with funding from the Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India.

NMIT has established Multi-Disciplinary Research Centers. These centers are for Small Satellite, Robotics,

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Industry oriented education methods coupled with innovative teaching techniques has resulted in providing the best suitable placements for the NMIT students.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Nanomaterials & MEMS, Internet of Things, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Security, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Design Engineering & Process Simulation, and Power Engineering.

First time in India, UG students from Consortium of Seven prominent Engineering colleges with NMIT as the lead college have successfully built India’s first Pico Satellite “STUDSAT” which was launched through ISRO’s PSLV-C15 vehicle on 12th July 2010 from Sriharikota and the same is listed in Limca book of records.

Accreditations: Vote for its success NMIT’s qualified team of competent and committed faculty has created an academic ambience in the area of technical education. Recognizing its performance in both teaching and research, University Grants Commission (UGC) has granted autonomous status from the year 2007. NMIT also

got accredited with “A+ Grade” by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Ranked 128 in the NIRF and Four UG programs got accredited by the National Board of Accreditation under Tier-1.

NMIT has a diverse student population. Currently about 300 foreign students from Bangladesh, UAE, Nepal, Nigeria, Srilanka, Thailand, Congo and SouthSudan are pursuing their studies at NMIT. NMIT’s Participation says it all NMIT students participate in prestigious International/ National Project competitions, Hackathons, winning numerous awards. These include Formula Hybrid Competition, World’s Largest Robot Competition ROBOGAMES, Indo-US Robo League, Unisys

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

Cloud 20/20, TCS Tech Bytes, IEEE All India Student Project Contest, International case Competition-Go Green in the City, etc. Students have been awarded prices at international and national level competitions.

Placement at NMIT NMIT has an active and dynamic Career Development Centre which successfully attracts not only a large number of reputed Industries for on-campus placements but also conducts training programs in the areas of soft skills, analytical & problem-solving abilities and leadership qualities to enhance the competence of students and bridge the gap between the academia and industry. NMIT has instituted a unique Scheme of deputing UG/PG Students to Industry/Research Organizations for a minimum period of Six weeks’ internship leading to academic credits.

The placement percentage is 90%+. More than 160+ companies visit campus to recruit the students and some of the prominent recruiters are Amazon, Deloitte, Dell, Microsoft, GE, Tech Mahindra, HP, Infosys, Wipro, Nutanix, Puravankara, Sobha, Brigade, Century, Tesco,

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

NMIT believes in all-round development of their students and hence encourages students to participate in extra-curricular activities that help in the overall growth of student personality.

Raymond, Coca cola etc. The highest CTC this year is in excess of 30Lakhs.

COVID-19 Challenges and NMIT’s preparedness: Like any other sector, the education arena also suffered because of the spread of global pandemic of COVID-19. In this COVID scenario, all possible steps were taken to deliver the courses on-line/offline professionally and comprehensively following SOP. Conclusion NMIT at Bengaluru has emerged as one of the most sought-after destinations for engineering education in the country and abroad. The Institute positively impacts stakeholders in terms of its excellent track record, research culture, student centricity, course relevance, industry connect and many other initiatives. It is gratifying that the Institute has been receiving the attention it deserves from students, parents, employers, policy makers and public in general. Nitte Education Trust which holds prestigious Nitte (Deemed to be University) and 36 plus institutions of excellence including NMIT, has made it all to the present measure of success.

NMIT Bengaluru is committed to take the journey of success and purpose forward in ever increasing measure in the days to come.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

IMPORTANCE OF

EMPOWERING CHILDREN WITH THE POWER OF EARLY LITERACY AND LANGUAGES Ashish Jhalani, Global CMO & Managing Director, Square Panda India

28 Ashish Jhalani’s 24+ years of experience across multiple disciplines serve him well, as Square Panda’s Global CMO & Square Panda India’s Managing Director. He saw the chance to move from e-commerce to education as a major opportunity to positively affect the lives of children and bring education to their fingertips. Working for a company with a global presence (Square Panda is currently in the US, China, and India), Mr. Jhalani leads the India operations, while shuttling (before lockdown) between New York, Beijing, and Mumbai. In a conversation with Higher Education Digest, Mr Jhalani talks about literacy and challenges confronting children in India, innovative teaching practices of Square Panda, and much more.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Technology has played a transformational role in the education sector on a large scale

What are the literacy and challenges confronting children, their families, and schools in India?

How can technology solve these challenges?

For too long, learning by rote has passed for education in India. We are looking to reshape this system with our foundational learning programs.

In India, each stakeholder in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) ecosystem faces a different set of challenges.

• Educators have to deal with ‘multi-level’ and ‘multi-age’ classrooms, a poor student-to-teacher ratio, different learning requirements for each child, and a dearth of resources.

• The Government is constantly concerned about educator training. We see high passing rates in teacher eligibility examinations, but educators remain less-equipped education, which doesn’t provide them any new-age skills. because of gaps in the systems, curricula, and training methods used in teacher education.

• Parents have to work around a multitude of challenges, such as socio-economic and gender diversity issues.

• Children themselves have to vie for attention against a one-size-fits-all teaching approach, along with a lack of access to more inclusive educational tools.

• The National Education Policy 2020 acknowledges these challenges, and has made it a national mission to ensure that every student must achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025. We can solve these problems by focussing on• Providing equitable access to early education • New-age foundational teaching-learning methods and technology • Continuous training & professional development for teachers • Equipping teachers and Anganwadi workers with a strong foundation for teaching and digital knowledge.

As a pro-establishment organization, Square Panda India is actively engaged in solving issues across the early learning spectrum as a partner to state governments and the central government.

Tell us a bit about the innovative teaching practices of Square Panda. How do you support children with individual differences?

Square Panda India focuses on impactful, innovative learning. Our early learning initiative, ‘Aarambh’, aims to develop the ECCE ecosystem in every state. This includes the Anganwadi workers, ECCE educators, and children. Through this initiative, Square Panda India works closely with government schools, communities

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Empowerment and Enrichment Program for ECCE Educators: The purpose of this program is to empower educators to build holistic knowledge and transform the way they teach. It helps in capacity building of educators on ECCE and its impact on learning outcomes for children. In addition, it helps to empower them to use technology for teaching and learning, and improve English proficiency.

Foundational Learning Program: Literacy and Numeracy for children – Through this program, Square Panda India aims to improve overall learning outcomes in India and build an effective and inclusive education system. The objective is to build foundational learning in English literacy and numeracy, i.e., children’s ability to read with meaning and do basic math calculations. What stands out is that Square panda’s adaptive platform and personalised journey creates a learner profile based on every child’s unique needs. The system assesses the progress of each child individually and recommends the next lesson plan or reinforcement activity. In this way,Square panda assists the early educators to recognise and address children with varying levels of preparation and grasp.

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and organisations across the grassroot levels, to provide NEP 2020-focused foundational learning and educator empowerment programs. Aarambh imparts future-ready skills to children, pre-primary & primary educators, and Anganwadi workers, enabling and empowering them to effectively use modern and updated tools that are globally recognized and practiced.

The programs under Aarambh are as follows: Anganwadi Workers Upskilling Program: The goal is to empower Anganwadi workers with holistic knowledge, provide nourishment to the child in their care, both for the body and mind, and to help Anganwadi teachers unleash their potential to help in the development and education of children.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

In India, how seriously are students going to be set back by not having formal instruction?

What are the efforts of Square Panda to control the damage?

The NEP 2020 recognizes that India is in a learning crisis. Various governmental and nongovernmental surveys show a large proportion of students currently in elementary school - estimated to be over 5 crore in number - have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy, i.e., the ability to read and comprehend basic text, and the ability to carry out basic addition and subtraction with Indian numerals respectively.

This figure has bigger implications when the 2018 ASER report is taken into account; 65 percent Class V children in private schools in rural India could read a Class II level text, while only 44 percent of children in schools, coupled with the inequality of access as per geographic locations, can government schools to do so. The lack of formal education adversely impacts the future of these young learners.

We have been running programs to teach the teachers, during the lockdown and bridge this gap.

• To complement teachers’ instructions during the school closures, we introduced a ‘school-to-home’ program. This served as a classroom aid, helping children get the best learning opportunities even when physically distant.

• To keep engagement and training high during the lockdown, we empowered early educators with robust and innovative online seminars and courses. For a greater impact, we expanded our vision to include various training programs targeted towards developing Anganwadi workers and ECCE educators across India.

• We have trained thousands of educators and are aiming to impact 5 lakh educators as a part of our programs. We are partnering with multiple schools to deliver our EdTech solutions via tablets/phones.

What are some of the most innovative technologies in EdTech right now? What are the critical trends of e-learning to follow in 2021?

Technology has played a transformational role in the education sector on a large scale, and I believe it will continue to do so. It has been both an equalizer and an enabler. UNESCO estimates that 1.26 billion children worldwide have seen their education impacted by the pandemic. About a quarter of these, or a little more than 320 million children, are from India alone.

At Square Panda India, we mix myriad styles of learning - such as visual, experiential, gamified, and activity based learning - to deliver improved learning outcomes for early learners. EdTech will see a greater emphasis on the science of learning and content, such as: • Increased data tracking and analysis • The continued rise of AI and ML • Increased uptake of personalised, adaptive learning • Gamification for better engagement • Heightened usage of video-based content • Focus on making online learning more interactive and engaging What are the opportunities Square Panda sees in the Indian education market? Also, what are the challenges for you to become a significant player here?

Currently, India has 240 million children under the age of 8, with 7.4 million in Pre-Primary and Primary within Government Schools & Anganwadis. These children can benefit greatly from our foundation in executing our mission of supporting the Government to build a new India, learning program & educator

empowerment programs. We are working tirelessly in executing our mission of supporting the Government to build a new India, grassroots-up, where every child has acquired foundational skills.

Moreover, the NCERT has been given the responsibility of shaping the national curriculum and pedagogical framework for ECCE. This ushers anganwadis into the mainstream education discussion. It is private education players, and to start collaborating towards nation building. imperative that we recognise the ripe synergies between government and From a student perspective, the opportunity lies in nudging the child’s curiosity and engaging all of their senses. In terms of challenges, the biggest would be to imbibe technology and understand its full use; this is equally crucial for educators and learners.

What would be the future of the EdTech market from now? What is some advice that you have for startups that are emerging in the EdTech space?

The government of India has recognized the need to digitize education; it is aiding R&D efforts to enhance e-learning opportunities, covering content development, teacher training, and related projects.

We believe the future is now; it has already begun, and we are seeing the results of our efforts. Every startup that takes on this task of impacting education through EdTech must first innovate, and then test their offerings on the ground to see best results.

What is your advice to parents and teachers in the era of online learning?

Parental awareness and engagement in early childhood development and learning can strengthen the experiences from the Anganwadi centres, preprimary schools, and primary schools. Taking an interest in your child’s early education and developing an understanding of their curriculum defines your child’s future success.

In this online era, I would advise parents that curriculums are paramount to building a network of supportive behaviour that working with digital tools.

Work with reputed companies, monitor and supervise to learn about online safety themselves, then do their due diligence with respect to online interactions.

Teachers have to constantly upgrade themselves to stay relevant. They have to find new ways to foster open communication, which encourages children to engage with them digitally.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

IMPORTANCE OF

VISUALITY IN BLENDED LEARNING Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India

32 BenQ India, part of the 25-billion-dollar BenQ Group, has been in India since 2001. Its product portfolio, catering to both B2B and B2C customers, has steadily contributed to the growth of BenQ Group, through an innovative product strategy and solutions. Rajeev Singh is Managing Director of BenQ India, and he has led the journey of this brand in India and comes with wealth of knowledge in the sector. In a conversation with Higher Education Digest, Rajeev Singh talks about BenQ’s current offerings and solutions for Indian market, BenQ’s efforts in helping the local government schools, and much more.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

COVID-19 has added a new buzz word i.e. edtech

How will Smart Projectors/smart displays transform post-COIVD education format?

Post-COVID is never going to be same as before, the pandemic-led crisis has caused business disruptions and a ripple effect can be seen by every industry but it has also given rise to huge opportunities to business to rewrite the business model. Today the education sector is witnessing a major shift to blended learning. Virtual classrooms are going to stay and hang around for some time.

Therefore it becomes of prime importance to ensure the equipment used to conduct these classes online for the teacher, and the right equipment for the student to understand concepts just like they would in a classroom. Not only corporates but educational institutes are also adopting the display learning method and to concentrate the impact it is very vital to provide the right display for the more personalised learning experience.

What are BenQ’s current offerings and solutions for Indian market?

BenQ India is part of the larger BenQ Group, a worldleading human technology and solutions provider continuously focussing on enriching the aspects of life that matter most today like – lifestyle, business, healthcare and education. As a company that focuses on immersing the viewer with the world of Visuality, BenQ’s display solutions help viewers embrace and understand the power of visual communication – as intended by the makers of the image or the video. In India, the current product portfolio of BenQ caters to both B2B and B2C consumers and comprises of technology like Projectors, LCD Monitors, Large Format Display which include Smart Signage and Interactive Flat Panels.

BenQ is the undisputed market leader with the No. 1 position in the Indian projector market with a market share of whopping 28.6%. Not just that,

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34 BenQ is also the no. 1 brand in the 27” LCD Monitor segment and currently the fastest growing monitor brand in the country.

Tell us about the importance of market expansion for BenQ, its strategy and the way forward.

BenQ has had to revisit its market expansion strategy in the wake of the pandemic. There has been a major shift in the ratio of sales from B2B to B2C. The consumer segment has seen a major rise with the focus on Study at Home. With the increased amount of time being spent at home, the displays have a very important role to play. It is now imperative more than ever to choose displays which also take care of one’s health. BenQ has realized and to meet the demand for the same has expanded their portfolio of eye care monitors which also come with height adjustment feature.

Study from home requirements have had a major impact on increasing demand of LCD Monitors.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

E-Commerce platforms have contributed majorly to this growth in LCD Monitor business for BenQ which has grown by over 200% during this time.

The education segment has had to suffer in the previous year. But in 2021 we can foresee the adoption of technology by the educational institutes will be higher as they have to focus on Blended learning, in order to cater to the new model of imparting education.

Why is visual learning considered as the next big thing in education sector?

While we all have taken our learnings from COVID-19, for the education sector, bedrooms converted into classrooms, screens into blackboards, keypads into pens and subjects into modules.

COVID-19 has added a new buzz word i.e. edtech, which has added a new layer to the existing traditional system. This new layer can be a game-changing experience to the way students access education, the way students harness the opportunity

BenQ’s display solutions help viewers embrace and understand the power of visual communication

The future of the education sector will be blended learning. A viable model for the future of education is that it is powered by visuality. Adopting a visuality powered blended learning strategy provides a complete package to fulfilling the needs of educating future generations. Hi-tech digital tools like smart projectors, interactive smart screens, web-cameras and monitors will enable easy in learning. With easy wireless sharing of teaching material across devices, teachers are able to seamlessly connect while paying individual attention to the students.

How will technology bridge the gap between government and private school education models?

Learning is always about accessing to the right set of information and technology has bridged that gap.

Today everyone who has internet connectivity can access the same information. This is bridging the gap of accessing the information. Including technology

in rural education, for sure, is harder than it is for a tech-abundant society but with the right resources and support of the local stakeholders, students from the hinterlands of India can equally benefit from technology. Today Indian government are investing heavily in edtech sector to provide them with the equal opportunity of learning in govt. schools as well.

How is BenQ helping the local government schools to provide education in semi-urban areas?

BenQ’s display products have been at the fore front when it comes to transforming a traditional classroom to digital classrooms. And when it comes to Blended Learning BenQ has a huge array of products right from Short Throw and Ultra Short throw projectors to Smart Projectors to Interactive Flat panels.

BenQ has transformed more than 3 lac classrooms in India till date. BenQ products have been at the fore front of digitizing the classrooms in the government schools of various states. One of the largest deployment was done by in the government schools of Kerela. Partnered with the Government of Kerala for implementation of digital classrooms wherein we supplied 47,000 projectors during the year 2018-19. Similarly, we partnered with the government of Daman and Diu to transform their government school classrooms by deploying around 600 units of Interactive Flat Panels. These are some of the largest association with the Government schools.

How can technologies bring a more sustainable India?

Sustainability can be a complex and somewhat never-ending topic, developing a sustainable ecosystem is not the job of one industry, it’s a collaborative effort of all together. Technology no doubt will play a dominant role with the support of the right policy framework. The battle to ensure our cities are sustainable has just begun. There is a long way to go to solve the problems we face. Much work needs to happen on both the infrastructure side and in changing well-entrenched personal habits.

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ENGINEERING

E

ngineering is undoubtedly the most sought-after career option in India. Engineering graduates work across several domains and industries, handling a huge range of operations from development and production to quality check and distribution. From banks to production houses and automobile giants to IT firms – engineers are required in every sphere and industry. As one of the largest suppliers of engineers globally, India’s engineering education should be at par with the global standards and the requirements of the industries. As global industries are involved, it is important to understand engineering education in India and its significance.

India has the largest number of engineers and the largest number of engineering education institutes and infrastructure in the world. In 2021, India annually produces one million engineering graduates, has 3500 engineering colleges, 3400 polytechnics, and 200 schools of planning and architecture, and many times more Industrial training institutes. A combination of these imparts undergraduate and graduate courses in architecture, engineering, applied engineering, and sciences. Due to growing globalization, there is a lot of competition among students to succeed and contribute to the growth and development of the country. And India is one of the countries which provides the best engineering education for students.

Appreciating engineering institutes all over India, Higher Education Digest presents “25 Must-Watch Engineering Colleges in India”, to showcase their efforts in helping engineering students ease into the industry through their reformed curriculum and making the education system at par with the industry standards.

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City

State

Noida

Uttar Pradesh

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Pilani

Rajasthan

BMS College of Engineering

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Coimbatore Institute of Technology

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering

Bengaluru

Karnataka

DKTE Society’s Textile & Engineering Institute (An Autonomous Institute)

Ichalkaranji

Maharashtra

Hindusthan Institute of Technology

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

International Institute of Information Technology

Hyderabad

Telangana

JSS Science and Technology University

Mysore

Karnataka

K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

College Name Amity School of Engineering And Technology Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

Higher Education Digest April 2021

ENGINEERING City

State

Manipal Institute of Technology

Manipal

Karnataka

Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology

Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala

NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology

Bengaluru

Karnataka

PES University

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology

Kochi

Kerala

Ramaiah Institute of Technology

Bengaluru

Karnataka

RV College of Engineering

Bengaluru

Karnataka

School of Engineering and Technology (Sharda University)

Noida

Uttar Pradesh

SSN College of Engineering

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

Thiagarajar College of Engineering

Thiruparankundram

Tamil Nadu

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies

Dehradun

Uttarakhand

Vellore Institute of Technology

Vellore

Tamil Nadu

Xavier Institute of Engineering

Mumbai

Maharashtra

College Name

Higher Education Digest April 2021

ENGINEERING

KARUNYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES

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ADDRESSING SOCIAL CONCERNS THROUGH EDUCATION

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Established in 1986 as an Engineering College, KITS envisions to be an institution with social concern to address the problems of humanity through technical education, research and development, products, patents, and extension. The institute raises students to serve humanity by attaining high levels of academic excellence and professional competence with exemplary values and social concern. KITS was granted autonomous status in 1999 and declared Deemed-to-be University in 2004 by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in recognition of its scholastic distinction by the Ministry of Human Resources Development under section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. In the three decades of service to higher education, KITS has made significant progression in teaching-learning, research and consultancy, innovation & transfer of technology, community service, and value education. Translating the vision of the Founders into action, the institution is currently engaged in finding solutions to human problems in the four major areas of social concerns such as Water, Food, Healthcare and Energy through scientific and technological interventions for a secure tomorrow.

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Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, was founded with the noble vision to raise professionals and leaders of high academic calibre and unblemished character, nurtured with a strong motivation and commitment to serve humanity

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It is a well-documented fact that research plays an important role in the social & economic growth of a country, therefore several initiatives have been taken to foster societal research through industry-academia collaboration, development of professional & vocational skills, seed money for short-term research, promotion of joint ventures in project execution, paper publication, consultancy and development of products & patents. To augment research in trending technologies, KITS has signed MoUs and MoAs with renowned universities in

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Israel, Germany, Canada, USA & Taiwan and leading industries such as Boeing, Siemens, IBM, Microsoft, Larsen &Toubro, Novell, CISCO, Salzer Electronics, SUSE, Jasmin InfoTech, EMURGO, IVSE, Test and Verification Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Trident and Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd., AMZ Automotive and Central Manufacturing Technology Institute to name a few.

With an excellent research ambience and infrastructure, the faculty members at KITS are engaged in R&D activities and publish research papers in national

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Karunya spreads over an area of 700 acres with magnificent infrastructure for Research, Academic Facilities and Spacious residences.

and international journals with high impact factor. In the last three years, faculty members have received research grants to the tune of Rs. 34 crores from Government and other funding agencies such as DST, DRDO, DBT, NTRF, BRNS, BRFST, ISRO, MoEF, ICMR and NRB. With 90% of the faculty having a doctorate degree and many of them from reputed institutions like IIT, IIM, NIT with post-doctoral experience in universities abroad, the teaching learning ambience of KITS is on par with premier universities across the globe.

Since many faculty members are industry certified and have

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About Dr Paul Dhinakaran, Chancellor, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences Dr Paul Dhinakaran is an academician and educationist in his own right. He is also an evangelist who comforts millions of people through his ministry of love and hope. He heads Jesus Calls International Ministry with its outreach programs all over the world. His dynamic leadership and farsighted vision have helped the institution take great strides along the path of progress.

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Karunya is an institute with a social concern which thrives to raise scientists and entrepreneurs who would find solutions to human problems in the areas of food, water, healthcare and energy through research

collaborative research and consultancy assignments with institutions and organisations across the continents, the quality of teaching and quantum of research is commendable.

The industry & society-driven curriculum designed by industry experts and academicians of high repute, equips the students to comprehend the problems prevailing in urban, peri-urban and rural communities and provide solutions to abate & mitigate their effects. With a centralised Innovation and Design Studio at Computer

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From a humble beginning of 180 students, the institution has rapidly grown to 8000 students and 30, 000 alumni.

Technology Centre for entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property Cell (IPR) and several departments having one or more Centres of Excellence in specialised areas of Research, students have ample opportunities to pursue real time projects & internships, establish start-ups to incubate their innovative ideas and equip themselves for better career prospects. The University has also provided students with internships in industries and institutions across 40 different countries - United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Poland,

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Israel, etc. for cross cultural experience in academics, research and community service.

To combat the unprecedented challenges in education owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Online classes are being conducted since March 2020 till date, on an in-house virtual platform designed and developed by an expert team in the Computer Technology Centre (CTC) on Campus. Laboratory sessions are however conducted through a virtual lab.

In recognition of the contribution of KITS to the student community during the lock down period, the International Agency QS I-Gauge has awarded E-Lead (E-Learning Excellence for Academic Digitisation) Certification to the University for its Innovations in digital teaching and learning through state-of-art Karunya Online Classroom.

To transfer the innovative technologies, processes and products in the areas of water, food, health and energy from our labs to the field, KITS has established 21 Technology Missions. As part of the missions, faculty and students work with local communities in capacity building activities, training workshops and awareness programs through participatory approach.

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Higher Education Education Digest Digest Higher April 2020 2021 October

ACADEMIC VIEW

BLOCKCHAIN TECH:

PATH TOWARDS SCALABLE BUSINESSES Sunil Aggrawal, Dean - Blockchain Programs, TalentSprint

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Sunil has spent twenty years in three integrated areas of teaching, research and startup ecosystem. He is one of the pioneers of Blockchain Executive Education in India. He started the first credit course on Bitcoin & Blockchain Technology Applications in an Indian university.

His professional interest zones are Blockchain Technology startups, online learning and digital business models.

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As the country embraces digitization in various aspects of life, the future of blockchain is promising

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ny cursory glance at the history of Indian IT sector creates a very reassuring impression. Something that looked like a minor sector of the economy a couple of decades ago, has become a nearly $200 billion industry and growing at a double-digit rate. What began as a slow movement became an elephantine stride for India, both a global brand and as a great talent story. Today, this story is not just confined to the enterprise solutions’ market; rather it has created multiple unicorns in e-commerce, Software-as-a-service (SaaS), edtech, mobility, payments and other realms of the financial sector.

If the past of Indian IT sector is a great story of resilience and growth, the future cannot be less bright though the sectors of growth would have to be identified, capacity-building will have to be sustained and regulatory framework would have to be supportive. That is where blockchain tech becomes a great unfolding story for India. A country that became the back-office of global IT giants has a new tale to unwind. Millions of quality but affordable software developers would need a nudge to churn out new solutions using shared ledger architecture.

Before we jump into this new wealth era, a quick introduction to the blockchain is important.

In a simple sense, blockchains are ledgers but with key properties of decentralization, programmability and antifragility. That transforms ledger databases into protocols of new scalable business models.

That is why blockchain is called institutional technology that can redesign a set of fragmented stakeholders to unified business partners. This new model can be merged with AI (artificial intelligence) and IoT (internet of things) to create mind-blowing businesses. India stands at the edge of this era ideally prepared to embrace it.

In a personal anecdote when I was visiting Zug Valley in the outskirts of Zurich in 2019, a VC joked around the huge cost of hiring talent in Switzerland while praising the fact that he can hire ten better talented people in India at the same cost in India. It was a testimony of the fact that the world believes in us far more than we do on our own. Blockchain tech is such a massive set of paradoxes where we are so close to hitting it big yet we are far. A person who knows JAVA can upskill into Kotlin, the language of Corda, a DLT (distributed ledger technology) platform in a few hours while somebody who

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knows python can do the same will smart contracts platforms like Ethereum and TEZOS. The jump that may look difficult for many developed countries is just a couple of steps for Indian IT players. Whether it happens through open blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum or it happens through permissioned chains like Corda or Hyperledger, the possibilities are huge.

If one thinks of the sectors that can immensely benefit from blockchain tech, the list is just endless.

Trade finance, supply chain, payments and remittances, vehicle lifecycle management, custody of assets like equities, derivatives, land records and many more can be counted. The experts have identified more than 80 use cases where shared ledgers can work wonders. Since Blockchain has been gaining popularity across the globe whether it is central banks like the Monetary Authority of Singapore and that of Canada, stock exchanges like Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) or banks like JP Morgan, the number of examples are only shooting up. With every passing day, this technology has been making its presence felt in different ways. If the world moves towards blockchain, India cannot remain behind. The institutions like International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) are already training hundreds of professionals in blockchain and distributed ledger technology and the trend is only gathering momentum.

As the country embraces digitization in various aspects of life, the future of blockchain is promising.

The recent spurt of online payment solutions like GPay, Paytm and UPI is evident with massive 1.3 billion transactions a month. This is only going to grow. NPCI is gearing up to ensure real time clearing and settlement of all these payment players with VAJRA, a blockchain-based solution. TRAI has already implemented DND (Do-not-disturb) registry on blockchain. There is a big potential of India’s Big Bad Bank being built using blockchain for sharing NPAs across the stakeholders. If this can be the scale of this tech, the future would be pretty surprising in India.

While most people know blockchain as the backbone of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, it has evolved into far deeper zones. If Bitcoin is called Blockchain 1.0, we have already moved into Blockchain 2.0 via smart contracts’ platforms like Ethereum and now to 3.0 era via interoperability platforms like Cosmos, Polkadot and Avalanche. So, this technology has the potential to radically transform business processes making them more transparent, secure, and efficient.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

While many industries are excited at the prospect of blockchain, it will be interesting to see how the Indian industries absorb this technology.

The Govt of Telangana has already launched interesting projects using blockchain. The entire chit fund industry has not only been appified but also blockchainified with one single step. Tamilnadu has launched all academic certificates to be issued on blockchain. Many more projects are in the pipeline at various levels right now. Some other sectors that have experimented with blockchain are public administration, healthcare, and logistics. The telecom, travel, and energy sectors are also expected to join the list soon. While the early adopters have experienced the possible benefits of blockchain, they have also faced some challenges. ● Blockchain implementation is not similar to those of regular IT applications. Enterprises need to be brought together via consortium models to build quality products.

Employees need to be made aware of the range of

India is transforming itself digitally for a social and economically prosperous nation

applications of this technology. Educating them is one of the biggest roadblocks. ● Once the employees are upskilled, businesses need to identify processes and stakeholders for implementation ● Need to find the right platform and vendors for testing the use-case scenario ● Ensure the security and integrity of the data and look at future scalability According to the NASSCOM Avasant India Blockchain Report 2019, around 50% of the States in India are involved in various initiatives and are driving the adoption of blockchain in the country. This demand for jobs in blockchain technology is higher in areas such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai, according to data from Indeed, a leading global job site.

Blockchain-related jobs such as blockchain developer, manager, software engineer, to mention a few, have seen the most increases in job openings. Also, while the BFSI sector is leading the growth, there are several

opportunities in the retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics sectors. Here are some important observations: ● The last few years have been about experimentation and identification of processes and use-cases across industries. ● India has a large number of IT professionals who need to be trained in multiple blockchain tech platforms like Ripple, Corda, Hyperledger, Ethereum and so on. ● While many Indian startups have been looking at blockchain technology for developing cost and timeefficient services, they are yet to tap into the global blockchain investment corpus ● India, with its excellent client-enterprise relationship model, is uniquely positioned to become the biggest blockchain service provider in the world. The country needs to start investing in developing talent and make advancements in the process framework, to make the best of this opportunity ● Blockchain applications are being explored in the areas of Food safety - Medical records and patient data management - Reducing costs in logistics - Protecting organizational data from cybercriminals - Reducing paperwork in education and other sectors - Eliminating intermediaries in agriculture and retail - Electronic voting system According to Indian Staffing Federation, blockchain created more than 30,000 jobs in 2020 alone. With merely 6500 qualified blockchain developers, these professionals are going to be in high demand in the near future. This has encouraged blockchain companies and ed-tech players to educate the youth on the uses of blockchain technology and on how to start a career in this domain. Blockchain in India today is like what the internet was in the 1990s.

While the internet brought information to our fingertips, blockchain technology has the potential to take it a step forward and induce ‘Value’ and ‘Trust’ on the internet. As the country absorbs the new technology, early adopters are bound to gain – be it businesses or professionals.

India is one of the world’s youngest economies, and there are several challenges across sectors. However, going by the possibilities offered by blockchain, we expect a surge in its adoption soon. With banking regulators like the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) creating a division to explore the applicability of blockchain to the Indian banking and financial system through the regulatory sandbox, the future seems promising. If the size of opportunities is big, the preparation would also require great inputs. If the public, corporations and the government, all synchronize their efforts, we shall see India not just increasing the size of the IT industry but also transforming itself digitally for a social and economically prosperous nation.

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ENGINEERING

MAR BASELIOS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (AUTONOMOUS) LEADING TO THE HEIGHTS OF EXCELLENCE

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ith the sublime objective of providing highquality Technical Education enriched with fundamental Human Values, the founder and the first Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, His Beatitude Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholicos, decided to establish Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology (MBCET) in 2002. In his words, “This engineering college is meant to train and develop men and women of a higher calibre, equipped with the most modern scientific knowledge and technological skills destined not only to help our people in their march towards progress but also to bring glory and honour to our people and our country. The students of our college are to strive for excellence and skills and in the pursuit of success in life, in terms of their commitment to bring happiness to our fellow beings and for the development of our Nation.”

Set against the backdrop of the serene and panoramic Bethany hills, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, yet enjoying a pride place in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram City, the MBCET campus provides an ideal milieu for academic pursuits. The fortified

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Dedicated to mould morally upright, socially committed and intellectually trained Engineers, MBCET inspires the aspirations of generations of knowledge-seekers.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

ABOUT

DR ABRAHAM T MATHEW,

PhD(IIT DELHI), PRINCIPAL Dr Abraham T Mathew joined MBCET as Principal in October 2020.

Previously, he worked with National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIRF

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23 in 2020 ranking) from 1985 to 2020.

Dr Abraham was Professor in Electrical Engineering when he left that Institute to join MBCET. He had discharged various duties like Dean, Registrar, Head of the Department, and many more when he was with NIT Calicut; primarily as TEQIP Coordinator for the three phases starting from 2002 onwards. He has supervised several PhD works and has authored/coauthored many research publications.

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campus is named Mar Ivanios Vidyanagar – one of the largest educational campuses in Kerala - at Nalanchira, just 5 km from the heart of the City and has 17 educational Institutions co-located. An eco-friendly infrastructure concept has been executed in the campus with rainwater harvesting, grid-connected 200 kW solar power plant, water recycling and proper waste management measures integrated to render a neat campus with ample greenery.

Aesthetically designed buildings in nine blocks spread over the campus have a total built-up area of over 34930 sqm for a student strength of 2500, spread across the five B.Tech Programmes and five M.Tech Programmes.

The College is approved by AICTE and affiliated to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala. The institution has been conferred with the autonomous status in July 2020, which has come as a recognition of the quality exemplified by the NAAC Score of 3.13 and A-Grade. All the five B.Tech Programmes were accredited by the NBA initially for three years in 2016. These Programmes were re-accredited in 2019.

The vision of MBCET is to be an Institution moulding globally competent Professionals as epitomes of Noble Values. “We wish to reach out to all sections of our society, without any consideration of religion, caste, creed or financial status. Quality for Nation-building is our slogan,” says His Beatitude Moran Mor

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Located in the Amenities Centre, Akshaya, the canteen provides nutritious and hygenic food at nominal cost.

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MBCET is one of the Nodal centres for e-Yantra in Kerala, which is a project initiated by IIT-Mumbai and sponsored by Ministry of Human Resource Department.

Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, Patron of the College and Major Archbishop of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church.

MBCET and Industry Collaborations Engineering institutions are natural channels of supply of the human capital to the industries. The current trend of asking for industry-readiness for the new recruit to become productive from day one encompasses various facets of the graduate’s attributes that are required to be achieved through education and training. Industry collaborations form a crucial part in developing an ecosystem for helping a student learn through extramural opportunities of exposure to the industry and for the faculty to update the syllabus to impart the relevant education. “We have set the tradition

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of handholding students from day one. The training part goes along with the academics so that students can develop their personality. The co-curricular and extracurricular activities provide additional impetus to professional growth. MBCET nurtures the students from their first year by giving them soft skills training and opportunities for higher order thinking and problem solving are provided in the subsequent semesters,” explains Dr Abraham T Mathew, PhD (IIT Delhi), Principal, MBCET. MBCET has a strong faculty advisory system by which the advisor mentors a group of 20 to 25 students in

MBCET library has a collection of around 10920 titles and 28666 volumes of books, Reports and Reference material.

each class in the college from the first day of admission.

The advisor identifies the potential of the students and guides them accordingly in their course works and internships. They help the students identify the industries to which they can go for projects or internships, thereby enhancing and encouraging their skill sets and their enthusiasm to work in societal problems. The college has signed MoUs with several industry partners to get preferential treatment from the industry.

MBCET has formally institutionalised the collaborations with the industry by creating a new portfolio of “Corporate Relations” and appointing a fulltime Professor to look after that. This division will create an ecosystem for promoting skill development and enabling industry-academia connect, career guidance, placements, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The faculty at MBCET “Our faculty members are unique in their culture of mutual care and share. All are postgraduates, and a good number possess doctorates too. The average age of the faculty is 40, but there are seniors with rich experience too. A majority of the Institute faculty members are rank holders who have graduated from the top Institutions in India.

Our academic bodies and committees have experts drawn from IITs, NITs and the leading Universities from all over India,” explains Dr Abraham. The faculty members’ knowledge and enthusiasm at MBCET in learning new topics transcend to the students also. They are very keen on updating their knowledge to make themselves aware of the latest technologies. Hence, they are regularly involved in organising and attending Short-term Training Programmes and Faculty Development Programmes and presenting papers at International Conferences.

Believing in keeping its faculties updated, MBCET introduces the latest trends and technologies in their areas of expertise through different channels. All faculty members are encouraged to upskill themselves in teaching-learning, technical capabilities and other soft skills and values through regular and structured training.

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) was formed to inspire, support, and strengthen new pedagogy and learning directions at MBCET. TLC facilitates courses through customised workshops and training programmes on innovative teaching and assessment methods by partnering with faculty members and peer learning practices. TLC receives technical support from the faculty of elite institutions like IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, Bennett University, NIT Calicut, IIST, NITK Surathkal for conducting the faculty training and development programmes in various domains of teaching.

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“Also, there is an Internal Quality Assurance Cell at MBCET, which conducts audits twice a year to verify the teaching and evaluations done by the faculty members.

IQAC is also the nodal centre for submitting annual reports to the NAAC and the affiliating University,” adds Dr Abraham.

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MBCET offers World-class facilities and resources for the future technocrats in the campus.

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Working towards reducing Skill Shortage in the Indian Economy “Skill shortage remains as one of the major constraints to the continued growth of the Indian economy”: a study about the human resource potential of India says. It’s been observed that employers perceive Soft Skills (Core Employability Skills and Communication Skills) to be very important. Skill gaps are particularly severe in the higher-order thinking skills ranked according to Bloom’s taxonomy.

Although employers across India ask for the same soft skills set, their skill demands differ for Professional Skills across the economic sectors, company sizes, and regions. These findings suggest that engineering education institutions should seek to improve the skill set of graduates, recognise the importance of soft skills, refocus the assessments, teachinglearning process, and curricula and interact more with employers to understand the particular demand for skills in that region and sector. Since its inception, MBCET has been addressing these challenges. “We emphasise on the trios of knowledge, skill and attitude as the pertinent qualities that an engineering graduate should, invariably, possess,” says Dr Abraham.

The college has been trying to globalise the community by establishing connectivity with the leading institutions. International Universities like Bowie State University, USA, Gannon University, USA, Malardalen University, Sweden, University of Dayton, USA and many more had active links. MBCET has a good placement rate every year, of which 50 to 60% of the students go for on-campus placement, while 20 to 30% opt for the offcampus chances on their own choice. “A good number turn towards self-employment, and some of them opt for higher studies as well,” adds Abraham. Since the college is situated in

the prime location of Kerala’s capital city, there are many avenues for students to scale up their career prospects.

Besides focusing on producing skilled professionals, MBCET also focuses on innovation. The college has a FabLab facility and a Maker Space created with the Kerala Startup Mission’s help. It provides the students with an ecosystem conducive to innovations. It also facilitates idea incubation. “There are a variety of measures that foster innovations of the students. The task is usually taken by the student chapters of the leading professional organisations like IEEE, CSI, ASCE, IET, ISHRAE, ASME, and so on,” says Abraham. Students at MBCET are provided support and mentoring for participation in the Smart India Hackathon, Young Innovators Meet and E Yantra, etc. A recent competition piloted by the college had attracted 400 plus students from across India. MBCET is part of the ReBuild Kerala Initiative of the State Government. Its innovations are applied to monitoring river pollution and suggest measures for rejuvenating the rivers.

Amidst Pandemic, MBCET Continues to Grow MBCET entered a new phase of growth by attaining the status of Autonomy in 2020. The communication regarding the conferment of autonomy was received in July 2020 when COVID-19 had adversely affected the state, and the lockdown was prevalent. However, the pandemic has not thrown the activities into disarray.

College acted on time, and for the continuation of the academic works, they started using a blended learning approach. The learning from the experiences and challenges faced during lockdown was tremendous. The positives that have happened during the lockdown period were the maximisation of ICT infrastructure use because of the shift in teaching and learning from the classical offline mode to online mode. Faculty and staff could stay safe as they could reduce the travel time and the strain during the lockdown days. Everyone managed their work and life balance during COVID time due to the new timetable specially made for the lockdown period.

As far as the future plans are concerned, MBCET is developing homegrown classroom management mechanisms and effective teaching by proctoring the appropriate solutions. College is working on its Resource Centre for content generation because online learning has become a priority item. Faculty have rolled up their sleeves to pursue the research on topics relevant in the post-COVID scenario. The second move is deploying a 360-degree solution for the fully automated

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship of MBCET inspires students to become independent engineers by exposing them to the world of Entrepreneurship through Innovation

Learning Management System to enable accuracy and accountability in the system. The third initiative is to implement a globally relevant curriculum and the corresponding facilities to enable the students to learn the latest topics in their areas of specialisation. “Covid had taught us the imperativeness of ICT as a platform for education, and the same had opened up challenges in enabling immersive learning. 3D animation and AR/ VR shall also be used in the content generation to help deliver the topics of engineering subjects effectively and to enable us to follow the learner-centric approach in the teaching-learning process. We need to explore the pedagogies of digital education that have become the new normal. Works in these directions have been started,” concludes Dr Abraham.

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ACADEMIC VIEW

ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP

QUALITIES IN A TIME OF CRISIS

Dr Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Shahani Group and Ask.Careers

60 Dr Akhil Shahani is the Managing Director of Thadomal Shahani Centre For Management, Shahani Group and CEO, Ask.Careers and runs a range of colleges in business, media, real estate, finance and others. His colleges incorporate global industryoriented education systems that make their graduates truly employable. He is also a Venture Partner in Kaizen Private Equity, India’s first private equity fund focused solely on the education sector. Besides, Akhil serves as the Chairman of Global Discovery Schools, a franchised chain of 14 innovative schools. In 2020, HSNC University appointed Dr Akhil as a governing board member.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Being risk-aware can ensure that a company prepared to weather adverse events

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he novel coronavirus pandemic has tested us like never before. All around the world, educational institutions and businesses have faced an unprecedented volley of crises.

While a lot of organisations understandably faltered through it all, many remained resilient and emerged stronger. Strong leadership is often the driving force behind steering an organisation through troubled times. Here are a few essential qualities that every leader must possess to navigate a crisis successfully.

Effective and honest communication Communication is probably the most important skill needed when dealing with a crisis situation. All throughout history, great leaders have used effective communication to motivate people, galvanise them, and provide hope. In a crisis such as this pandemic, misinformation and miscommunication are a recipe for disaster, especially because it is a time when people look to their leaders to provide

a sense of calm and stability. Hence, leaders need to communicate clearly and concisely to assuage people’s fears and concerns. Leaders should also put a premium on communicating promptly by relaying the most pertinent information quickly.

Adaptability and Agility Leadership is all about planning in advance, but more often than not, things do not go according to plans, and this pandemic has been an apt example of that. During times like these, leaders need to exhibit the willingness to adapt to a crisis and work on the problem. For example, businesses that adapted to stringent social distancing norms during lockdowns by going online and creating a strong digital backend are the ones that are now thriving.

Good leaders should be willing to look at a problem from a different perspective and be able to think of agile solutions that can make the best of a bad situation.

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Risk Management Risk is an inevitable part of our world today, and no modern-day CEO can afford to be ignorant of risk management. Being risk-aware and introducing strong risk management processes in one’s organisation can ensure that a company and its employees are prepared to weather adverse events such as a pandemic, a cyber-attack, any natural disaster, and much more.

Empathy Too often, being strong and resilient becomes synonymous with showing no emotion. But this notion has time and again been proven wrong. In fact, there is strength in leaders showing empathy and emotional vulnerability; it shows people that they too are human and that together a crisis can be overcome. A great example of a leader communicating with empathy would be that of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Her clear messaging has been constantly laced with kindness and emotion. Whether it was the Christchurch attacks or the Covid-19 pandemic, her empathetic demeanour has been the epitome of good leadership.

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Providing emotional support In her latest article titled ‘Real Leaders Are Forged in Crisis’ business historian, Nancy Koehn talks about how crises can take their toll on leaders and employees alike. She, therefore, encourages leaders to nurse their emotional wellbeing in a time of crisis so that they can be emotionally and mentally available for their employees when needed.

A crisis of mammoth proportions like this global pandemic can fuel unprecedented anxieties; people are worried about losing their jobs, financial security, losing their loved ones, falling sick themselves, and much more. Amidst such fear, it is the job of leaders to have a pulse on their employees, ask them if they are doing ok, and listen to what they need.

Modern-day leadership models are an amalgamation of EQ and IQ, and only those who can straddle both these spheres effectively can emerge as strong leaders during a crisis.

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

ACADEMIC VIEW

CLIL AN UNDERUTILISED PEDAGOGICAL FRAMEWORK Sanjhee Gianchandani, ELT Editor, Eupheus Learning

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Sanjhee Gianchandani has a Masters’ degree in English from Lady Shri Ram College for Women and a CELTA from the University of Cambridge.

She works as an ELT editor in the K-8 space.

Her articles have been widely published in the educational space in magazines such as The Progressive Teacher, Digital Learning Magazine, and Teacher Plus Magazine.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

CLIL has been very successful in promoting content learning and language acquisition

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he process of English language learning has evolved over the years and adapted itself to the changing educational and cultural contexts and the transformative dynamics of contemporary classrooms. In contemporary times, learners are exposed to a variety of approaches to learning the language such as the use of ICT, realia, game-based learning, project-based learning, and the inclusion of 21stcentury skills in language learning.

A relatively new and underutilised pedagogical approach to language learning is CLIL or Content and Language Integrated Learning. The term was coined by David Marsh in 1994.

CLIL is a generic term referring to the teaching of a curricular subject through a foreign language or English in the context of the Indian English-medium education system. The basis of CLIL is that the teaching-learning is carried out in a language that is not the mother tongue of the students. The end objective remains to learn the second language while the content is extracted through other subjects which the students already study as part of their curriculum. It is a dualfocused approach in which both the content and

the language are learnt simultaneously. CLIL classrooms are not typical language classrooms due to the fact that language is just the medium through which content is “transported” so therefore this approach produces a lot more immediate results and it appeals to self-motivated adult learners who possess basic knowledge and understanding of the target language and are inclined more towards learning it via vocational streams.

The framework of CLIL is based on the 4Cs i.e. Content (or the subject matter), Cognition (the process of learning and thinking), Communication (the process of interacting and using the language), and Culture (developing an understanding of the language). So, CLIL teaching is not only a matter of learning how to teach both content and language but also how to integrate them. In this aspect, it is very different from immersion or content-based instruction techniques of language acquisition as it emphasises the need to harmonise language and content-based learning rather than prioritising one over the other.

According to Marsh et al. (2001), students cannot improve their content knowledge and skills without learning the language because the subjects

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CLIL is a relatively new and underutilised pedagogical approach to language learning

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are discussed, constructed, evaluated and embedded in language. And the basic aspect of learning any language or developing fluency in it is to acquire as much vocabulary as you can. Vocabulary can be divided into three parts: Basic vocabulary, academic vocabulary, and discipline-specific vocabulary. CLIL involves learning to use language appropriately while using language to learn the subject adequately.

In every CLIL lesson plan given by the University of Cambridge, ESOL examinations, it is repeatedly insisted that “Every subject has its own content obligatory language which means a subject-specific vocabulary, grammatical structures, and functional expressions”. For instance, a chapter on ‘Plants’ in Grade 3 Science would have vocabulary such as ‘photosynthesis’, ‘stomata’, ‘sunlight’, etc which are domain-specific for science for that level, and these words would not be generally found in any other subject. Similarly, “Two plus two equals four” is a grammatical structure that is typical to Maths of grade 2 and the English stories read being the students would not typically be written using such structures.

Therefore, each chunk of content associated with CLIL has a specific vocabulary and the teacher has to relate his/her teaching with the newly learnt vocabulary with the old one, which is also the preliminary step in CLIL approach. CLIL materials can be adapted as per the needs and the language level of the students. This is a more powerful approach to learning a new language as it focusses on the authentic use of language rather than

Higher Education Digest April 2021

learning it through decontextualised content fragments, memorising grammar rules, or through the cramming of curricular subjects.

The objectives of CLIL are varied, but among the most relevant ones are to improve the educational system, to establish the necessary conditions that will allow students to achieve the appropriate level of academic performance in curricular subjects, to develop intercultural understanding and to hone their social and thinking skills. Moreover, CLIL prepares students for the globalised world by increasing their motivation to learn foreign languages and cementing their intercultural competence.

As an approach, CLIL has been very successful in countries such as China, Malaysia and Thailand in promoting content learning and language acquisition.

In India too, CLIL is gaining currency slowly and steadily but needs some more research, the willingness of adoption, and flexible implementation. Some initiatives have been taken in this direction. For instance, CLIL@India, a 3-year project co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme began in 2016 and was successfully completed in 2019.

It was basically a consortium of 7 Universities from India and Europe dedicated to developing a new model of bilingual education by introducing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as an innovative pedagogical practice in the Indian education system to preserve the nation’s multilingualism.

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Higher Education Digest April 2021 October 2020

ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, SHARDA UNIVERSITY

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A WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY TRANSFORMING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

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he COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise, and Sharda University was no exception. Despite facing several unprecedented challenges, they strengthened themselves instead of getting bogged down by it. The University took several prompt measures. For instance, the management organized training programs for the teachers and the students to make them familiar with online teaching-learning. The teachers created separate WhatsApp groups for each subject to promote frequent studentteacher interaction.

The institute also took regular feedback from the students regarding online learning issues and put corrective actions accordingly. “Faculty members used to send recorded lectures to the students who could not attend the classes online. The MentorMentee program has always been on the top of the priority list of Sharda University, and this program helped the students in dealing with the abrupt turbulence caused by the pandemic.

Subsequently, the relationship between Faculty-Student became more humane and interactive,” shares Dr. Parma Nand, Dean School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University.

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A provider of world class education since 1996, the Sharda Group of Institutions is the largest educational group based in Uttar Pradesh, having 13,000+ students and 1200+ faculty strength.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

For Dr Parma Nand and his team at Sharda University, the pandemic’s biggest positive takeaway is confidence. Despite several unprecedented and unknown challenges, the way the institute has carried out its job has instilled confidence in everyone. “We have also realized that ‘Work is a thing you do and not a place you go’. Work from home, which used to be considered an escape route, has now become the need of the hour and has proven to be an effective-efficient working mode. Students who cannot attend the class physically or attend an examination due to some genuine reason need not worry anymore, as we have an alternative now,” points out Dr Parma Nand.

Blending Academics and Industry Aiming to serve society by being a global university of higher learning, Sharda University pursues academic excellence and innovation. The institute develops deep disciplinary knowledge, problem-solving ability, leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with its flexible

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Sharda University has four big auditoriums to promote the conduct of international, national and other University events.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

credit-based system for interdisciplinary learning, enriching the academic experience. Creating an environment where students and employees from different parts of the world study, learn and socialize together, the University encourages the pursuit of knowledge. It also supports the development of the curriculum from a global perspective. “We empower each of our students to discover their potential by providing opportunities for collaborative-learning beyond the classroom, in the broader community, and across the diverse spectrum of disciplines,” states Dr Parma Nand.

Making its students employable and subsequently contribute to nation-building, Sharda University feels there is no better way than forming industry collaborations to achieve this. The University has taken several steps to establish collaboration with different industries. Regular visits and interaction with industry professionals are being carried out to understand their requirements. The institution is giving utmost importance to signing MoUs, and the faculties are encouraged to submit proposals and get funds from industries to solve their specific problems. Moreover, the University maintains a strong alumni-connect that will eventually result in better Industrial collaboration.

Sharda University aspires to be a benchmark for maintaining intellectual capital, academic quality, delivery practices, and industry linkages. They have taken several measures to achieve and maintain high-quality education.

The University follows Outcome-Based Education (OBE), a student-centric teaching and learning methodology in which the course delivery and assessment are planned to

ABOUT

DR PARMA NAND,

DEAN, SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, SHARDA UNIVERSITY Holding a PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from IIT Roorkee, M. Tech & B. Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from IIT Delhi, Prof Parma Nand has more than 27 years of experience both in industry and academia. He had received various awards like the best teacher award from Union Minister, best students project guide award from Microsoft in 2015, and best faculty award from cognizant in 2016. He had completed government-funded projects and spearheaded the last five IEEE International conferences on Computing, Communication & Automation (ICCCA), IEEE student’s chapters, Technovation

Hackathon2019,

Technovation

Hackathon 2020, International Conference on Computing, Communication, and Intelligent Systems (ICCCIS-2021). He is a member of the Executive Council of IEEE UP section (R10), member of Executive Committee IEEE Computer and Signal Processing Society, member Exec. India council Computer Society, member Executive Council Computer Society of India, Noida section and has acted as an observer in many IEEE conferences. He is also having active memberships of ACM, IEEE, CSI, ACEEE, ISOC, IAENG, and IASCIT. He is a lifetime member of the Soft Computing Research Society (SCRS) and ISTE.

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achieve stated objectives and outcomes. It aims at equipping learners with the knowledge, competence, and orientations needed for success after they leave the institution. Adherence to the academic calendar, scheduling lectures for courses, preparation of course files, and reviewing the course syllabus are a few of the practices that are followed to monitor and evaluate a program’s performance. “Furthermore, feedback from the stakeholders, i.e. Students, Parents, Alumni, and Industry Experts, is collected regularly, and based on the comments received, an ATR is prepared. As far as examination/class test/quiz is concerned, they are prepared as per Bloom’s taxonomy, and question bank audit is also conducted every six months,” adds Dr Parma Nand.

The University is working relentlessly to establish and strengthen the academia-industry relationship.

For instance, lectures from reputed and experienced industry professionals are frequently organized, regular industrial visits are conducted, students are constantly encouraged to participate in different conferences, events, and workshops to get exposure to the latest innovations and industrial practices.

“We have also introduced skill-oriented courses in all streams, and the students are encouraged to take projects based on real-life problems. We also have laboratories and infrastructure in line with advanced technology. The addition of value-added certification courses and professional degrees further helps the students acquire multiple skills,” says Dr Parma Nand.

Employability has always been a priority area for Sharda University. More than 90% of eligible students get placed in different multi-national companies, startups, core companies, and many more in every batch.

Last year, many students got placed in leading software companies like Tata Consultancy Service, Mindtree, IBM India, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Goldman Sachs, Vivo India, HSBC Bank, Bharti Airtel, upGrad, among others.

Promoting Innovation Research has always been an integral part of higher education at Sharda University since its inception.

The Research and Development Center at Sharda provides a vigorous and highly visible research environment to its students, intending to promote research culture and develop a habit of leadership within the University. The center supports all kinds of scholarly activities like fundamental research, applied research, and development contract research

Higher Education Digest April 2021

The students at SET benefit through the professional grooming of renowned faculty and industry experts having experience of tackling pressing engineering problems.

The university’s libraries are an empowering unit with a Resource Centre providing audio-visual aids to the students.

for government, non-government and international agencies. A significant increase in the number of PhD intake over the years is a testimony to this effort. The University offers seed money every year to the faculty members to get preliminary results and then subsequently apply to different agencies for funding. Furthermore, the University provides; financial support to regular faculty members for travel/registration for attending conferences, reward for publication of research papers, minor equipment grants for strengthening the infrastructure of research laboratories, reimbursement of charges for using experimental facilities available at other institutes, financial support for filing and processing of patents, and many more.

Over the years, the research efforts have expanded to include sponsored research and consultancy projects in multiple disciplines like

Science, Engineering, Technology, and Management.

The University continues to branch out its research vision with new faculty members/researchers and implement new policies designed to improve the research infrastructure, new academic and industry collaborations.

“We are regularly welcoming external partners who support our vision by sharing ideas, pooling resources, and collaborating on findings promoting innovative research,” shares Dr Parma Nand.

Organizing conferences, seminars, workshops, FDPs, interactions with industry professionals and researchers from reputed R&D institutions, the faculty members at Sharda University are continuously upgrading their knowledge with evolving trends. Additionally, the faculties are encouraged to participate in similar activities organized by other Institutes. The faculty members contribute towards it by publishing papers and filing patents, which is possible only if they know the latest trends. The institution also provides financial support to them for being a member of Professional Societies. These societies organize events that are in line with contemporary demands. For new recruitments, PhD has been made

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The University conducts a wide range of cultural, athletic and social activities for the merriment of the students.

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mandatory, in line with the UGC regulation, and existing faculty members with a Master’s Degree have been directed to complete their PhD as soon as possible. “PhD candidates with Postdoc experience or exposure to foreign universities are given preference in recruitment. This upgradation in policy has resulted in a pool of highly qualified, experienced faculties in the University,” points out Dr Parma Nand.

Helping Students find their Footing In today’s era of competition and survival of the fittest, being creative is not an option but a necessity.

Sharda University has created an atmosphere where every student, irrespective of his/her past academic record or background, has to be involved in different activities where one’s creative juices get stirred. With 18 students’ clubs based on sport and cultural activities like music club, dramatic club, photography club, cricket club, etc., the students are encouraged to join, develop their skills, and subsequently participate in different intra-college and inter-college competitions. Student Welfare is the umbrella department that takes care of all, be it sports, culture, NCC, or NSS in all aspects from University to the national level.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

On the academic front, few subjects like Project-based learning have been incorporated beyond the textbook and require brainstorming, creative thinking, and meticulous execution. The internal assessment marks for every subject no more comprise conventional textbook questionanswer-based class tests. Instead, the students are evaluated based on mini-projects/idea generation developed by the students related to the particular subject.

To encourage and facilitate the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Sharda University has created a perfect ecosystem. At the education level, the school strives that students are develop an entrepreneurial mindset. The curriculum is designed in such a manner so that it enhances the entrepreneurial understanding of the students. In addition to it, the University has established Sharda LaunchPad. It serves as a medium between entrepreneurial aspirants and the larger entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The main aim of Sharda Launchpad is to translate potential business ideas and technology innovations into a product for commercial applications.

Aiming to be a globally acclaimed institution of higher education in engineering and technology, Sharda University is working extensively towards strengthening its relation with various industries.

“We are focusing on improving our status of research and employability. The necessary infrastructure required to meet our vision is in progress or has been just completed, establishing the various stateof-the-art research lab, libraries, auditorium, and many more. We believe we have all the ingredients to be one of the best academic institutions in India that promote excellence in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” concludes Dr Parma.

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

NEP 2020 AND

ONLINE EDUCATION – A PARADIGM SHIFT CA Rajat Singhal, Co-founder & CEO, Cyboard School

76 Having completed his CA at a young age, CA Rajat Singhal is a Serial Entrepreneur who has vast experience in multiple domains viz, Education, Finance, Hospitality, and Real Estate. He is an excellent Administrator and a Self-motivated Leader. From bootstrapping businesses; to mobilizing and completing stuck-up projects; to Land acquisitions; to turning loss-making ventures into profitable ones, he has an experience of turning difficulties into opportunities which is also the case in Cyboard School.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

A robust and comprehensive strategy is the need of the hour at an institutional level

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he New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been released by the newly renamed Ministry of Education (formerly Ministry of Human Resource Development) and approved by the Union Cabinet of India in July 2020.

The vision of NEP 2020 is to reshape and transform the education system and structure in the country. It aims at universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level.

NEP 2020 and online education: The NEP 2020 has a special focus on online education. Universities and institutions like NITs and IGNOU will be conducting pilot research studies for maximizing the benefits of digital learning in India. Online tools and platforms like DIKSHA and SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active learning for Young Aspiring Minds) will be upgraded with new insight to training content, in-class resources, assessment aids, profiles, etc. that will allow seamless interaction.

It also focuses on creation of public digital and interoperable infrastructure that can be utilised by multiple platforms.

NEP 2020 emphasizes the creation of virtual labs wherein students can practice their theoretical knowledge and make course content available in different languages. The newly renamed Ministry of Education proposes to set up a dedicated unit for promotion of digital learning. The dedicated unit will comprise experts from the field of education, educational technology, administration, and e-governance who will focus on online learning needs of both the school and higher education.

More emphasis will be given to online assessment and examinations.

The present age is driven by digital technology and whole globe come under the influence of internet and World Wide Web. The internet equipped both the education seeker as well as education provider and laid them together under the virtual roof. Due to which the concept of virtual classroom is already popularized across the globe. Therefore, in the modern era, the role of online technology in providing the education is vital and with its flexible nature the online educational technology has gained popularity.

The online education is now more accessible to the

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less privileged groups in comparison to the centralized classroom education system.

The present age is driven by digital technology and the whole globe comes under the influence of the internet and the World Wide Web. The internet equips both the education seeker as well as education providers and lays them together under the virtual roof, due to which the concept of virtual classroom is already popularised across the globe.

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The present age is driven by digital technology and whole globe is under the influence of internet

Higher Education Digest April 2021

COVID-19 pandemic and the relevance of online education: With the imposition of lockdown due to spread of coronavirus all over the country since March, 2020, attending online classes has become the ‘new normal’ and have taken centre stage in students’ life now. This ‘new normal’ is a transformed concept of education with online learning at the core of this transformation.

Online education allows students to attend classes from any location of their choice while it allows schools to reach out to an extensive network of students, instead of being restricted by geographical boundaries. Students can clarify their doubts through live chats or forums by staying at the comfort and safety of their home.

On the positive note, online learning has made both teachers and students become more technology savvy. Various mobile phone and computer applications and technology based programs have emerged as an alternative platform to regular classroom teaching during lockdown. Both the teacher and the student community were quick enough to acclimatize with computers and smartphones.

While on the other side, as we all understand the geographic and cultural diversity of India, it also suffers due to the existence of a huge economic divide. Access to online education still remains to be a challenge for many due to various issues like power supply, internet connectivity and affordability of necessary devices. A robust and comprehensive strategy is the need of the hour at an institutional level to address these concerns. Online education has emerged as a suitable alternative amidst this chaos caused by the pandemic. It has become more of a necessity rather than an option. Hence the quality enhancement of online teaching–learning is at a very crucial stage.

EdTech start-ups are fast entering the online education market with the intention to create disruption in the education sector. Many of them are tapping all the right opportunities by providing free online courses to students amidst this crisis.

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ACADEMIC VIEW

WHY

CYBER-SECURITY COURSES CAN GIVE YOU LUCRATIVE CAREER OPTIONS Dr Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Dean Academics, Sanskriti University

80 Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma has a vast experience of 23 years in Computer Science. His research interest includes Design and Analysis of Algorithm, Cloud Computing, Operating System and Cyber Security. He had published more than 60 research papers/articles in international/ national journals and conferences. Right now, he is holding the position of Dean Academics and Professor in Sanskriti University Mathura. Before that he has worked in DIT University Dehradun, JP Engineering college Meerut and Chitkara University Punjab.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Innovations and trends in technology have a direct impact on digital security

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n Covid era the world economy and society are now interconnected by supply chains, communications technology and travel. The rapid growth of the number of appliances, devices, vehicles and infrastructure are linked which is foremost to the overly interconnected world.

Rise in demand of digitalisation services creates a network of Internet of Things devices to enable better consumer experience but also raises the high incidence of cyberattacks.

Nowadays Cyber Security jobs have been one of the hottest jobs for students. The demand for jobs in cybersecurity growth is unmatched in any other technology domain. Companies across the world have been continuously targeted for cyber-Attacks.

This scenario has given massive opportunities for professionals willing to enter the security domain. cyber-Security today serves as a major source of employment and a lucrative career option. First step is to acquire basic cybersecurity skills, followed by choosing a specific domain based on personal interest and market demand. For a successful career, students need to get in-depth training, develop skills, and acquire specific certifications in security.

India faced almost 7 lakh cyber-attacks in August 2020 report by (MeITY). As per the report India was ranked third and one of the biggest victims of cyberattacks in recent years, makes it even more exigent.

The world’s second largest internet-connected country needs to brace itself by training a sufficient pool of cyber warriors to deflect and deal with the ever-rising cyber security threats posed to its ITdriven product and service infrastructure and systems.

Flurry of courses In recent years Government and private players both have introduced a flurry of specialised and standalone courses on cyber security. From part time to distance learning to online mode with varied provisions for certification, diploma and degree programmes, these courses have found much popularity among students as well as career professionals. The government is actively promoting the learning of cyber security related courses. According to a popular education sector tracking website, 204 colleges offered under graduate and postgraduate levels programmes in cyber security, including both government and private, in the Country.

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Entail of cyber security professionals The Cyber Security professionals are focused on delivering technologies that help move business operations forward while preserving sensitive information. Despite the recent increase in popularity of cyber security as a course in our universities, colleges and institutes, are not much enough. The demand of cyber security experts in India has even less than a paltry 10,000 professionals. For a second largest economy of world India and sustained by the second largest population of the world with expanding digital footprints, such a miniscule number is grossly insufficient. Therefore, it is time that cyber security as a specialised discipline with all its attendant sub-disciplines becomes an integral component of any IT syllabus being taught within our university systems as well as outside. At the same time, we also need to strengthen the foundations of our human resources by improving the quality of our STEM graduates.

Issues regarding the Technology Advancement Innovations and trends in technology have a direct impact on digital security. Recent advancement of digitization and the Internet over things has spurred a significant increase in cybersecurity solutions. We are moving forward and creating a digital & smart world that gives no place for vulnerable cybersecurity and mediocrity.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Eligibility Required Apart from a relevant degree in technology, students need to have a basic knowledge about advanced cybersecurity concepts, extensive cybersecurity work experience, industry certifications, knowledge of regulatory policies is usually required to make a career in cybersecurity.

The tremendous rise in cyberattacks is increasing the opportunities for professionals from all backgrounds who want to make a career in cybersecurity. Even people from humanities background can make a career in cybersecurity.

Role In this field there is an ocean of opportunities for candidates who are Interested in pursuing or enrolling for a Cyber Security Courses. One can choose The Security Specialist, Incident Responder, Security Analyst, Security Administrator, Security Manager, Security Auditor and Forensic Expert. All roles require a wide range of responsibilities depending upon the industry you choose, whether it is banks, retailers or government bodies. But one thing common in all roles is to protect the data from being sabotaged.

The growing popularity of cloud-based applications and widespread use of the Internet Cyber Security has great potential. If you’re ready to explore this career path, then Choose it as a career choice.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

EDTECH MARKET

SET TO ELEVATE BLENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCE Ganesh Raju, Founder and CEO, Ken42

84 Ganesh Raju is the Founder and mastermind behind Ken 42, an integrated educational ecosystem that enables institutions to manage their end-to-end pedagogical cycle. Ken 42 was born out of Turbostart, a sector agnostic, pan-India programme that looks to bring in 25 prospective early-stage startups to build a vibrant and empowering startup ecosystem every 6 months. A serial entrepreneur himself, Ganesh is the Founding Partner of Turbostart, ZenQore, StartNXT and Activewires as well. In his previous role, he headed the Entrepreneurial and Private Business practice at PwC India for 19 years.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

The Edtech Industry has been instrumental in taking the drudgery out of Remote Learning for students

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ne of the positive outcomes of the pandemic has been the shift in the way the world learns, and how educational technology has evolved to help teachers and learners, irrespective of their age, to maximize their potential and take control of their learning processes remotely. A year into the pandemic, we can now see that edtech players have had a groundbreaking impact at all levels, from preschool to college and adult skill-seekers.

The use of educational technology and the emergence of myriad edtech players during the pandemic has helped students across the globe experience a blended approach to learning. It has allowed them to control the time, pace, and place of learning and become active participants and decisionmakers during their learning journey. The pace of advancement and use of technology will increase going forward as the pandemic continues, and even after we return to a sense of normalcy.

A novel back-to-school preparation is unfurling across the world and edtech has served as a catalyst in effecting this transition. Some of the blended and hybrid learning practices that are in use; providing

learners, teachers, and school administrators with an elevated and seamless experience are as follows.

Edtech has been empowering teachers to improve pedagogy by mixing digital content with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) - thereby recreating a classroom environment remotely. The ingrained methods for providing feedback to both teachers and learners during the process helps in improving the mode of imparting knowledge and how lessons are imbibed by learners. Technology also helps teachers to understand the pedagogical gaps that need improvement.

AI uses data-mining techniques to provide valuable data regarding students’ aptitudes and interests that can be further used by teachers to ensure that they are provided with an excellent, personalized experience and guidance in building their careers.

The use of technology and AI for learning can also empower students to learn more effectively. For many students, the idea of failing can be daunting, resulting in emotional upheavals for something as simple as not knowing an answer when asked in front of a class. These technologies can help them come to terms with the process of trial and error, an experiment

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About

Ganesh Raju 86 Ganesh hails from Bengaluru, India and has completed his B.A LLB from Mysore University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant from AICPA, and a Company Secretary from The Institute of Company Secretaries of India. He is also well versed in a plethora of regulatory guidelines in India and was also part of the ‘Elevate program’ organised by the Government of Karnataka. In addition, he conceptualized and ran a national level program (Level NXT) for startups looking to scale up. This was done in association with FICCI and CNBC-TV18 for the first two editions.

In the last four years, Ganesh has advised more than 300 startups and is an integral part of the business and education ecosystem in the country.

Outside of work, Ganesh enjoys running, music of all genres and is a car enthusiast!

Higher Education Digest April 2021

in a judgment-free environment, and learn without apprehension. It also allows teachers to provide feedback in a less intrusive manner.

The next big thing in the Indian edtech industry seems to be the wide-spread use of immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), which can enhance the way students engage with education. The use of VR in creating content will revolutionize education delivery in the country and will allow students to easily absorb content and internalize concepts through practical experience.

While originally devised for gaming, AR and VR now provide virtual, visual experiences to students in all topics ranging from archeology to astronomy.

During the lockdown, when students were denied access to science labs, AR and VR were used to replace the practical lessons in labs and the same came in handy for schools. Though it can never fully replace real world experiences, AR and VR can provide a relatable experience that can aid learning. It can democratize education in India and can be used to create productive discussions and interactions among students and the same can aid interpersonal and social learning as well.

The changes that have come about are the results of wide-spread and constant innovation in the field of education. Teachers are not limited by tedious tasks such as marking attendance, scheduling, or report generation. Instead, they will continue to use the fresh methods of student engagement that allow them to truly understand whether the students have effectively understood lesson contents.

It can be said that a crucial outcome of the use of edtech during the COVID-phase is that it has made teachers into adopters of technology; something that was previously a massive challenge. Now that the resistance to change has decreased, and teachers are starting to embrace new age teaching methods, there will be a complete transformation in the way education is delivered going forward.

The edtech industry has been instrumental in taking the drudgery out of remote learning for students during the pandemic and has contributed towards the shaping and engagement of committed youth through wholesome learning products and models. The coming years will witness how edtech empowers students in the most distant regions of India to access quality education, thus enabling them to become self-reliant.

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Higher Education Digest April 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

STUDENT GUIDE:

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE PLANNING TO START A STARTUP Rajat Jadhav, Co-founder, Bold Care

88 Rajat Jadhav is the Co-founder of Bold Care - a digital men’s health and wellness platform which provides Indian men with easy online doctor consultations and personalised treatment kits, delivered to your doorstep.

They handpick all the doctors on the platform and ensure the highest quality of medicines by working with manufacturers who follow the best, hygienic manufacturing practices at their factories. Bold Care offers personalised treatment plans with prescription medicines and natural supplements. With unlimited postconsultation follow-ups, they help you find permanent solutions for men’s wellness issues.

Higher Education Digest April 2021

Precision only comes with practice, and practice involves problem – facing and resolving”

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n this new digital age, a multitude of students fresh out of college are planning to foray into entrepreneurship, and the opportunities are umpteen. .A move that exudes daredevilry for sure, millennials are not shying away from their desire to be the CEO of their own lives.

However, if you are among the ones to set out on the entrepreneurial sojourn sooner than later, always remember that well begun is half done. The belowlisted imperatives will enable you to harness the highs and sail through the lows of startup life while maintaining a profit – yielding business.

Keep market intelligence handy Research is important –both in the initial phase ​ of a startup and the sustenance phase. Be privy to the market; know your competitors’ next moves, map consumer behaviour, identify gaps and action accordingly. From getting to know your target customers to identifying possible rivals, market

research offers companies a strategic advantage enabling them to have a laser-sharp approach.

Build a great team Any business, whether startup or a well-established organization, always needs an efficient core team.

The success of the business depends on the team because although you may be the show-runner, the team will help you realize your goals and ambitions.

The team brings alive the founder’s vision and form the backbone of the organization. Their experience and efficiency are directly proportionate to the pace of the growth of the organization.

Be a problem solver and not a magnifier Quite frequently, the first thing we do when distress appears is to concentrate on negatives and other concerns. Large businesses that are able to resolve immense setbacks and actually expand because of them are the ones that concentrate on solutions,

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not more problems. It is important to start thinking of ‘what next’ than ‘why me’? Be flexible to make alterations basis real-time learnings. Focus on fixing the problem, make a manual and take note so that you are prepared to face similar instances in future. Precision only comes with practice, and practice involves problem – facing and resolving. This kind of thought can be a complete game-changer for you and your company.

Self- Care is as important for the sake of your overall wellbeing Anxiety, self-doubt and a sense of not doing enough are part and parcel of the process.

It might seem unlikely and difficult, but try to arrange a moment to relax and vent your thoughts. In the long run, your startup and your body will be thankful to you. So put your blinders on and keep trying; you’re not the first or the last one to get through!

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Find your mentor & advisors Finally, build great mentors around you. These could either be your investors or advisors.

Finding those who have experienced this before will help you towards your success journey. Additionally, network with other experts in your field, attend industry-specific conferences and seminars, and reach out to opinion leaders in your sector and hear about their strategy and methods. Alternatively, you may want to consider hiring a coach who can give you advice.

If you have a vision, a supporting mission, and the appropriate goals, you’ve already paved the way for the baby steps of your startup. Launching a startup, although not a piece of cake, can be quite rewarding in the long run. There are several ups and downs, but with proper analysis, thoughtprovoking and detailed preparation, you can lay the groundwork for making an empire out of your startup. So all the best and don’t forget that good followers but great leaders make more leaders!

Higher Education Digest April 2021

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CXO OUTLOOK Higher Education Digest April April 2021 2021

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Higher Education Education Digest Digest Higher April 2021 October 2020