Higher Education Digest – November 2020 – India Edition – Engineering Colleges Special

INDIA EDITION

MOST INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING COLLEGES IN INDIA

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SHOOLINI UNIVERSITY NOVEMBER 2020

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

November 2020

Vol - 2 Issue - 16

Engineering Colleges Special Editor in Chief

Dr. Manoj Varghese

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana K Anna Elza

Navya Venkatesh Stanly Lui Emma James

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

The Brighter Side of Engineering Education

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efore COVID-19 hit the world and colleges closed their campuses to curb the spread of the virus, engineering education in India was under the threat of unemployability. Reports after reports indicated that there is a huge gap between industry and academia, which called for long-term systemic changes in engineering education in India. They said the engineering curriculum is based on rote learning and regurgitation at the time of examination and not in acquiring practical knowledge. Indeed, many engineering institutions still follow the traditional method of teaching, which is more of content delivery than knowledge delivery.

Today, however, engineering education has a different set of challenges to overcome. As an impact of the pandemic, the economy has fallen into a recession and affected companies who recruit new talent. Recent recruitment trends show that the jobs coming in the IT sector – the most prominent recruiter of engineering graduates - would either reduce or be re-engineered to suit the changed

set-up. Since many companies would prefer to keep their employees working from home in the future, automation is going to be the key. Be it the education sector, the health-care industry, the manufacturing sector or the construction industry, automation with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, Data Sciences, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things (IoT) are going to be the critical drivers.

To tap the opportunities available in the postCOVID era, engineer education should come out of the traditional mindset and think out-of-thebox to come up with innovative solutions. In this issue, we feature 25 Most Innovative Engineering Colleges in India’ that have been pro-active during the pandemic to prepare engineering students for future challenges. On the cover, we feature Shoolini University, one of the private universities focused on research, believing that it will bring India at the cusp of exploration and innovation.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

Higher Education Digest November 2020

ADVISORY BOARD Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc. 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. Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, 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 Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE.

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com

Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

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

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

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Senior Director HR. Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Mamta Thakur Former CEO (ASEAN), Arc Skills

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Higher Higher Education Education Digest Digest November October 2020 2020

CO N T ENTS 18 ANAND ENGINEERING COLLEGE

Creating a Conducive Learning Environment for Future Engineers

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SHOOLINI

UNIVERSITY

INSPIRING ENGINEERS

THROUGH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION Higher Education Digest November 2020

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DKTE SOCIETY’S TEXTILE AND ENGINEERING INSTITUTE

Nurturing Learners with Relevant and Contemporary Technical Education

70 IIMT UNIVERSITY

Shaping Students to be Industry and Society-Ready Technocrats

92 RAJGAD DNYANPEETH TECHNICAL CAMPUS - SHRI CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJIRAJE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Developing Competent Engineers and Responsible Citizens PRIYADARSHINI INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, NAGPUR

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Providing Knowledge and Value-Based Education under One Roof

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

CO N T ENTS 28

An Entrepreneur’s Passion of Accelerating a Social Change Through Technology Avneesh Chhabra, Social Entrepreneur, Founder & Director of QAUSE

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The Struggle and Survival of Affordable Private Schools During Pandemic V.L. Ramakrishnan (Ramki), CEO, and Jacob Abraham, COO, Shiksha Finance

MENTOR’S MANTRA

ACADEMIC VIEW

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Kumari Shibulal, Founder & Chairperson, The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives

Dr Rhishikesh Dave, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Marwadi University

Channelizing the Power of Collective Action for A Social Good

Impact of The National Education Policy on Legal Education: Challenges in Implementation

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Gap Between the Knowledge, Training, and Employability in the Legal Sector

TOEFL iBT Home Edition: Helping Students to Continue their Overseas Educational Journeys without Interruption Srikant Gopal, Executive Director - TOEFL Program, ETS (Educational Testing Services)

Raunaq Kakkar, Founder, Lawpreneurz

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5 Tips Not to Avoid While Choose a Fashion Designing Course Shilpi Sharma, Director, Edu Brain Academy

STUDY ABROAD

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Planning to Study Abroad in 2021?

VK Khandelwal, Chairman, Selective Education

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Channelizing the Power of Collective Action for A Social Good

By Kumari Shibulal, Founder & Chairperson, The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives

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India’s higher education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) stands well below the global average. What are the primary reasons for this, and how can we improve the ratio in future?

While education is every child’s basic right, severe poverty, deprivation and population growth are some of the reasons that prevent many children from this right to learn. Many times, students from economically underserved backgrounds do not have the financial resources to continue with their formal education.

Hence, they drop out of schools and indulge in child labour and other odd jobs to support their families. Even though the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of Higher Education in India (which currently stands close to 27%) has seen a steady increase over the years especially in terms of female GER in higher education, we are still behind many of the developed and developing countries.

Several approaches can be taken to improve the GER in India, like the Right to Education Act, passed by Parliament in 2009, aims to ensure that children between the ages of 6-14 should receive free and compulsory education. However, this act does not mention the children who don’t fall within this age group. Without education, children below age 6, who haven’t yet qualified for free and compulsory education, could fall into the clutches of child labour.

This is where we, as a community, should step in, take action and make efforts to provide the necessary means for the education of such younger children. In addition to this, flexible class timings might also help in boosting up the enrollment ratio in India. And last but not least, empowerment of educated teachers and leaders is extremely important. Private schools and prominent government schools may have highly-qualified teachers to teach their students.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Although we have made a significant increase in our literacy levels, we still have the largest illiterate population in the world

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Kumari Shibulal

Vidyadhan is the flagship higher education scholarship program under the aegis of The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives. Since its inception in 1999, Vidyadhan has come a long way, and it currently has presence across 10 states in India. Over the years, Vidyadhan has enabled over 17K beneficiary families to break out of the poverty cycle. At the helm of its affairs is Kumari Shibulal, Founder & Chairperson of The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives, who believes in the comprehensive and holistic development of children which is not focused only on academics. In an interaction with Higher Education Digest, Kumari Shibulal talks about the inception, journey and impact created by Vidhadhan so far, the commitment of Vidyadhan beneficiaries in giving back to society through Each One Teach One, and many more.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Still, in the case of underserved children, they may face difficulties in finding qualified and capable individuals who are willing to teach them.

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Since its inception, how has Vidyadhan grown over time? Tell us about the journey and impact created by Vidyadhan so far.

Both Shibu and I come from middle-class backgrounds. My father was a farmer, and we had limited means. However, our parents understood the importance of education and ensured that we got educated. Today, we have reached where we are because of their belief that education can open up many more opportunities. We came back from the USA in 1997 and wanted to participate in the social sector. It was clear to us that education has the power to transform lives, and hence we chose education as the primary focus of our philanthropic journey. We started Vidyadhan back in 1999 at a very small scale, by sponsoring scholarships for two children from the school where Shibu studied.

The numbers increased year after year, and today we enrol 1000 new children every year.

So far,17,300 scholarships have been awarded.

Currently, we sponsor 4,300 students for higher education every year through the Vidyadhan programme. We also run several other education programmes like ShikshaLokam, VidyaRakshak, Ankur, EduMentum, etc. We have scaled our operations to cover 10 states. Along with financial support, we also provide life skills training, career counselling etc. Many beneficiaries of the program are successfully pursuing their careers in medicine, engineering, etc.

Out of the vast number of applications we receive each year, we take 1000 students. Soon, we found that there were another 1000 who are equally deserving. We did not have the heart to turn any of them away. However, this needed us to build partnerships and enlist a wide range of likeminded individuals and corporates, to cater to the growing demand. This is what led us to think about approaching individuals and corporates to sponsor a child leading to the launch of “Each One Teach One”.

Today the programme is known as Vidyadhan, and the students sponsored by external sponsors have crossed 1,000. It can cost as little as INR 15,000 to 60,000 per year to sponsor a child’s graduate education. Many people can afford this and are willing to provide opportunities to

Higher Education Digest November 2020

deserving children. Vidyadhan provides an easy to use platform for anyone interested in sponsoring the higher education of a student. The program is fully transparent, with zero administrative cost, and it is a forward pay model.

The impact of Vidyadhan is significant. An impact study was conducted by IIM Kozhikode (2018), and the results were very heartening.

It revealed that within 2.5 years of completing their education, the Vidyadhan beneficiaries have been able to pull their families out of poverty. It has helped most families raise their standard of living. The students have grown in self-esteem and gained recognition and respect amongst peers, family and community.

How has Vidyadhan channelized the power of collective action by bringing the sponsors, students and beneficiaries together under one platform for a more significant social cause?

We are a country of contradictions. On the one hand, we produce one million engineers per year, and on the other hand, we have 15 million children who are out of school. Our Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at primary level is approx 85% which falls to 26% for higher education, which is far behind countries like China with GER of 43 % and the US with 86%.

As per NEP 2020, major reforms in higher education include a target of 50% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by 2035 and provision for multiple entry and exits. Our current literacy rate is 76% as compared to 17% in 1950. Although we have made a significant increase in our literacy levels, we still have the largest illiterate population in the world.

Collective action is the need of the hour and the spirit behind our motto Each One, Teach One, Reach One - if everybody (be it a corporate or an individual) takes up the responsibility to teach a student and helps us reach another sponsor, the multiplier impact will be phenomenal. This motto has helped scale Vidyadhan, both to enhance its reach, as well as the quality of its reach. Five years back, the foundation was sponsoring the education of students in three states. Today with the support of like-minded individuals and corporate sponsorship, we have been able to enhance the reach to ten states and also increase the number of scholarships.

In addition to sponsorship, our sponsors have contributed to the training and mentoring of the

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About

Kumari Shibulal The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives emerged from Kumari Shibulal’s vision to transform lives through education with initiatives like Vidyadhan, Vidyarakshak, ShikshaLokam, and other similar programs. The ‘Vidyadhan’ initiative is a scholarship programme for meritorious students from underprivileged communities, starting from 11th grade till their graduation in the degree of their choice. The ‘Vidyarakshak’ program provides children of martyrs from the Central Armed Police Forces vide BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB & Assam Rifles with scholarship and designed to support the children till 12th grade. ‘ShikshaLokam’ is an Education Leadership Platform, enabling and amplifying leadership development opportunities for individuals and institutions in K-12 education systems. ‘ShikshaLokam’ works towards solving the gaps that exist in education-leadership development space and improving the agency of actors in the ecosystem.

Passionate about doing her bit for the underserved communities, her vision (and that of the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives) is to level the playing field through education. She saw how underprivileged communities lack access and awareness to infrastructure and basic amenities and decided to act. The children are taught to help others with what they learn and give back to society and help wherever they can. Kumari Shibulal believes in the endless possibilities and potential that can be created through education.

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Vidyadhan students, raising their aspirations and being a role model for them. As I mentioned earlier, our corporate sponsors, like UST Global and Flex India, actively participated in this training and also conducted technical webinars that were open to all Vidyadhan students. Many of our individual sponsors have participated in the selection process and have gone beyond their defined role to support students during the lockdown. Apart from this, we also partner with several NGOs who are working for the welfare of marginalized members of our society like tribal, people with disability, orphans etc. to identify the right set of beneficiaries and conduct house visits of the candidates.

Our efforts may seem like a drop in the ocean. Still, the collective efforts of every individual who pledges to take up the responsibility of sponsoring one child can make a qualitative difference to higher education in the country. Our endeavour is to convert Vidhyadhan into a replicable model for others to emulate; a platform, which others can make use of and take it forward. We hope that this platform will attract like-minded people who are desirous of contributing to the cause of education, thereby paving a path for future participation in larger numbers.

COVID has undoubtedly changed the climate of the Indian education system.

What are some of the permanent shifts expected in the coming years, and how is it going to impact the students from economically weaker sections?

The pandemic has transformed the centuriesold classroom teaching model to one driven by technology. As the days are passing by with no immediate solution to stop the Covid-19 outbreak, school and university closures will not only have a short-term impact on the continuity of learning but also create farreaching economic and societal consequences.

Adopting online teaching methods is not always possible for low income private and government schools as they lack the necessary resources. In addition to these missed opportunities in terms of learning and education, the students from underserved communities no longer have access to healthy meals during this time and are subject

Higher Education Digest November 2020

to economic and social stress. This disruption in the delivery of education is pushing policymakers to figure out how to create an inclusive e-learning solution.

Apart from this, the COVID-19 outbreak has also significantly disrupted the higher education sector as well. Every year, a large number of Indian students enrol in universities abroad for higher studies. Some of these countries are among the worst affected by the pandemic. As a result, they are unsure about visiting those countries. If this situation continues, in the long run, a decline in the demand for international higher education can be expected.

The bigger concern, however, on everybody’s mind is the effect of this pandemic on the employment rate. Recent graduates in India also fear the withdrawal of job offers and lack of employment opportunities in the corporate sector because of the current situation.

Amidst the global pandemic, Vidyadhan has come forward to support the higher education of over 1000 students from the underserved communities across the ten states where it has a presence. Tell us more about the activities of Vidyadhan during this time of the pandemic.

COVID threw up unprecedented challenges for us as it did for everyone else. However, we have turned these challenges into opportunities.

For instance, COVID has removed most of the fear and misgivings, parents and teachers had in leveraging technology for education. Previously, we had a residential training programme for all the new entrees. However, owing to the pandemic this year, we were obligated to conduct it online, which we did with great success, leveraging technology. Our children attended the classes regularly, and the feedback we received was sometimes better than the previous year’s score with one of the areas we focus on training is building life skills. Our corporate sponsors, like UST Global and Flex India, actively participated in this training and also conducted technical webinars that were open to all Vidyadhan students.

However, there were around 20% students whom we could not reach through online coaching due to lack of infrastructure. We are in the process of figuring out a solution for the same.

Similarly, this year the entire selection process, including tests and interviews, will be done online. We are also mindful of the fact that some of the really needy students may not be able to attend online tests due to infrastructure issues and have decided to reach out to them over the phone. We have also increased the number of students who will be covered under the online coaching program for competitive exams like NEET/JEE since not everybody has the same access to quality education during the lockdown.

As more and more classes shift online, the sections of society that do not have access to smartphones, laptops and networks are severely disadvantaged. This digital divide may create more challenges for the underserved if we do not collectively address this right away.

One of the things we did was to reach out to those most impacted by lockdown by providing them with grocery kits. We provided 11000 kits across the states we are present in; many of our sponsors partnered with us in the distribution of the kits and identifying beneficiaries.

How are the Vidyadhan beneficiaries giving back to society through Each One Teach One and other ways?

I believe “Each One, Teach One” is the only way we can fulfil our moral responsibility to give back to society and also to make higher education accessible to all. We believe that the Vidyadhan program is well poised to achieve both. Currently, there are 4300+ students enrolled in the program. Vidyadhan has provided over 17000 scholarships and is expected to grow to 100,000 scholarships, impacting more than 10,000 students and their families in the next 5-7 years. We urge individuals, corporates and developmental sector organizations to join our movement and bring to life our vision, Each One, Teach One. Our students from Kerala have set a heartwarming example this year by collecting over Rs, 5,00,000 to provide education to other students of their community.

One of our beneficiaries, Parimala the eldest of four, studied in a Kannada-medium school in a remote rural area of Karnataka.

Her father is an agriculturist and also runs

a small shop in the village. She is the only person in her large, extended family pursuing higher education. What prompted her to take up medicine was the fact that due to a lack of education and certain prevailing social customs there were several marriages between close relatives in her village, resulting in the birth of children with severe disabilities.

She appreciates the support extended by her Sponsor and Vidyadhan who stood by her during the initial difficult period at medical college. In future, she wants to help people by creating awareness about medical issues.

Parimala’s story is an inspiration for many who wish to transform their lives and the lives of others in the community through education.

Another perfect example of a Vidyadhan scholar rising to the occasion in service of the humankind is Covid-19 Sainik Dr Manoj Kumar KV, interning as a doctor at the Gadag District hospital, Karnataka. Dr Manoj is on the frontlines of the fight against the pandemic in the country. He is currently on daily 12hour night shifts from 8 pm to 8 am. The present duty cycle is for 10 days, followed by a 14-day quarantine in a separate, earmarked building. These are just a few examples of how Vidyadhan beneficiaries are committed to giving back to society through their actions.

What are your goals for the next three to five years? What priorities will help you achieve them? What barriers are in your way?

As I mentioned earlier, our goal is to reach out to all the states in India in the next 5-7 years.

External sponsorship has helped us scale faster and reach out to a larger number of students and will continue to remain a priority for us.

As we scaled Vidyadhan, we realized that it is important to bring in partnerships. These partnerships are not only about sponsorships, but it is also about mentorship and creating opportunities for employment. Over the past 20 years, it has become a ‘pay it forward’ movement. Individual and Corporate sponsors are using the Vidyadhan platform to bring in change through education. Our challenge is to reach out to more and more youth and at the same time, build these partnerships.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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COVER STORY 18

Higher Education Digest November 2020

SHOOLINI

UNIVERSITY

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INSPIRING ENGINEERS

THROUGH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

By Navya Venkatesh

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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T

he pandemic has pushed the world to drastically reinvent ways of coping with the ‘new normal’. After the initial phase of a complete overhaul, it is critical to understand the changes in the higher education sector.

E-learning will gain more significance now, as this is what saved the scholars from complete loss of studies. The new normal of the future is definitely

Higher Education Digest November 2020

‘Blended Learning’. Being the first university in India whose faculty took to the online platform from the very first day of lockdown, Shoolini University started providing online lectures on academics, practical lessons, and even SPRINT programs for students to enhance their skills and prepare them for interviews.

“We have a unique AI-based model that prepares students for interviews in real-time. Students can use

About Brig. Neeraj Parashar (Retd.)

Brig Neeraj Parashar is an Engineer of repute with vast experience in the field as well as in academics. He served in the Corps of Engineers of Indian Army for 35 years, where he executed numerous engineering tasks and large engineering projects in the field, often in difficult and remote border areas, under challenging circumstances. He has served as Assistant Professor at the College of Military Engineering, Pune and subsequently Head of Department Of Civil Engineering at the same institution. He has held various prestigious technical and administrative assignments during his long career in the Army, including in the Military Engineer Services and Border Roads Organisation. After retirement, he has taken up a second career in the field of academics to train young engineers and contribute towards nation-building. Simultaneously he is also pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering.

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a friend, Siqander, to get feedback on their interview skills, so they are prepared for the real one well before it begins”, remarks Brig. Neeraj Parashar, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Shoolini University.

A frontrunner in the field of using ICT-enabled tools and online resources for effective teaching, Shoolini University has been making rapid strides, blending the latest ICT technologies completely into their academic

culture since the lockdown. The university has already been using its own online learning platform, Learninns, which helped them shift online quickly and seamlessly, without any loss of academics and knowledge to students. “Our regular classes began just three days after the lockdown. We also asynchronously conducted exams, and the results for final exams are already out”, adds Brig. Neeraj. Launching a series of successful

Higher Education Digest November 2020

webinars almost immediately after the lockdown, where highly regarded and recognised speakers from all walks of life interacted with the students, the university could collaborate with experienced academicians and professionals from distant locations, who shared fascinating stories and valuable lessons with them.

Having conducted various COVID-19 awareness programs through its Yogananda Webinar Series, Shoolini University’s researchers have worked to the best of their abilities to find a solution against COVID-19. “We developed an ‘in-house’ sanitiser and distributed it in the neighbourhood and among faculty members”, adds

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Brig. Neeraj. During the lockdown, some of Shoolini University’s international students and faculty from outside the state remained on the campus. The university maintained the required COVID-19 protocols until the time they were able to get back home. He affirms, “When the campus started functioning, complete care was taken, such as daily thermal checking at the entrance, sanitisation, and wearing of masks.

These were made compulsory, and nothing was left to chance”.

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India’s finest library, the Yogananda Library, enables 24x7 learning and it has a subscription to EBSCO, which includes more than 2 lakh e-books and 10,000 research journals.

An Abode for Knowledge and Learning Set up in 2009, Shoolini University is one of the few private universities to focus on research and strongly believes that it will bring India to the forefront in exploration and innovation. Duly recognised by the UGC, the university offers quality placements and world-class faculty. Shoolini University has been ranked in the top 291-300 Universities in Asia by the prestigious QS Asia rankings and has achieved very high ranking

in various parameters including first in India in citation index. This ranking place the university at 37th position in the country (7th amongst private institutions in India and 2nd in North India). Shoolini University is also among the top 150 universities ranked by NIRF, 2020 (National Institutional Ranking Framework), MHRD, Government of India. Ranked among the top 25 private universities in India by Atal Ranking, the Department of Engineering and Technology at Shoolini University has been ranked as 112th in India in NIRF rankings, 2020. “ One of the top patent filers in the country, we have filed more than 400 patents. Our university has an H-index of more than 65, more than 100 MOUs globally and NAAC accredited as of now. Our mission is to provide worldclass education, and our vision is to be a top 200 global

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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Shoolini University is built around the foundation of deep research and innovation capabilities

university by the year 2022�, points out Brig. Neeraj.

Aiming to create a goal-driven ecosystem for students that allows them to explore their boundaries, Shoolini University is looking at providing better education by bringing some global speakers and faculty to interact with their students regularly. Additionally, several national and international tie-ups are on the anvil.

The idea is to give students new avenues to explore their potential.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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The students at Shoolini University design and fabricate projects during every semester as a part of their curriculum. They are proactively involved in research and the university inspires them and guides them to convert their ideas into patents. Technical fests are organised every year so that students can present their innovative ideas. “Our students have filed more than 130 patents, published research papers, and won numerous prizes for projects”, points out Brig. Neeraj.

Preparing Students for the Future-Ready Industry Providing online SPRINT programs to enhance their skills and prepare them for interviews, Shoolini University also hosts Guest speakers, Webinars, Placement Drives, International job opportunities, and Student Exchange programs. Access to world-famous

online learning platforms, Edx and Coursera has been provided to students so that they can gain the latest knowledge related to their discipline. Brig. Neeraj points out, “We also have some of the best research facilities, cutting-edge laboratories, et al., to inspire and motivate our students to think outside the box and come up with pioneering research”.

Benefitting academia as well as the industry, Industry-Institute collaborations help in career prospects, research funding, awareness of industry trends, and inspiration by application-derived discussions, along with access to extended networks, thinking outside the box, training, ability to find new talent to hire and access to specialised, world-leading resources. Shoolini University has collaborated with several industries related to Engineering & Technology, like Anand Automotive, Microtek, Oliver

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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Wyman, Genpact, etc. Industrial training and visits are conducted for students in every semester.

Shoolini University has also started the Visionary Learning Community of India (VLCI) Program pioneered by Padma Shri Professor Shoji Shiba. The aim of the program is to create great visionaries/leaders to upgrade the standard of the Indian manufacturing sector and to create industry-ready students. This VLCI program has helped the university to be recognised as the ‘VLCI Regional Center for Excellence’ for implementing VLCI program with the collaboration of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). “We have placed more than 80% of students every year. Companies like Khanna Papers, Vegazva,

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Microtek, Havells, Tata Hitachi, GNA, etc., have been the key recruiters for the previous batch”, states Brig. Neeraj.

Continuously updating its curriculum in consultation with the industry, Shoolini University has prominent industrial as well as academic personalities for their board of studies. To keep their students updated with the technological developments in the industry, the university offers B. Tech Mechanical Engineering with Specialisation in Digital Manufacturing and Digital Manufacturing as a subject at the PG Level. Working to enhance research output and patent feasibility, Shoolini University envisions to be one of the leading Global Universities by 2022.

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

An Entrepreneur’s Passion of Accelerating a Social Change Through Technology

By Avneesh Chhabra, Social Entrepreneur, Founder & Director of QAUSE

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What has been the impact of COVID-19 on digitally deprived children? What should we do to support people on the wrong side of the digital divide?

With the emergence of COVID-19, NGO closures have disrupted education for most of the kids in rural areas. Many kids are stuck in domestic violence households, all their ways to escape have been shut, and all ties with the outside world are disconnected for them. To maintain the engagement of children is quite critical now, and technology can be the saviour here. It is not known how long children will remain stuck at home, but one thing that we are sure of, children need to keep learning​. ​This whole COVID-19 situation changed the digital divide from a problem to an emergency. Even when things were normal, these kids from low-income communities continued to fight for access to academic resources. Pursuing their passion seemed like a dream.

We all have witnessed an exponential pace of technological change in the last few years, and the internet has entered all possible dimensions of human existence. However, still the marginalised sections of the society are unable to stay in the tech curve mainly because of lack of awareness. I​ f we make technology available to them, it might change things, not just for now but even when things get normal. This will not only enable them to stay connected with their passion but also explore other dimensions of their interests.​ It’s time that we understand that internet access is not a luxury.

They are already fighting in this dire situation, let us make it a little easier for them. What we can least do is help them nurture their passion and introduce them to the world of opportunities.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

My journey as a social entrepreneur has been evolving and much more than just about philanthropy, it is about making an impact on the upliftment of the society

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Avneesh Chhabra

Avneesh Chhabra is a changemaker and technology enthusiast, who always wanted to give back to society while serving his passion. He aims to bridge the gap between donors and NGOs, to build a community that has its foundations on aspirations, positivity, and compassion, and to create a platform for less – fortunate kids to upskill their talent. Avneesh is not only demanding the upliftment of marginalised communities but also dedicatedly working for it by creating the awareness of digitisation. Being intricately connected with NGOs, Avneesh realised that due to lack of resources the talented kids were losing on hopes, and PassionGuru, an initiative by Quase has enabled them to pursue what they love! In an interaction with Higher Education Digest, Avneesh talks about his vision of creating an inspiring platform for the underprivileged kids who rarely get a chance to pursue what they love doing by getting them access to passion mentors. He also talks about his journey as a social entrepreneur, his plans for Qause and PassionGuru, and many more.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

About

Avneesh Chhabra Even while handling his family business, a legacy of dealing in Saffron, Avneesh never gave up

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on business. In his initial days of joining the firm, he single-handedly upscaled ‘Baby Saffron’, the 180-yearold enterprise by seamlessly integrating technology with the traditional methods and automating the production unit. Avneesh has been continuously working towards creating a wider platform and expanding team of change-makers and onboarding more volunteers to support various causes. Giving back to the society in enormous innovative ways possible is what he finds joy and satisfaction in.

The emergence of a pandemic and announcement of the new education policy gave Avneesh a fresh perspective to make the young generation more imaginative and future-ready via vocational education.

In May 2020, he launched PassionGuru, a free platform offering online passion-based classes for NGO kids and less-fortunate teens across India. In a short period, PassionGuru has gone beyond the boundaries and is now successfully training more than 1000 kids in 13 states united by 8 different artforms.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

What is the reason behind launching PassionGuru? How are you helping NGO kids and less- fortunate teens across India to pursue what they love?

In a world that is driven by technology, it is debatable whether the adequate priority is given to the marginalised sections of the society. While we marvel over the human ingenuity that has given us a way to reach out to the world, it warms our heart, even more, when we hear about the usage of technology by the less fortunate ones.​ PassionGuru is one project that was launched to make the kids from low-income communities believe in their passion and pursue what they love!

On our frequent visits to the NGOs, we interacted with the kids and asked one simple question “What do you want to become?” and we got some expected answers like ‘Doctors’, ‘Engineers’ or ‘Lawyers’, but when we twisted our question a little, they all stood up starry-eyed. The question was “What do you love to do?” and we got answers like “I love to paint”, “I love dancing”, they started opening up their artbooks, and we were amazed by the response. That’s when we realised that passion is what makes people happy.

And this is how PassionGuru came into the picture!​ PassionGuru is conducting free online passion-nurturing classes for less-fortunate kids by collaborating with experienced mentors in different art forms like martial arts, freestyle dance, kathak, sketching & painting, rhythm, yoga, singing, and sign language.

Most of the households, even in slum areas, got hold of at least one smartphone and if we can make them use it wisely then that small screen can do wonders! We recharge their data packs and teach them step-by-step to get into our passion-centric classes. So, if you know a kid who possesses some talent, enrol them in these online passion classes and give them their chance that they deserve!

These kids are throwing away their bags of doubts about earning money by following their passions with PassionGuru. The initiative is showing them the path that will groom them to enter a world where turning passion into a profession is possible. The advanced levels of PassionGuru are guiding these less-fortunate kids to reach their full potential and opportunities awaiting them.

Tell us about your journey so far as a social entrepreneur. What are the problems you try to solve through your social enterprises over the years?

My journey as a social entrepreneur has been evolving and much more than just about philanthropy, it is about making an impact on the upliftment of the society. All

these years I’ve met inspiring people who gave up everything to bring in social change, the people who are dedicatedly working towards various social causes and witnessed stories of change; all they lack is the desired support and a way to reach out to the world.

Digitisation is pervading across society, but still, some sectors need a surge, and one of them is NGOs. The conventional operation systems of the nonprofits are building a gap between the causes and the changemakers. It is now essential that the causes meet the changemakers and the best way to do so is to bring them close to the NGOs working towards making a positive impact on society. Qause is that platform which tends to make a significant impact on the way NGOs operate and how people collaborate with them on various levels.

We are not only building the trust of the donors but also connecting reliable volunteers to these NGOs. My idea is to bridge the gap between donors and NGOs, to build a community which has its foundations on aspirations, positivity, and compassion and bring the passion back into learning for less-fortunate kids with our initiative PassionGuru.

My intention has always been not just to pin out the issues prevailing in the society but also find innovative and progressive solutions for it.

Tell us about the founding story of the Qause.

What are the significant challenges you faced in the beginning, and how did you overcome those challenges?

The striving story that led to the advent of ‘Qause’ is nothing extraordinary! The whole idea emerged with a simple question “How To Give Back To The Society using Technology?”

I’ve been visiting various NGOs for the past few years now. After delving deeper into the different operational platforms of a myriad of NGOs and understanding the limitations that they face, I decided to add the crucial part that has been missing in the world of NGOs, i.e., Technology/Web Presence. Realising the pivotal role of NGOs in elevating the socio-economic status of the country, Qause stood up as a catalyst to strengthen the foundations of NGOs across India. Enabling a proactive platform for NGOs to adopt the highest standards of governance and bringing a sustainable change in the lives of people who deserve better, Qause aims to create an equitable relationship of trust, strength, and empathy between NGOs and the contributors.

In the initial stage, when you reach out to people with intent to help them without expecting something in return, they tend to doubt you. You are not readily

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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32 accepted, but you have to stay still and make them believe that you are there for a purpose, and there is no fine print. That’s what we did, and now we have more than 300 NGOs registered with us. We trained our on-ground team for face-to-face interaction with the NGOs to explain the step-by-step process of using our Qause App and avail the services for free. This was all new to them, so it was highly important to make them understand how it is going to benefit their operations.

Consistency and selfless service were key to building this trust.

What are the services that Qause offer today, which makes it unique?

To survive in today’s rapidly changing world, digitalisation has become an integral part and to help the NGOs remove redundancies and get the desired support from the world, integration of the conventional records into a digitised system is highly essential.

Because of the lack of technological awareness, NGOs are unable to get the desired community engagement

Higher Education Digest November 2020

and support. To be positioned well in the tech curve, NGOs need to adapt to this digital transformation, and that’s what Qause is there for!

Through our network, organisations are building their online presence, increasing their credibility and sharing their mission strongly with the digitally active world effortlessly. With our ever-growing team of motivated volunteers, Qause is providing the NGOs required assistance in the field of content, design, social media marketing, and translations, all in their preferred languages. Not only the aspiring volunteers but also the interested donors now find it easy to support the causes of NGOs. This is much different from other Donation platforms because we sell smiles and happiness, not sadness and pity! That is what makes us unique in this space.

Our project Qause abides “Inspire Change, Upliftment Humanity”. It is a blended form of social service and enterprise that serves the requirements of NGOs and brings them to the tech curve, which is the need of the hour.

and social entrepreneurs. The big companies can consider donating their old technology to the NGOs. Another major implementation that can contribute to the development of non-profits is mandatory hours of contribution or donation per year for each individual in India, earning above 6 lacs p.a.

What advice would you give to the social entrepreneurs who are starting?

To create social change, you must become strong enough to shake up the existing system. It’s about standing against the norm, believing in your vision and trusting your ability to make that change.

What are the difficulties in setting up a social entrepreneurship venture in India?

Not much. It is like registering any other Private limited company. No difficulties.

In your opinion, what are the significant challenges young social entrepreneurs in India face?

I believe India is one of the best countries for social entrepreneurs as it not only provides exposure, capacity building but also a trusting community of social-change leaders. There is so much that needs to be done, and there is a myriad of opportunities to use innovative ideas to solve problems on a communal scale.

What are some initiatives that the policymakers should implement to promote the development of sustainable social enterprises?

Monthly/quarterly panels should be organised to create collaborative action between the government

Tell us about your plans for the Qause and PassionGuru. What are your short-term and longterm goals?

Driven by collaborative action to accelerate social change, Qause is actively building a digitised community of NGOs and serving their digital needs for free. We are aiming to register more than 500 NGOs by December 2020 and get them free presentable web profiles with the ability to take online donations. Our long term goal is to shape a global community of committed leaders who share and support the idea of bringing the change with the help of digitisation, while unleashing their potential as changemakers. We aim to create a liaison with over 5000 NGOs and an exponential no. of volunteers to create an ecosystem of giving back using their time and skills.

Our nation-wide project PassionGuru aims to nurture the unexplored talents of the kids. We have been giving mentoring sessions in various artforms like Kathak, sketching & painting, freestyle dance, rhythm, yoga, singing and other art forms. We are not only giving these kids hope but also making them believe in their passion.

The long term idea of the project is to create an employment ecosystem for these kids and get paid assignments. To facilitate our very own mentorship program that identifies a handful of students from the basic PassionGuru program and takes them towards building a sustainable career with a new generation skill like graphic design, video editing or similar that the student is passionate about. These skills have no entry barriers and don’t require years of studying.

We have already impacted the lives of more than 1000 kids across 14 states, and we aren’t stopping yet! We are aiming to impact the lives of 5000 students by December 2020.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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ACADEMIC VIEW

Impact of The National Education Policy on Legal Education: Challenges in Implementation

By Dr Rhishikesh Dave, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Marwadi University

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T

he National Education Policy 2020 broaches some significant changes for the entire spectrum of Higher Education in India, and legal education will also not be an exception. The discourse on this subject has become an important one as NEP will change legal education in ways more than one and the institutions imparting legal education will have to make substantial changes in the way it is offered. A major role has to be played by Bar Council of India in incorporating the changes envisaged in NEP to the legal education in India.

Legal education in India is primarily imparted by 3 kinds of institutions, a. National Law Universities b. State and Central Universities c. Private Universities They offer either a 3-year law program or a 5-year integrated law program. This variegated approach of offering combined degrees will be fraught with serious challenges in light of the implementation of the NEP by all these three types of institutions.

NEP stipulates that no professional education institutions will be standalone institutions and has to be converted to multidisciplinary institutions. All national law universities will countenance a major problem in implementing this specific norm, as most of them are highly specialised with limited infrastructure and resources. Most of them are provided with initial grants by state governments, and simultaneously they are also working on self-financed models to sustain themselves. This move would necessitate that the respective state governments provide support to these institutions financially and help them procure the necessary facilities to become multidisciplinary universities.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

NEP stipulates that no professional education institutions will be standalone institutions and has to be converted to multidisciplinary institutions

35 Dr Rhishikesh Dave

Dr Rhishikesh Dave completed his LL.M with specialisation in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws securing 2nd rank in the University. His doctoral research (PhD) was on the subject of the concept of Sovereign Immunity and International Criminal Law. He was awarded Doctoral Scholarship by The Hague Academy of International Law. He has vast academic and administrative experience.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

About

Dr Rhishikesh Dave Dr Rhishikesh Dave’s areas of interest are Human Rights, International Humanitarian Laws, Conflict of Laws, Criminal Law and Law of Evidence, His academic career spanning more than a decade has seen him working as Assistant Professor at Gujarat National Law University and later on Registrar of the same University.

Before joining Marwadi University, Dr Dave served as Dean, NMIMS University School of Law and before that as Dean, School of Law at Galgotias University. He was also Area Head, Criminal Law Department of Law and Academic Coordinator at Institute of Law, Nirma University for 3 years. He has organised various Moot Court Competitions, Workshops, Conferences, Seminars etc. He was also the Faculty Advisor, Centre of International Humanitarian Law Studies, ILNU. He has conducted various workshops with National and International Agencies and has also been judging Moot Court Competitions; Inter American Human Rights Moot Court Competition, Hong Kong Red

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Cross Moot Court Competition, to name a few. He has lots of National and International publications to his credit. Recently he was awarded Academic Excellence Award in Legal Desire Summit & Awards 2018.

Dr Dave has joined Marwadi University with a mission to provide a world-class Law School in the Saurashtra Region.

Another challenge that will be faced by all institutions imparting legal education is to provide multiple exit options. As of now, individuals who have completed their law degree can only practice the legal profession after recognition by the Bar Council of India. However, now those who exit after one year or two years, either after getting their certificate or diploma will find no career options suitable for their qualification. Further, the concern is that in a 3-year law program, the subjects that are taught are only law subjects. Still, when it comes to a 5-year law program, in the first 2 years, most of the subjects that are taught are non-law subjects, so in this case, it begs the question how can a student be provided with a certificate

Higher Education Digest November 2020

or diploma in law after studying for just two years in such a course? Here, the major issue encountered will be the arduous task of restructuring the subjects taught to facilitate multiple exit options. Further, most of the law subjects are interconnected and interrelated, giving exit options will lead to a situation where it might attenuate the complete understanding of a subject.

The NEP has caused a profusion of such questions, and the above paragraphs adumbrate only a few of them. From my perspective, even though there will be undeniable challenges in its implementation in letter and spirit, NEP is a wonderful policy and will definitely bring a positive impact on the entire education scenario of India.

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Higher Education Digest September November 2020

Higher Education Digest August 2020 November 2020

E

ngineering education in India faces significant challenges as it requires meeting the demands of the technical profession and emerging job market. Like every segment of society, engineering education has undergone profound change during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shuttered campuses have turned to virtual learning, with engineering faculty forced to adopt new technology for teaching and to figure out how to turn what is often a hands-on education into a remote practice. Institution-wide, students are dealing with the loss of on-campus jobs and housing and an increased need for financial aid. Universities are taking budget hits from refunding student payments for housing and dining and expecting drops in future enrolment.

The shift from offline to the online mode of teaching is a behavior change and both learners and educators will take time to adapt to this “new normal”.

While going online is a brilliant way to provide access to quality education any time and anywhere, and equip our educators with the resources they need, a few components of teaching-learning — laboratory training and social aspects of university life — will have to be kept offline for the holistic development of students. Faculty members are learning innovative approaches to teaching that will promote effective professional development for their students.

With that in mind, we at the Higher Education Digest present to you the “25 Most Innovative Engineering Colleges in India”. Featuring these colleges, we aim to present their efforts in helping students step into the industry of their choice with ease and develop an educational ecosystem, by bringing efficiency in the current education system, to support our growing economy, and be recognized and commended by all.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

College Name

City

Amity School of Engineering And Technology

Noida

Uttar Pradesh

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

Anand Engineering College

Agra

Uttar Pradesh

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Pilani

Rajasthan

BMS College of Engineering

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Coimbatore Institute of Technology

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

DKTE Society’s Textile and Engineering Institute

Ichalkaranji

Maharashtra

Pune

Maharashtra

Meerut

Uttar Pradesh

Hyderabad

Telangana

K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Manipal Institute of Technology

Manipal

Karnataka

Pune

Maharashtra

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

DY Patil College of Engineering

IIMT University International Institute of Information Technology

MIT World Peace University

Higher Education Digest November 2020

State

College Name

City

PES University

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Priyadarshini Institute of Engineering and Technology

Nagpur

Maharashtra

Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology

Kochi

Kerala

Rajgad Dnyanpeeth Technical Campus- Shri Chhatrapati Shivajiraje College of Engineering

Pune

Maharashtra

Ramaiah Institute of Technology

Bengaluru

Karnataka

RV College of Engineering

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Solan

Himachal Pradesh

SRM Institute of Science and Technology

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

SSN College of Engineering

Chennai

Tamil Nadu

Thiruparankundram

Tamil Nadu

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies

Dehradun

Uttarakhand

Xavier Institute of Engineering

Mumbai

Maharashtra

Shoolini University

Thiagarajar College of Engineering

State

Higher Education Digest November 2020

ANAND ENGINEERING COLLEGE

CREATING A CONDUCIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 42

FOR FUTURE ENGINEERS

C

hanges are always accepted if they are in the line of growth of any organization. After COVID -19, changes in higher education and the introduction of new education policy has given more flexibility to the student to enhance their knowledge and education level. Digital learning will be leading in imparting tomorrow’s education, and many new trends are picking up momentum across the globe. Multidisciplinary and flexible pedagogy that afford transferable skills and customized learning will succeed. Indian academia has needed transformation, long before the onset of the pandemic.

New Education Policy has more flexibility and was long expected, which has come during this period, now the execution

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of this policy will make a new beginning in the various dimensions of education. There is an opportunity to rethink the traditional education system now.

Faculties are being called upon to redesign course content to meet the current and future needs. “Postpandemic times could see a blend of e-learning and mainstream face-to-face teaching with a boost from traditional universities and the educational, technical sector�, opines Dr Shailendra Singh, Director, Anand Engineering College (AEC).

AEC was established in 1998 at the 17th milestone on Agra Delhi National Highway. It has Six Engineering branches (Computer Science, Mechanical,

Higher Education Digest November March 2020

Electrical, Electronics and Communication services, Civil, and Biotechnology). We have BBA, BCA, B.ED, B Arch, B Pharma, M Pharma, M ED, and MBA courses available with qualified and diligent faculty members. Having one of the best state-level stadiums that can seat 10,000 people and an excellent 400-meter athletic track, the institute has a spacious football ground where they hosted the Asian junior school football championship, which happened in India last year. A hub of learning, extracurricular, and sports activities, Dr Shailendra opines, “We envision of creating an ambience of excellence, inspiring valuebased education, research, development, and aspires to

About Dr Shailendra Singh

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Dr Shailendra Singh has completed his B.Sc. Engineering from DEI, Dayal Bagh, Agra, M. Tech from IIT, Delhi & Ph. D again from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1999. He has a total of 26 Years of Teaching & Research experience.

At present, he is working as a Director of Anand Engineering College, Agra. He has published many Research Papers in International & National Journals. He has attended & organized more than 50 workshops/Conferences in India. He is a recipient of awards like, “Best Educationist Award” awarded by the International Institute of Education & Management, “Rajeev Gandhi Samman Puraskar” awarded by the Indian Solidarity Council, Delhi, “Bharat Shiksha Ratna Award” awarded by the Global Achievers Foundation, Delhi, “Shining Star of India Award” awarded by the Economic Growth Foundation and “Indo-Nepal Star Gold Award” in ‘Indo-Nepal Friendship Summit’, at Kathmandu, Nepal, and many other awards. He has life membership in the “Indian Society of Technical Education” & “Institution of Engineers”.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

At AEC, sport plays an integral role within college life, developing independent minded individuals that display resilience under pressure.

create an effective interface with industry and community to impart quality education at par with the best in the country”.

Having given their college spaces for COVID Hospitals, catering to 600 beds, AEC is maintaining proper hygienic and sanitized facilities for its patients. The institute is spreading awareness about fighting the pandemic across nearby villages to the campus and teaching them what precautions should be taken during this time. “We have been spreading messages to our students to strictly follow the safety measures at their places and teach their family members, cousins, friends, and colleagues using all the digital tools”, says Dr Shailendra.

The students of AEC were asked to stop coming to the college premises in March, which significantly impacted the delivery of education.

All the courses were started again by the first week of April through eClassroom Tools, where teachers distributed notes with all practical examples to make things simpler for an average student to understand. They gave presentations in a simple and in an understanding language at a slow pace.

“Many teachers recorded their lectures and posted it to the students who time and again repeated the lessons at their convenient time and understood every bit of it”, adds Dr Shailendra.

Bringing academia closer to the industry Collaboration with industry is critical for academia to create scientific knowledge and obtain data.

Co-production exists when a research problem is framed in the context of the application and allows diffusion during knowledge production. Many ideas from research in educational institutions are put to use through collaboration between an

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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education institution and firms. Market aligned courses and to Develop skilled human resources are two main streams where collaboration survives. Currently, AEC has MOUs with RST Eco-energy Pvt Ltd., HITSAVI Electronics, Dawar Footwear Industries, MSME New Delhi, Telecom Sector Skill Council, National Skill Development Corporation, and IIT Bombay.

AEC has been pioneering in accommodating industry 4.0 as a part of the educational pedagogy. The students are trained on Industry 4.0 techniques from National Power Training Institute, Ministry of Power, Government of India, Faridabad. The institute has been taking initiatives to train the students through industrial visits to state-of-the-art manufacturing automation industries in the cluster as well. Planning to equip the students through online training and webinars from the industry partners as well, the institute has well advanced Programmable Logic Controller based labs to offer project-based learning on Industry 4.0. “Our students have been mentored through faculty who are trained on various essential technologies on industry 4.0, such as machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and Rapid prototyping and cyber-physical systems as well. The college also plans to work closely with MSMEs in the cluster to impart training program for the students as well. We also aim to execute industry 4.0 projects for the near

Higher Education Digest November 2020

sectors in the group, thereby contributing to develop socio-economic industry 4.0 solutions as well”, remarks Dr Shailendra.

The students at AEC are encouraged to identify core companies based on their respective streams. Once they have defined their short term goals, they motivate them to prepare for recruitment in these companies through Aptitude Preparatory Sessions, along with Online recorded interviews and group discussions. “We help the students analyze themselves and make them aware of the preparation needed for getting placed in an organization. These GD and PI are simulated to give students an authentic feel of the company recruitment process and make them realize their strengths and weaknesses”, says Dr Shailendra.

AEC encourages innovation and creativity in students through the Divisional level Innovation Exhibition, where students displayed their live models based on their specializations. Some students came up with their idea

generation and execution plans for their live projects. “We also organize the birthday of our former President of India Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam every year where we encourage students from all years and all disciplines to come forward with their innovative ideas”, says Dr Shailendra.

Helping Students Achieve Excellence The Entrepreneurship Cell (E-cell) of AEC is a nonprofit organization run by the students of our college that aims at manifesting the latent entrepreneurial spirit of the young students, that aspires to imbue the spirit of entrepreneurship in students and faculty community from various colleges across India, inspire and encourage them to take on entrepreneurial challenges, and assist them in their efforts to launch and run business ventures. “Through the E-cell, we have organized Dr Kalam Startup Parikrama and Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp with the help of DST – NIMAT, a seminar on Unleashing Entrepreneurship

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

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in India by Mr H P Kumar advisor to PHDCCI (Former Chairman NSIC) and Mr Mithelesh Kumar Joint Secretary PHDCCI on 10th Feb 2020 and trained our students on the schemes of MSME by Mr T R Sharma Director DI–MSME Agra, on 12th and 13th Feb 2020. Our students have a start-up by the name of ‘Kiyaari’ a web-based portal backup by professional approach that serves their customers every month”, adds Dr Shailendra.

Placement, both for final jobs and Summer Internships, is an integral part of AEC’s annual calendar of activities. The institution has a well laidout and systematic process of merging its student’s career aspirations with corporate expectations.

AEC’s Placement Department comprises of members represented by the Placement Managers and Industry Professionals. The Placement Department invites the leading companies from all sectors to the campus, where the eligible students are facilitated to go through the entire selection process. The whole process is governed by the student’s ability and performance, as well as the requirements and norms of the industry.

More than 86.19% of the students got placed last year, Twenty per cent of students got even two offer letters from various companies. Companies like HDFC

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Asset Management, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro Technologies, NTT Data, NIIT Technologies, and many other companies from banking, software, consultancy, digital marketing, IT service sectors, Manufacturing and logistics, education, etc., have hired students from AEC. Dr Shailendra adds, “The average package offered to the student was 3.1 lakhs per annum. Our Students this year have got the highest package of 12.4 lacs in the company Extramarks – The Learning App”.

While some students are pursuing further studies in universities abroad and serving in different Indian companies and MNCs, and running an NGO, Kartavya, that teaches labour class children after their college hours, other students of AEC are serving the society as prominent IAS officers, making the institute proud of their achievements in the last two decades.

AEC today has degree programs in engineering, management, education, pharma, architecture, computer application, and several interdisciplinary areas. Running classes in digital mode using different types of digital tools to overcome the situation of COVID -19, the institute is in talks of creating virtual labs for all engineering streams to enhance learning.

Witnessing a change in teaching methodology as

AEC has 75000 sqm sports area with facilities for various sports like Gymnasiums, Billiards, Yoga & Meditation, NCC, NSS, Karate, Taekwondo, Table tennis, Badminton, Football, Cricket, Basketball & Volleybal.

a blend of classroom and online teaching in many courses, Dr Shailendra concludes, “These changes will make the student body more diverse in their interests and educational offerings which would also benefit us by developing expertise in areas related to the needs of the local industry and business�.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

The Struggle and Survival of Affordable Private Schools During Pandemic

By V.L. Ramakrishnan (Ramki), CEO, and Jacob Abraham, COO, Shiksha Finance

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Despite being a viable business with proven profitability, what are the significant challenges for Affordable Private Schools (APS) in India?

Ramki: Affordable Private Schools (APS) have emerged as an important alternative to government-run schools in India due to their superior quality education. However, APS have their own sets of issues. These schools face difficulties in setting optimal school/tuition fees due to government regulations. They also require funding to improve their infrastructure. APS are also faced with the three major challenges of running any school – unavailability of qualified teachers, delays in fee payments and management of students’ commute to and from school How are APS adjusting to the COVID-19 crisis and what behaviour can be expected in the post- COVID world?

Ramki: In our experience, we have seen that APS are struggling to cope with COVID-19 as several parents struggle to pay tuition fees. In the post COVID world, APS will focus more on building infrastructure for digital education. The resumption of “brick and mortar” or traditional offline teaching will take place with adequate social distancing norms. It is likely that a shift-based education system will be introduced.

The role of digitization and technology in education today – what is the level of preparedness of APS? What are their common problems?

Jacob: As a lot of APS are struggling to stay afloat due to the pandemic, there has a general resistance to change and technology.

APS are faced with various challenges concerning digitization.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Shiksha has paid attention to the unique needs of its customers, both school owners and parents of students from low-income families

Ramakrishnan

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Jacob Abraham

During COVID-19, Affordable Private Schools (APS) in India are struggling to upgrade their infrastructure and to adapt to a new reality. Shiksha Finance, a non-bank finance company (NBFC) founded by V.L. Ramakrishnan (Ramki) and Jacob Abraham in 2014, is one of the only three lenders that serve the financing needs of APS in India. The company has financed over 2,500 schools across Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. In the last four months, Ramki and Jacob have personally met hundreds of parents and school heads. Now, they are very well attuned to the concerns of schools, teachers and parents, and are well informed on the challenges facing APS and how they are planning to restart operations. In an interaction with Higher Education Digest, Ramki and Jacob talk about the struggles of APS to upgrade their infrastructure and to adapt to a new reality, issues faced by parents of students from low-income families due to the pandemic, support of Shiksha Finance for the changing needs of schools as well as parents, and many more.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

About

Jacob Abraham 52

A Chartered Accountant, Ramakrishnan (Ramki) is the CEO of Shiksha and oversees the broad strategy and overall business. Before Shiksha, Ramki was the co-founder and the CFO of a Suryodaya Microfinance (a leading microfinance institution that transformed into a small finance bank). Ramki has extensive experience on the ground and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services space with extensive experience in retail lending at organizations such as Development Credit Bank, GE Capital and Cholamandalam Finance.

Firstly, the school administration does not have enough knowledge about technology and its uses for education. They are apprehensive of deploying technology for education as they do not want to incur high costs. A lot of the schools believe that the pandemic will not last long, so they are hesitant to invest in a shortterm problem. Another problem faced by APS is the fact that the majority of the teachers are still adjusting to the new normal of imparting knowledge through electronic devices like computers, smartphones and tablets. Teachers doubt the effectiveness of online education versus traditional face to face teaching. APS also face issues from an infrastructure point

Higher Education Digest November 2020

of view, like the availability of hardware and internet connectivity.

Are teachers in APS well equipped to handle the shift in teaching online?

What kinds of training for skill development is required?

Jacob: Teachers in APS are not well equipped enough to handle the shift in teaching online.

They require soft skills training to get them acclimatized to the new normal. Teachers are faced with the challenge of controlling a classroom remotely and holding the attention of students. Teaching complex subjects online is difficult for them especially when interactive

sessions online are often interrupted for connectivity related issues.

Teachers are used to quizzing students on current topics being covered and penalizing students in case of non-attention or bad behaviour. Due to remote teaching, these measures are often not possible.

Teachers are also unable to take “surprise tests” or on spot exams to evaluate their students’ progress. A lot of the teachers we have spoken to also say that they are struggling to juggle their professional and personal lives, as online lessons from home have distorted school timings.

How are APS able to retain teachers and students?

Jacob: APS were unable to pay salaries to teachers for a while, but they have started paying the salaries that were not paid up to August. All this while, APS have been communicating to the teachers that they will be paid even if they teach online from their homes. Students are being assured that the rigmarole of exams and evaluation measures will be less stringent, given the pandemic and shift in teaching methods. APS have also been communicating to parents of students that there will not be an increase in fees this year, on the contrary, fees may get reduced. Students are also constantly assured that they can reach out to their teachers for one on one telephonic conversations to clear their queries and to make sure that their grasps on subjects remain strong.

What are the issues faced by parents of students from low-income families due to the pandemic?

Ramki: The pandemic has had a huge toll on parents of students from low-income families. In addition to their incomes being affected during this time, parents have to worry about their children’s remote education. A lot of parents do not have computers or laptops for their children’s online education.

Tablets and smartphones are a luxury, and in the best-case scenario, the father in the family will have a smartphone. The children in the family take turns using the smartphone for their e-learning. There has even been a tragic case where a girl child committed suicide as she did not get her turn to use her father’s smartphone for her online class. In addition to the availability of devices, connectivity issues also arise.

Students are losing out on the comfort of meeting a teacher one on one to clarify queries. A lot of them are hoping their syllabus will be reduced once school reopens, however, this is unlikely as all topics are being covered during online classes.

Students are also being deprived of social interaction like meeting friends/playing during break time and having snacks and lunch together.

What do parents think of digital/ online education? What are the barriers to access online education? What are the efforts of Shiksha Finance to address the digital divide in India?

Jacob: Parents are sceptical about online education and need time to accept its viability. The positive mindset of school owners and teachers is key for this acceptance to take place. The biggest barriers, as mentioned before, are connectivity, hardware availability, repair facilities and turnaround time for the same. Also, joint studies which generally happen in the school system are absent due to social distancing norms and pandemic fears.

Shiksha has started funding for school going students from September, and we have commenced this with an intent that the loans given by us to parents could also be used for the purchase of computers, tablets, mobile phones and for enriching the connectivity related issues like wi-fi and broadband. We have also commenced giving loans to schools for them to invest in digital infrastructure.

We are encouraging school owners to think and look at a larger picture of using digital education to supplement the normal mode of teaching even after the pandemic gets over. For parents, we are encouraging them to explore digital devices so that they can use various apps and search engines like Google for their knowledge enrichment.

Have you seen an increase in student dropouts? Do you expect more dropouts in the coming months?

Ramki: We are seeing students opting to drop out from private schools, and we see an increase in enrolments in Government and Government aided schools. Dropouts may increase if lockdown is reintroduced again, which we believe is unlikely.

However, we are not seeing massive dropouts of students from schools which is positive.

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About

V.L. Ramakrishnan (Ramki) 54

Jacob is the Chief Operating Officer at Shiksha and oversees finance, operations and IT. A Chartered Accountant, Jacob has over 18 years of experience across finance and insurance companies, with significant expertise in finance, strategy, credit and underwriting. He has worked with Royal Sundaram Insurance, Chola Insurance, Cholamandalam Finance and PwC.

How is Shiksha Finance supporting the changing needs of schools as well as parents during these difficult times?

Ramki: Shiksha has paid attention to the unique needs of its customers, both school owners and parents of students from low-income families. As mentioned, we have started providing loans to school going students from September, so that parents can ensure that their

Higher Education Digest November 2020

children have uninterrupted education and access to quality education is not denied due to the pandemic.

These loans would help pay for tuition fees as well as any other materials needed for online education. We are also providing loans to schools so that they can tide through this crisis, improve their infrastructure for digital learning, train teachers and provide the best education outcomes.

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

DKTE SOCIETY’S TEXTILE AND ENGINEERING INSTITUTE

NURTURING LEARNERS WITH RELEVANT AND CONTEMPORARY 56

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

I

f the story of DKTE Society’s Textile and Engineering Institute could be summarised in five words, it would be “Becoming Unshakeable through the Storm.” Why? Because in 1980, when the decentralisation of power loom Industry in Ichalkaranji, a western region in Maharashtra, was taking place at a breakneck pace, there was a dearth of institutes that provided good technical education that could cater to the industry’s need of skilled technical manpower.

This is where nine co-operative organisations from Ichalkaranji stepped up and banded under the leadership of Mr K. B. Awade in 1981 to form an Education Society. “This Society was named after Shri Dattajirao Kadam, a veteran leader and an ardent co-operator, and who was instrumental in the development of the Textile Industry

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in Ichalkaranji. Thus, the Dattajirao Kadam Technical Education Society, popularly known as DKTE, came into existence with a view to start institutes and colleges to cater to technical education in the field of textiles, engineering, management and other related disciplines,” recalls Dr. P. V. Kadole, Director, DKTE Society’s Textile and Engineering Institute.

DKTE Society started its Textile and Engineering Institute with a Diploma course in Textiles on 26 September 1982 on a no grant basis in the State of Maharashtra. “In the year 1983–84, the institute introduced two Degree courses. Over the years, diploma, degree and post-graduate level programs

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and PhD research centres were started under the affiliation of Shivaji University Kolhapur,” says Dr. Kadole. Today, DKTE envisions to be one of the leading institutes in technical education and research through academic excellence and innovation, to serve the needs of industry and society through continuing education programs, industry interaction, entrepreneurship development and incubation. “We want to nurture learners with relevant and contemporary technical education by providing a conducive learning environment. Our mission is to imbibe attitudes, skills and values to enable them to strive for excellence and perfection in the tasks undertaken to serve the needs of the industry and society,” explains Dr. Kadole.

Overcoming the New Challenges The COVID-19 pandemic has strapped the education to drastically reinvent ways of coping with the current situation. An immediate and reliable solution to this problem was to adopt online education mode. “Considering the pandemic situation, online teaching-learning is the only option to continue education. We quickly shifted our teaching and learning process into online platforms to ensure continual learning for the students from home during the lockdown period,” says Dr. Kadole.

DKTE has chosen a variety of ways to continue education in these times of uncertainty by taking all the precautionary measures to control the pandemic. Dr.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Kadole explains, “Our faculty members are making use of online platforms and applications such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Zoom, etc. to conduct lectures. Lectures, soft skills programmes and expert lectures/seminars are being conducted on online platforms.” At DKTE, faculty members are providing learning resources to students using online platforms.

The institute has also successfully conducted online examinations using MOODLE. “In the examinations, multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) replaced descriptive questions. Oral examinations or viva-voce were conducted through online platforms,” adds Dr. Kadole.

DKTE has also collaborated with online course providers like Coursera to provide free courses to the students and keep them engaged in learning. “We have organised virtual placements for final year students, and various organisations conducted virtual interviews for our students and placement process is continued successfully in this circumstance also,” claims Dr. Kadole.

Dr. Kadole considers a complete transformation in the education system as of today’s requirement. He says, “As far as higher education is concerned, because of travel restriction and health risks, the students may not opt for their education in abroad, which will result in retention of money and the resources in the country.”

Considering the status of education, DKTE plans to focus on effective online teaching methodology, which

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About Dr PV Kadole, Director Joined in 1990, as the faculty of Textile Technology, Dr. Kadole has been working with D.K.T.E. Society’s Textile and Engineering Institute for the past 30 years. Strong textile technology professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) focused on Engineering from Shivaji University, Kolhapur. Dr. Kadole became the Director of DKTE Society’s Textile and Engineering Institute in 2011. A skilled professional in Academic Administration, Negotiation, Planning & Execution, Analytical Skills, and Textiles, Dr. Kadole holds Fellowship Member of The Textile Institute, UK and is also a member of the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEBC), USA.

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ensures the active involvement of students during the teaching-learning process. “Our students are benefited through the virtual guest lectures by industry experts of national as well as international levels. Regular online interaction with the industry experts helps the student to enrich their knowledge,” shared Dr. Kadole.

DKTE offers soft skill programmes in a well-organised structure that help the students to develop themselves in terms of presentation skills, leadership qualities, and many more. “Our students are adopting these new changes in the education system and preparing themselves for the future challenges,” states Dr. Kadole. Beyond education, DKTE has been on the frontline when it comes to fighting against the pandemic. The institute provided its girls’ hostel to Ichalkaranji Municipal corporation for COVID Care Centre.

The centre was well equipped with all necessary instruments, test facilities with a capacity of 100 beds. 3570 patients were admitted in the centre, and all were cured and got discharged from the centre. On the other side, DKTES Centre of Excellence in Nonwoven and Ichalkaranji garment Cluster Limited jointly developed multilayer face masks at Centre

Higher Education Digest November 2020

of Excellence in Nonwoven, DKTE. These masks were distributed in the community, mainly, to police officials, medical staff, health workers and the essential service providers.

Preparing Student for Industry 4.0 “With the help of digital technology, implementation of the concept of Industry 4.0 can shape the business to a whole new level, by connecting the physical with digital. Industry 4.0 allows for better association and access across

exposure to the students through conferences, workshops, seminars, guest lecturers and many more. Dr. Kadole adds, “We encourage our students to undertake sponsored projects to get handson experience. They are motivated to participate in project competitions, National/International conferences, workshops, and seminars. Here, we help them to share their ideas with the outside world by presenting their research work in National/ International conferences and Journals.” the departments, thus, facilitates to understand every aspect of the operation, resulting in better process control,” opines Dr. Kadole. Owing to the advantages associated with Industry 4.0, DKTE has added open electives such as Industrial Automation, Mechatronics, Robotics, PLC and SCADA, Enterprise Resource Planning and E-Commerce and many more in its curriculums.

To cultivate additional skill sets in an emerging area, DKTE is offering Minor specialisation and Honor Specialisation, spread over 4th to 7th semester of the B. Tech. programme.

“Minor specialisation in emerging areas in undergraduate degree courses may be allowed where a student of another department shall take the minimum additional credits in the range of 18-20 and get a degree with minor from another department. Honour specialisation in emerging areas shall be allowed as specialisation from the same department or compatible department,” explains Dr. Kadole.

DKTE recognises that generation and dissipation of knowledge through industry-institute interaction, especially for the benefit of the student, industry, and society is an essential function of any professional educational Institute. At DKTE, the culture of the institute-industry interaction existed right from the inception. “The institute, since the beginning, was directed to conduct co-operative research, integrated with graduate research, as a means of helping the industry meet the challenges facing it,” pinpoints Dr. Kadole. The institute invites eminent personalities from various reputed institutes and industries to impart practical

Being Industry’s Favorite Unlike many engineering colleges in the country, Industry-Institute interaction is a two-way process at DKTE, as companies stand to gain a lot from their collaboration with the institute. Dr. Kadole says, “We support industries in broad areas. Training at different levels in industry, testing facilities and consultancy, product/process development, process optimisation, project report preparation/project appraisals/ feasibility reports, turnkey projects, research and development for the industry are few to mention among them.” DKTE has been helping the industry in the development of products and processes. “We have also been organising training courses, workshops for the benefit of technicians and executives of the industry. This gives students a unique opportunity to interact with personnel from the industry and develop valuable relations,” pinpoints Dr. Kadole.

DKTE’s wide industry – institute interaction has resulted in agreements in the form of Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with various national and international industries. “The concept of MoUs includes collaborative research activities, training to industry personnel or faculty and staff of the institute, training to students and placements,” states

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Dr. Kadole. Indian Textile Accessories & Machinery Manufacturing Association, RIETER, Switzerland, Uster Technologies AG, Switzerland, Asahi Kasei Ltd., Japan, ITEMA, Italy, Textiles Committee (Government of India, Ministry of Textiles), Mumbai, SMIT Textile, Italy, and Swainsiddha, Kolhapur are few of the several MoUs DKTE has signed till now.

Due to strong interaction of institute with the industries, many machinery manufacturers have been attracted towards DKTE. They have offered their support in the form of donations of stateof-the-art machinery and equipment to various laboratories and workshops of the institute. “This has really helped us to have been awarded twice as ‘Best Industry-Linked Engineering Institute-2015 and 2017 ’ in the nation-wide survey conducted jointly by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII),” proudly says Dr. Kadole. DKTE is also ranked as Best Private Textile Institute in India through the survey conducted by One Planet Research – Indo Italian Research Centre.

The survey was based on Infrastructure, Academic qualities, Research & Development provided by the private institutes throughout India.

In fact, in its 35 years of the journey towards academic excellence, DKTES is consistently ranked topmost amongst all the institutes affiliated to the Shivaji University, Kolhapur. “Learning follows teaching and teaching follows Learning. Stronger the teaching-learning process, the stronger is the quality education.

In DKTE, the teaching and learning process focuses on the goals and objectives of the program,” states Dr. Kadole. The objective of DKTE’s programs is to imbibe knowledge and skills in the students

Higher Education Digest November 2020

for overall growth in the profession. These students will have a successful career in manufacturing, quality assurance, product development, technical sale segment and will have continuous learning ability for adopting constantly changing technology.

Undoubtedly, they will have the ability to take up an entrepreneurial venture.

To support students in their entrepreneurial activities, DKTE has established DKTE Technology Business Incubation supported by Department of Science & Technology GOI, New Delhi and DKTE Business Incubation supported

by MSME GOI, New Delhi and Institute innovation cell supported by MHRD, AICTE, New Delhi. “With these incubation centres, we have started ventures and starts up to complete social responsibility activities and generated employability opportunities in and around,” says Dr. Kadole. DKTE’s is also one of the top engineering colleges in Maharashtra placement wise. The institute provides good placement opportunities to the students in leading textile and engineering industries at national as well international level. “We are one of the preferred institutes by most of the textile and engineering organisations. We have an unbeatable 100 per cent placement record in textile consistently,” states Dr. Kadole.

In a world of cutthroat competition, DKTE puts forward efforts to realize the total development of the student. In addition to academics, the institute conducts literary, cultural and sports activities, which offer avenues for leadership qualities, decisionmaking abilities, team spirit, precision, analytical capabilities, socio-psychological awareness and so on. This approach makes an individual an intellectually, mature human being. Today, emerging as a winner by overcoming the challenges of the pandemic, DKTE has a wellcrafted blueprint for its future. “Twinning programmes with leading foreign Universities, gaining deemed university status, improving admission of international students and starting of programmes in the emerging areas are some of our future goals,” concludes Dr. Kadole.

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Higher Education Digest October 2020

Higher Education Digest November 2020

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

TOEFL iBT Home Edition: Helping Students to Continue their Overseas Educational Journeys without Interruption

By Srikant Gopal, Executive Director - TOEFL Program, ETS (Educational Testing Services)

64 How has been the response from students when ETS offered TOEFL at-home testing solutions in response to the pandemic?

We have seen tens of thousands of students from more than 160 countries worldwide eagerly take advantage of the increased opportunities and better admission chances at top universities that may be available to them in this unique situation. That is why ETS worked very quickly to offer the TOEFL iBT Home Edition in a record six weeks after the pandemic broke. With this version of the TOEFL iBT, students can continue their educational journeys without interruption and fulfil their application requirements during a time when in-person testing for TOEFL and other English language tests may not be as readily available.

The drive among talented students to work hard and pursue study abroad opportunities will get stronger as the world returns to normal. India is already the second-largest source of students in the world and is soon expected to become the largest. With an unparalleled record of success all over the world as students and professionals, we are working to ensure that the pandemic does not hinder Indian students from following their dreams and achieving global career success. TOEFL will continue to support the aspirations of Indian students by providing them with choices and flexibility.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

The TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is the same valid and reliable TOEFL iBT test delivered to test takers from the safety and convenience of their home monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorUÂŽ

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Srikant Gopal

Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, Educational Testing Service (ETS) develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. The TOEFL test of academic English is welcomed by more than 10,000 institutions in over 150 countries worldwide. It is universally accepted in popular Englishspeaking destinations like the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and by over 98 per cent of universities in the U.K., including 100 per cent of Russell Group® institutions.

While the examination processes taking a hit globally due to the outbreak of the pandemic, ETS is trying its best to be proactive in avoiding any interruption in the testing process. “We have worked very quickly to offer the TOEFL iBT Home Edition in a record six weeks after the pandemic broke. With this version of the TOEFL iBT, students can continue their educational journeys without interruption and fulfil their application requirements during a time when in-person testing for TOEFL and other English language tests may not be as readily available,” says Srikant Gopal, Executive Director - TOEFL Program, ETS. In an interaction with Higher Education Digest, Srikant Gopal talks about the advent of TOEFL iBT Home Edition, student support offered by ETS in times of COVID-19, key features of Recent changes in the TOEFL exam and many more.

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School and colleges closures have brought online learning providers into the spotlight. In this scenario, what are the benefits of administering exams at student homes? How can it augment the efficiency of online learning programs?

The TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is the same valid and reliable TOEFL iBT test delivered to test takers from the safety and convenience of their home monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorUÂŽ.

The test is identical in content, format, onscreen experience and scoring to the TOEFL iBT test taken at a test centre. It uses the same scoring criteria, scoring process and score scale and therefore, scores are accepted and used in the same way. As a result, the Home Edition is accepted nearly universally by all universities that accept the TOEFL iBT (whether it is mentioned on a university website or not). In addition, the at-home solution features the recent.

TOEFL Better Test Experience enhancements, including MyBest™ scores and instant, unofficial Reading and Listening scores.

Among the tens of thousands of students who have taken the test since its March 2020 launch, many appreciate the privacy and quiet that comes from taking the test in their own home, and others value the greater flexibility in the testing schedule with testing options 24 hours each day, four days per week. Test slots have currently been made available through the end of December 2020. For more information and details, students should visit the TOEFL Special Home Edition website.

In your opinion, how has ComputerBased Testing evolved in India over the last few years? How is ETS looking at the possibilities of administering exams from home in the coming years?

ETS was a pioneer in computer-based testing, in fact, the TOEFL exam was the first computerbased English Language Test in India. Since we first introduced computer-based testing in the late 1990s, many have followed in our footsteps. Although we use a computer- and internet-based testing for efficiency, and to

Higher Education Digest November 2020

About

Srikant Gopal Srikant Gopal is a graduate of the Birla Institute for Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India, and earned his MBA from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA. He has lived and worked in six countries, and has experience across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America, combining marketing and business experience from companies like Procter & Gamble and Nestle with a passion for education and student development. Srikant is also a part-time educator and teaches a course on Economics and Ethics at the Philadelphia Ethical Society.

ensure comfort and convenience for test-takers as well as best-in-class security available uniquely through the computer, internet format, we always ensure that human beings are involved at every step of our process to ensure quality and fairness. This applies to all test items, they are written by humans and pretested on humans around the world before they are put into an operational test (unlike Duolingo). This applies to our human/AI combo scoring approach where the human scoring component is the dominant one (unlike PTE and Duolingo where scoring is 100% by machines). This also applies to the Speaking section which is exactly the same experience for every test taker anywhere in the world unlike a faceto-face interview which has an inherent bias in how it is administered and the fact that is scored by the person who does the interview in that country (as opposed to our central pool of anonymous raters) We know the TOEFL iBT Home Edition has been critically important to students in recent months as we all continue to navigate this global pandemic. We plan to support student needs by making the at-home solution available as long as it is needed and providing it as an equally valid alternative to the traditional test centre version. Currently, test appointments for the TOEFL iBT Home Edition have been made available until the end of December 2020. This will allow test takers to plan months ahead and enable ETS to be nimble and flexible in responding to individual market needs as local conditions continue to change. This continued access to test options help drives equity in education and gives Indian students the same access to quality educational opportunities they had before the pandemic and that students elsewhere in the world have.

Cheating can occur in several ways, both before and during an exam. What are the efforts from ETS to control examination fraud?

We launched the TOEFL Special Home Edition to offer students the option to take the same high quality and high-security TOEFL iBT assessment in a traditional test centre or at home with 100% live, online, human proctoring.

Experts in test security and employees with experience in English-language communication were part of the team that brought this product to market. The TOEFL Special Home Edition’s requirements ensure the testing experience is similar to that of a test centre, as well as maintaining the security and integrity of the test.

ETS has long been at the forefront of combatting test security concerns, and that is no different in bringing a remote solution to the market. With more than $60

million invested in state-of-the-art security annually, the TOEFL® test offers the best security of any Englishlanguage assessment.

Test-day security procedures include biometric voice identification, facial recognition and the use of electronic wanding at test centres. The TOEFL® Speech Sample Service and test-taker photos confirm the identity of students.

All human rating is done anonymously, eliminating opportunities for fraud between test takers and interviewers. In addition, since scoring isn’t done at test centres and records aren’t stored there, opportunities for scoring fraud are virtually nonexistent.

Tests are delivered directly from ETS to the test taker’s computer, minimizing opportunities to steal content. We also employ a three-pronged approach of prevention, detection and communication designed to protect the integrity of TOEFL scores.

In addition, the ETS Office of Testing Integrity constantly monitors testing, investigates security issues and strives to ensure score validity worldwide, maintaining its long-standing commitment to reliable and secure test scores. We will continue to adopt best practices and create new technologies to prevent and detect breaches of test security.

What are the supports offered by ETS in times of COVID-19 for students?

When students register for the TOEFL iBT test to demonstrate their English language proficiency, they will receive access to the full line of official test prep resources to help them do their best and stand out to admissions officers.

Whether students are preparing for the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition or the standard TOEFL test experience, the test prep materials are the same.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of these free resources to help boost their confidence – whether they are looking to quickly brush up on their skills before test day or are just getting started: 1. The TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide offers a six-week online course with videos, quizzes and tips from expert instructors. The course was developed by experts who created, administer and score the TOEFL test, and is an interactive way to spend a few hours a week preparing for each test section.

2. The TOEFL iBT Test Prep Planner is an eightweek schedule to help keep test-takers organized, set practice goals and build the English skills needed for success on test day. It features sample test questions, scoring guides and tips for test day and beyond.

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3. The TOEFL iBT Free Practice Test is one of the newest resources available, providing test takers with a full-length practice test with real past test questions, correct responses, as well as sample Speaking and Writing responses for reference.

4. TOEFL iBT Practice Sets provide additional real past test questions broken down by each of the test’s sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.

In addition, students can: Download the TOEFL Go! app through the Apple App Store® or Google Play™ to access test prep resources from their mobile devices Follow the TOEFL® page on Facebook® and @ toefl_official account on Instagram for up-to-date information on all things TOEFL iBT. These tools provide opportunities to effectively plan, exercise time management and practice the four critical skills necessary to prove one’s English skills – Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

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What are the safety measures initiated by ETS for re-opening of test centres?

Physical test centres for TOEFL across India are steadily opening up, following all health and safety regulations and laws. For test-takers who are able to test and plan to take the TOEFL iBT test at a test centre, the safety and wellbeing of the entire TOEFL community is our top priority. Precautionary measures have been implemented to ensure a safe testing environment, including cleaning high-touch surfaces and providing wipes for test-takers to clean surfaces (e.g., keyboards, headsets, desks) before each use. Test takers are also permitted to wear masks into the test centre but will be required to remove them for check-in and during the Speaking section of the test. For up-to-date information on TOEFL tests, please visit https://www.ets.org/s/cv/ important-update/.

In addition, with the Special Home Edition of the TOEFL iBT also available 24 hours a day, four days per week, Indian students and test takers have a real choice to take the test in a test centre or at home, based on their preference and convenience.

Tell us about the recent changes in the TOEFL exam and its key features.

The TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition is the same valid and reliable TOEFL iBT test delivered to test takers from the safety and convenience of their home monitored by a human proctor online through ProctorU®. The test is identical in content, format, on-screen experience and

Higher Education Digest November 2020

scoring to the TOEFL iBT test taken at a test centre. It uses the same scoring criteria, scoring process and score scale and therefore, scores are accepted and used in the same way. As a result, the Home Edition is accepted nearly universally by all universities that accept the TOEFL iBT (whether it is mentioned on a university website or not). In addition, the at-home solution features the recent TOEFL Better Test Experience enhancements, including MyBest™ scores and instant, unofficial Reading and Listening scores.

With 100% academic content and integrated tasks that simulate the actual classroom experience, TOEFL is the only test of English communication specifically designed for the university academic context with valid, reliable and accurate scores. Admissions officers around the world know this, and that is why the TOEFL iBT is preferred over other English tests – by 9 out 10 universities in the U.S., by 8 out of 10 graduate programs in Canada, by universities in France and Germany. In addition, the TOEFL iBT test is accepted universally around the world by universities not only in English speaking countries like the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand where 100% of universities accept TOEFL iBT scores, as well as English taught programs and courses in other countries.

So, by taking the TOEFL iBT test, a student helps to ensure that they stand out in confidence among their peers for their English language skills. TOEFL scores also provide universities with the confidence that applicants are prepared to succeed at their institutions through their demonstrated ability to communicate in English in a rigorous, academic environment.

TOEFL iBT can take students anywhere in the world. Accepted by 11,000 institutions in over 150 countries worldwide, TOEFL is accepted universally in English speaking countries with 100% acceptance by universities in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in virtually every English taught the program in all non-English speaking countries like France, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and more. The TOEFL iBT® test given in test centres is also accepted for all Australia and New Zealand immigration.

Only TOEFL offers students the option to take the same high quality and high-security TOEFL iBT assessment in a traditional test centre or at home with 100% live human proctoring. Competitors have limited security measures and no live human proctoring, which could cause concerns among accepting universities and other score users.

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Higher Education Digest October 2020 November

IIMT UNIVERSITY

SHAPING STUDENTS TO BE INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY-READY 70

TECHNOCRATS

T

he faculty members of IIMT University (IIMTU) believe that education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.

“We follow modern and innovative teaching techniques that are student-centred. The curriculum is carefully and strategically designed to enhance the knowledge and skill development of a student. The syllabus is industry-oriented and caters to the dynamic requirements of the professional world”, remarks Dr T. S. Easwari, ProVC - Academics, IIMTU. In an ongoing process, the students at IIMTU are evaluated regularly based on attendance, class participation, assignment submission, research, and project works, along with their semester examinations. “This helps us monitor the effectiveness of the

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teaching-learning process closely and rectify the gaps before they become too big. All in all, education at IIMT is inspiring hope, igniting imagination and instilling the love for the learning�, says Dr Easwari.

Committed to providing a world-class education based on their core values, The IIMTU has been established under Uttar Pradesh Act Number 32 of 2016. The University has a rich legacy in the field of education and exemplary recognition in corporate, academia, and the public at large.

Being in the best private universities in North India, IIMTU offers programs at the diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level in Engineering, Applied

Higher Education Digest November March 2020

72 Sciences, Management, Hotel & Tourism, Pharmacy, Law and Health, and Allied Sciences. Also, the University inculcates an environment of Innovation and Research.

Envisioning to be a world-class university that imparts knowledge and values, providing students with an excellent learning experience, Dr Easwari adds, “We stand for academic, professional and ethical empowerment of the youth by using the state-of-the-art technology, timetested and innovative concepts, excellent infrastructure and internationally acclaimed facilitators”.

Carving out a Niche in the Industry Working in the field of education for the last 26 years, IIMTU continually strives to provide industry required education by offering courses that help them become industry-ready like Computer science and Engineering with specialization in Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning, Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Bachelor in Computer Application with specialization. Also, the institution encourages students to pursue courses on NPTEL/SWAYAM, which offers several open online courses where students get the opportunity to learn the latest trending courses in their respective fields. “We have

Higher Education Digest November 2020

various tie-ups with a reputed educational organization that have helped gain a deeper insight into research and development. We also organize many workshops and webinars to help the students update themselves according to the industry requirement”, adds Dr Easwari.

A lot of innovation and creativity is required to become a good entrepreneur. One must learn to initiate the idea with proper planning and be able to develop something new. An entrepreneur is the one who is open to ideas from others, and we always promote our students to work and think differently. A star feature at IIMTU, the Entrepreneurship Development Cell has been launched to strengthen the entrepreneurship education & research ecosystem. “Our students, Mr Akshay Raj and Mr Vaibhav Sharma, members of IIC of our institute, have participated and successfully the EDP Program Organized by MHRD’s Innovation Cell at AICTE, HQ, New Delhi. Also, we have registered the first Start-up unit “Star Technologies under IIMT Media from UP”, adds Dr Easwari.

Having major collaborations with the industry, IIMTU has MOUs/ Academic Collaboration with institutions like Cyber Jaya University, University of Kashmir, Bikaner Technical University, and many more. “We also have an

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About T. S. Easwari, ProVC Educating and implementing the teaching-learning process in the University & mentoring students towards goal setting and improving personality development skills, Dr Easwari joined IIMT University in 2008. She has specialized in Industrial Pharmacy and has completed her PhD on Nanoparticles. Posted as an Inspector for B.Pharm and D.Pharm Institutes in India on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of India, Dr Easwari received the Thirumathi Vasumathi Ammal Bharathi Endowment Award for standing first throughout the B. Pharmacy course in the college. With an academic experience of 21 years, Dr Easwari is a registered pharmacist and has attended various workshops and seminars and presented her papers as well.

MOU with IIT Kanpur for Augmentation Course in each semester (BCA, B.Sc(CS) and MCA) along with being a training partner in the field of journalism and mass communication, a venture of Amar Ujala Newspaper for field training, which has helped in our development in Academics, Research and Innovation.”, states Dr Easwari.

Imparting Education during Tough Times With the complete education sector being affected by the COVID19 Outbreak, higher education has been

mainly affected in terms of teaching and evaluation. An immediate and effective response to the crisis was to go digital. Developing robust online platforms has become necessary to offer continuity in learning. Nationally there was a call for a de facto switch to virtual teaching, learning, and evaluation, pushing a huge number of teachers into an unfamiliar mode. “The COVID-induced virtual mode will bring about several transformations in the concept of higher education institutions, their clientele, and practices”, opines Dr Easwari.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Keeping the pandemic situation on a great priority, IIMTU stepped into the digital environment. Teachers adopted various online tools like Google Classroom, Google Meet for effective teaching and learning. “Good teaching methods and practices are being done for a better understanding of the concept. Appropriate E- content is available to the students so that they can take leverage of it in the future too if required�, says Dr Easwari.

IIMTU is leading towards creating an innovation promoting ecosystem in the campus to encourage, inspire, and nurture young students by supporting them to work with new ideas and transform them into prototypes while they are informative years. At the University, every student finds a stimulating environment conducive to learning and experimentation. Regular interaction with researchers, teachers, and industry experts give the students a creative edge. Classroom lectures feature creative discussions and out of the box thinking.

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Incubator, IPR Cell, IIC - IIMTU Cell & EDP Cell, all together are creating an innovation/startup ecosystem by organizing expert talks, webinars, training sessions, workshops, screening & sending outstanding ideas to Govt. of India agencies for funding, establishing collaboration with National and international organization like PUM Netherlands, Wadhwani Foundations, recently with IIT-Ropar Technical Business Incubator for technical guidance & support”, adds Dr Easwari.

Through such lectures, students are inspired and gain motivation to cover the subjects in depth.

The University has also established the Institute Innovation Council (IIC) in collaboration with MHRD, Govt. of India, to systematically foster the culture of Innovation amongst all Students of IIMTU. “Business

Changemakers of the Modern World All IIMTians are unique in themselves, proving to the best asset to the organization and the real ambassador basking in the glory of success.

The industry-academia interface has given wide exposure to reach the pinnacle. Students at IIMT have shown remarkable performance in academics and co-curricular as well. Dr Easwari points out, “Our students got their projects appreciated and approved. Securing a Gold medal in Pharmacy added a feather in our cap. Our Alumni are placed in reputed MNCs and have even grabbed Govt jobs.

They have also displayed their mettle having their startups and are proud CEOs. Clearing GRE and pursuing further studies abroad has also buzzed IIMT at global portals”.

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The students of IIMTU have also shown their technical flair and worked for the advancement in the field of R&D, while some have carved their niche in the Film Industry as well. Getting successful in life and having a career in his dreams is sure to boast about those proud moments in a student’s life. Overall, IIMTU has proudly given good human beings to society.

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IIMTU is committed to thoughtful strategies and innovations to foster change and harp opportunities for advancements and success. Strategic planning is intrinsic in defining the path to the future. Year after year, session after session, IIMTU incorporates new goals to achieve even greater success. Enhancing their students’ overall personality, and expanding their research and development as their main motto, the University is all set to come up with more projects to help job seekers into entrepreneurs through their Institute Innovation Cell.

Planning to be acknowledged at a global level, IIMTU is consistently trying to nurture a 21st-century learning environment with advanced educational tools and practices by bringing change in the outlook and persona of IIMTians. Working on receiving grants and providing scholarships to the necessitous students which may provide more opportunities to be engaged in extensive research and creative work, IIMTU is also

on the verge of collaborations and receiving MoUs with international universities, IITs, etc. “Developing International relations with the Embassies of different nations across the world will help our students thrive in an increasingly diverse and complex context. As we meet these goals, our University will continue to be a leader in preparing its students for success�, concludes Dr Easwari.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Gap Between the Knowledge, Training, and Employability in the Legal Sector

By Raunaq Kakkar, Founder, Lawpreneurz

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W

hile there are 1300 law schools in India, some in districts you couldn’t even imagine the existence of one, and an average of 50k graduating every year, our legal education system is heavily flawed. People often get confused between the legal system and the legal education system. Your legal system is the due process followed to enforce the law, but how would you do that if your education system is flawed? If you don’t have the right knowledge to carry out the law?

Even though it is a proud feeling to have these many law colleges in India and I won’t be surprised to see that number multiply 2-3 times in the coming 10 years but the problem of quality education, still remains. While it is true when they say that it is not the school or college that matters but your own dedication and hard work, that same school or college should ideally act as a guiding angel to the student, helping him know if he is on the right path because the law, is not an easy profession.

The current norm in most law schools is making a student learn the subject with the intention of him passing the exam instead of ensuring he truly understands the law, and know-how and where to apply it because this is what would, in the end, help him get a job, that too which happens to be scarce in India especially in the legal world. As students, we are required to do a minimum of 10 internships during our stint in law school, where some students do it religiously while most do it just for the formality and that is where we are going wrong. Law is one such profession which provides multiple options for a student to pursue straight from practising, to being a corporate lawyer, to becoming a consultant or in some cases, founders of legal startups. But instead of just ticking the box of students doing their internships, the college

Higher Education Digest November 2020

Being able to sustain in this cut-throat legal profession, can only be done if you know what you want

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Raunaq Kakkar

As a law graduate from the OP Jindal Global University, Raunaq Kakkar had always been passionate about working as a criminal lawyer. However, destiny had other plans for him when he failed his law school exams, with over 25 papers to appear for the day his batch graduated.

Over the next year and a half, Raunaq took every avenue available to clear these tests – from reference books to notes, and even various channels on YouTube – but the absence of awareness on the subject and lack of a structured study pattern resulted in him failing to clear his exams once more. It was during this time that the idea of creating a platform like Lawpreneurz was born.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

About

Raunaq Kakkar 80

Despite having attended a highly reputed law

school,

clearing

exams

became

an

immense task for Raunaq Kakkar due to the unavailability of proper guidance and professors who could clearly explain complex topics. When considering the plight of other students who didn’t have the opportunity to go to a premium law school and faced similar struggles, Raunaq was inspired to create a unique solution to help his fellow students at large – all at the click of a button.

Aside from dedicating his heart and soul to Lawpreneurz, Raunaq Kakkar is an avid TEDx speaker, and has received accolades for his talk ‘Shifting Gears when Lord Murphy Strikes’. This philosophy has played a pivotal role in his life and given him a unique perspective on the ups and downs of his journey.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

should consciously help the student find his/her passion in the field of law. A student spends 5 years in that law school, nothing short of being his second home. Every student should have a mentor in their college who helps them truly understand where their happiness lies, that one field in law where they know they were meant to be. The current flaw is students are unaware during their time in law school, their only aim is to pass and do the internships because that would give them a degree. But what they don’t understand is getting a degree is the easy part of law school. Getting a job with minimum pay too is not difficult. But being able to sustain in this cut-throat legal profession, can only be done if you know what you want.

Talking about from personal experience, during my stint in law school, I did not know what I wanted.

And that was evident to my seniors during my internships at prestigious law firms due to which there was a difference in treatment towards me as against someone who knew that this is where he wants to be after school. I think our grading system in law needs to be tweaked a bit. Along with scores for law subjects, students should be graded, not as pass or fail but scored in terms of their aptitude for a particular field in law and they should be trained so that they can master this and be better lawyers.

As I have said, getting a job for a lawyer is not difficult. If nothing, he can be his own boss and start his own practice. That is the beauty of law, you don’t have to depend on anyone. But how do you become a boss when you don’t know what you want to do?

Another thing which I feel should be addressed when it comes to education and eventually, your chances of employment is developing soft skills and such life lessons which make a student fearless.

Why is it that we only had one Ram Jethmalani? Or we have one Harish Salve? They too went through the same cycle which every law student does but what made them stand out? From the cases I have heard to be fortunate enough to meet Ram sir, he was fearless. He did not worry about what others would think, his only goal was to improve himself every single day. This is a skill which many students, not just in law but in general lack. They are not fully able to come out of their shell because they fear the consequences it might have. This soft skill and life lessons is something that should be imbibed in the institutes’ curriculum for students to realise that greatness can only be achieved if you’re fearless and for lawyers who are change-makers, that is the only way.

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

PRIYADARSHINI INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, NAGPUR

PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE AND VALUEBASED 82

EDUCATION UNDER ONE ROOF

T

he outbreak of COVID-19 brought social and economic life to a standstill. Impacting every sector of the economy, the pandemic outbreak has led to the closure of all educational institutes worldwide. This interference in the education system has reminded the need for transformation in the education sector. A complete revolution in teaching and learning today has been brought about by technology. Each student gets in contact with a world-class education, which is not easy to impart by the traditional white chalk and blackboard method of teaching. This new learning is more interesting, personalized, and enjoyable. COVID-19 has forced teachers and students to continue their educational activities online. “We have organized Massive

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Open Online Courses (MOOC) for various professionals, teachers, researchers, and students, allowing them to avail high-quality learning through the world wide web�, opines Dr Vivek M Nanoti, Principal, Priyadarshini Institute of Engineering and Technology (PIET).

Located in one of the beautiful cities in Central India, PIET was formerly known as C. V. Raman Institute of Engineering & Technology.

Established in 1999 by a visionary and an educationist par excellence Hon’ble Dr Satish Chaturvedi, the campus of PIET is spread over 5 acres of land, providing worldclass facilities to its students. With wellequipped laboratories, workshops, and

Higher Education Digest November March 2020

84 well ventilated modern classrooms and drawing halls, PIET offers 8 major courses in Engineering, namely, Chemical Engineering, Electronics & Comm. Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Biotechnology.

By regularly organizing national, state, and intercollegiate festivals, workshops, and seminars, the institute allows its students to explore their talent and broaden their horizons. PIET also hosts an annual cultural fest, Saptrang, along with NCOAT Nirmiti, a Technical National paper presentation and project competition, and Aspire, state-level paper presentations and project competition, for their students to help them gain confidence in public speaking.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

The mammoth infrastructure holding state of the art laboratories, library, seminar halls, workshops, auditorium, swimming pool, gymnasium, temples, lush green lawns and many more provide a serene and healthy atmosphere for teaching learning process

About Dr Vivek M Nanoti Dr Vivek M Nanoti is a renowned Academician, administrator & management guru.

He is presently working as the Principal of Priyadarshini Institute of Engineering and Technology, Nagpur. He is also a Senate member of RTM Nagpur University ( 2018 – 22 ) & Vice Chair, IEEE Nagpur Subsection. He completed his PhD in Physics in 1996 under the sponsorship of Dept of Atomic Energy Commission ( DAE) at BARC Mumbai from Nagpur University. He has 29 years of experience in teaching, research & administration. His area of specialization/research is Materials Science (Nano Magnetic Materials, Soft ferrites, Hexa ferrites). He has published/presented around 140 research papers and guided 12 students for their doctoral research. He received the ‘Most Promising Engineering College Teacher Award’ in 2005, ‘Bharat Jyoti Award’ in 2012 for excellence in Education and Research and National award - Outstanding Academic Leader of 2019.

He is currently heading three international projects on Social Entrepreneurship, Green Economy & Fake News. He was the National Exe. Council Member of ISTE during 2012-14, Secretary cum Treasurer of ISTE Mah-Goa Section during 2003-2005 and 2009-11, and Editor, ISTE Mah-Goa Section News Letter during 2003–2011. He also worked as Editor–in–chief for the International Journal of Knowledge Engineering. He holds memberships of several professional bodies such as ISTE, IEEE, IAPT, ISCA, MRSI, STAMI, VIA, VMA, etc. He has delivered more than 1000 Guest lectures and 100 plus webinars in the last 06 months that was attended by 18,000+ participants from 23 different countries & 30 + cities in India on 42 Different topics to various sectors of society.

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Educating Students beyond the Syllabus An initiative that aims to develop a knowledge-based approach among students by conveying how knowledge promises enjoyment, employment, empowerment, and enlightenment of learners, the Knowledge Center at PIET comprises inputs from various branches of science, technology, and engineering. The institute also houses a Virtual Labs Nodal Center that includes theory, lab-manual, additional web-resources, video-lectures, and animated demonstrations, all at one place. This can also be used to give lab-demonstrations to large classes effectively.

Fostering the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity among the students and even faculties, Incubation Centre, Innovation Club, Entrepreneurship Development Cell, Patent Cell, PhD. Cell, Wisdom corridor, and Nobel Laureate corridors have been hosted by PIET. The English Club of the institute exclusively takes care of the students’ communication skills and helps the students to speak fluently in English. Apart from this, PIET has made a provision for imparting education of Foreign Language to interested students. To instill into the students’ faith in themselves, in their country and their people, and also to take care of their spiritual and emotional health, a dedicated Meditation Centre, Happiness Corridor have been set up in the institute.

Generating engineers who are knowledgeable, disciplined with high moral and ethical values, keeping pace with ever-advancing technology, the institute aims to equip students to strive forth as resourceful citizens making them aware of their responsibilities for the creation of a better world. The institute imparts high-quality technical education and research catering to the human resource pertaining to needs of industries. PIET envisions to develop quality technocrats for techno-socio-economic human reformation by providing sound knowledge and moral values to the students to face the global challenges.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

In order to prepare students to work in a globallycollaborative way, PIET is inculcating skills for creativity, communication skills, along with empathy and emotional intelligence. Working on creating content for remote learning for students in all sectors, PIET is redefining the role of an educator to mentor.

Making Strong Connections with the Industry Bridging the gap between the industry and institute, PIET established its Industry Institute Interaction (III) Cell in 2011. The cell conducts various events for the students, faculty, and industrial personnel as well to help students become market-ready. “III cell hosts and organizes Industrial meets, visits, internships, live Projects, Signing of MOU, Consultancy and R & D projects. Till now 25+ MOU’s have been signed with reputed Industries, Research Organisations & R & D labs,” adds Dr Vivek. Understanding the dream of every student to get placed in a prestigious company, PIET’s Training and Placement Department provides them with all the help and infrastructure by the Management and Principal. With almost 40 companies visiting the college for recruitment, more than 50%of the PIET students have been placed in companies like Infosys, TCS, L & T Infotech, and Tech Mahindra.

A new opportunity where collaborative teaching and learning can take on new forms, Higher Education Sector is all set to rethink the traditional education system.

Post-pandemic times will witness a blend of e-learning and mainstream face-to-face teaching with a boost from conventional universities and the EduTech sector.

Dr Vivek concludes, “With the educators redesigning course content to meet the current and future needs, we are encouraging collaborations among teachers and faculty members that would benefit students as well as the teachers”.

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Higher Education Digest November 2020

STUDY ABROAD

Planning to Study Abroad in 2021?

By VK Khandelwal, Chairman, Selective Education

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ith COVID-19 affecting travel for international studies around the world, many students looking to apply for their higher education abroad at the end of 2020 or in 2021 are confused.

As the situation is developing rapidly and is evolving each day, students have several questions regarding their higher education.

We will answer some of your most pressing concerns with studying abroad plans.

Can I apply to study abroad in 2021?

In most instances, the short answer is yes. If you are looking to begin your study in 2021, there are applications and intake options available for the spring of 2021. Due to travel restrictions, though you are unable to attend campus physically or travel to the country, several universities are working closely with their government to create study options for prospective and current international students.

For countries with strict border constraints, colleges and training providers are providing prospective international students with the ability to start their degree online, with a transfer to on-campus options as soon as the border restrictions ease down or travel arrangements are in place for international students.

Listed below are some of the most recent changes. However, as the situation is developing and changing rapidly, we suggest keeping up-to-date with the latest news from the official government and university outlets.

USA The USA has no travel restrictions and welcomes international students, which means that you can apply to start your studies in the 2021 academic year.

However, from March 2020 onwards, any international student in new or original status residing outside the USA would not be able

Higher Education Digest November 2020

If you are looking to begin your study in 2021, there are applications and intake options available for the spring of 2021

89 VK Khandelwal

VK Khandelwal, the man behind the success of Selective Education, is the Founder & Chairman of one of the leading HR services company in India. With his immense experience and knowledge in education and the HR industry, he has been shaping an optimum career of students and working professionals associated with him and has been contributing to their growth. Khandelwal being the pioneer in the HR services industry, also introduced an active HR Division in collaboration with the Top MNC’s, where his team of expert professionals conducts corporate training and In-Campus placements in the most reputed colleges.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

The USA has no travel restrictions and welcomes international students, which means that you can apply to start your studies in the 2021 academic year

About

VK Khandelwal 90

to enter and enrol in a full-time course at the US university if it is conducted online.

Current students can still secure their student visas if their courses have switched to online study due to COVID-19. If they are uncertain, we suggest that students get in touch with their university. The students applying to the US for 2021 should keep up to date with the latest news and pay frequent checks on the official government website.

United Kingdom The United Kingdom is dedicated to helping international students and is available for admission in the spring of 2021.

If you apply to study in the UK, it is best to stay in touch with your university and the official government outlets, as there may be changes to your start date and campus arrangements, or you may need to start your studies online.

The United Kingdom has also announced a two-year extension of post-graduate work visas, which offers an excellent opportunity for international students to prolong their stay in the country and launch their careers abroad.

This includes all students who have begun their online studies due to restrictions on COVID-19 as long as they arrive in the UK by April 2021.

Higher Education Digest November 2020

At Selective Education, Mr Khandelwal introduced various workshops and programs for students and working professionals to train them and opt for their desired career options globally. To implement this, he appointed a team of experienced professionals with a specialization of various National/International Colleges to provide countless opportunities for students who aim to pursue quality education in India and Abroad. He had personally visited more than 200 Universities and Counselling Centers worldwide and helped over thousands of students in securing Admissions in Undergraduate and Post Graduate Programme across the globe.

Mr Khandelwal’s outstanding leadership and enthusiastic commitment is the reason behind the considerable success and growth of Selective Education. His passion for innovation in the Education industry and his constant search for new challenges have helped sustain his interest in the field.

Ireland Ireland currently has active international travel controls to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, and travel and campus controls are in effect but under continuous scrutiny.

Despite the limitations, universities in Ireland are still collaborating with government authorities to reduce disruption and welcome new students to the 2021 academic year. Depending on the latest developments in COVID-19, there may be delayed start dates, or you may be forced to start your studies by online learning until it has been deemed safe to resume on-campus learning.

Canada Canada currently has active international travel bans to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that no prospective or a current international student with a study permit authorized after 18 March 2020 can enter the country.

Although the situation is changing rapidly and a strict travel ban is in place, you can still apply to study. The Government of Canada has allowed international students to start their studies online before their application for a study permit can be properly reviewed and evaluated, so that the travel restrictions are lifted.

Australia If you apply for Semester 1 or Trimester 1 at the beginning of 2021, applications will open from August onwards, depending on the admission dates.

Although the situation is changing rapidly, you can still apply for a student visa. Many universities have switched to online studies so that international students can start their studies online until travel restrictions are lifted.

New Zealand Applications for Semester 1 or Trimester 1 at the beginning of 2021 are open. New Zealand currently has very stringent international travel bans to avoid a COVID-19 pandemic. However, universities are working very closely with the government to prepare the early-2021 intake for international students.

Although the situation is changing rapidly and there is currently no assurances if you can still apply to study in 2021. Many universities have switched to online studies so that international

students can start their studies online until travel restrictions are lifted.

Precautions: For those of you considering to enrol for spring semester abroad in 2021, we advise you to take the following precautions: Academics: Register for the online classes offered by foreign universities in case you don’t get to travel because of restrictions.

Finance: Get acquainted with the cancellation procedure and decision dates of your program.

If appropriate, do not agree to any unrecoverable financial conditions until the status of your fall, spring, or academic year program becomes more certain.

Program Dates: In addition to the normal study abroad program dates, you can prepare for at least an additional 14 days for the planned quarantine upon arrival at the host institution.

Student visas: consult with the Consulate General of the Embassy of the country where you intend to travel to infer if they are accepting proposals for student visas to enter that country.

Flights: Do not book your tickets until there is more clarity about the Spring 2021 travel guidelines. In case you still want to book your ticket, book tickets that offer discounts or full flexibility if you need to cancel or change your flight tickets.

Health Insurance: When flying abroad, make sure to bring your health insurance card with you. You are expected to enrol in an international health institution.

Travel Insurance: Buy a travel insurance policy that allows you to cancel for any reason whatsoever.

If you are confused about your options and want to know more about the changing scenario of studying abroad, you can book a session with an Edutech Counsellor. They offer personalized advice as per your situation.

They provide a plethora of information for students who aim to pursue their education in India or abroad.

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RAJGAD DNYANPEETH TECHNICAL CAMPUS - SHRI CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJIRAJE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEVELOPING COMPETENT ENGINEERS AND 92

RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

I

ndia witnessed a massive shift to remote communication in the wake of COVID-19 Crisis. Schools, Colleges, and Educational Institutions all around the world are using online learning platforms to continue the teachinglearning process. This move has changed the concept of education overnight, and digital learning has emerged as a necessary resource for education right at this moment of time. The rate at which Coronavirus has spread to different regions in India has forced the central and state governments to shut down educational institutions as a precautionary measure resulting in the disruption of the academic calendar. This problem is prevalent everywhere.

While closing campuses or moving entirely to remote have been necessary steps in slowing the spread of the virus among students and staff, these shifts have caused massive disruption to students, institutional

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operations, and institutional finances. The substantial financial impacts on colleges will ripple through local communities, given the broad economic role higher education plays in much of the country. Similarly, in India, unless contingency measures are undertaken, students looking for admissions in A.Y.2020-21 could face tough times.

While academic experts are pushing for online models of education - be it classroom teaching or tutorials, we are yet to see how effectively a nation that primarily relies on an offline mode of teaching can seamlessly transgress to an online mode of teaching and education. “Given the digital gap in

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India, how successful will the digital education model be in a country like ours? Will India be able to embrace learning anywhere, anytime? Will it lead to innovation in the field of education? As various initiatives need to be implemented and escalated further in and out of the campus so that there should be no hindering in case of educational learning and outcomes”, opines Anantrao Thopte, Founder President, Rajgad Dnyanpeeth Technical Campus (RDTC).

A Heaven of Learning RDTC was established in 2009. The college is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) New Delhi, Directorate of Technical Education (DTEMumbai), recognized by the government of Maharashtra and affiliated to the Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune. Envisioning to be an Excellent Institution for Education, Training, and Research in Engineering, RDTC aspires to develop competent Engineers along with professional skills and responsible citizens. “We have been awarded three times at the national level with ‘Excellent Emerging Engineering Institute in Rural Area of Maharashtra State’ by CII, New Delhi in 2016, Best Engineering Institute in Rural areas by ABP News Channel in 2017, and Best Emerging Technical Institute Award-2019 by Dr P. V. Pawar Research and Innovation Centre, Nashik, Affiliated to Ballsbridge University, Roseau (Dominica)”, adds Anantrao.

Offering exposure to project-based learning right from the first year, where the emphasis is on the identification

Higher Education Digest November 2020

of problems, and devising technology solutions through collaborative learning, RDTC organizes many sessions where the students get to interact with the alumni of the college, working in different sectors of the industry, which give the students an idea about the current scenario of the industry 4.0, along with the various career prospects and job opportunities. “Industry 4.0 will change the face of the CNC machine, and with this innovative technology,

roles, and tools will change. We have a CNC machine at our machine shop that is equipped with computer-aided manufacturing software. Students can quickly operate the control panels, which include web-connected programs specified by the clients”, opines Anantrao.

Coping with COVID The spread of the pandemic has drastically disrupted every aspect of human life, including education. It has created an unprecedented test on education. As precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus, deliberate measures were taken at universities and campus levels to stop the spread completely. RDTC took immediate measures like bringing into the concept of Work from Home for Staff who are involved in Teaching and Training Students.

The main challenge is to deliver the curriculum to all 750 undergraduate students. RDTC trained its faculty members in preparing quality educational resource materials for the students and in conducting live teaching-learning sessions through online platforms. Anantrao adds, “During the last six months, our faculty members have conducted close to 1000 online lectures for the undergraduate students. We conducted around 25 technical and nontechnical webinars for the benefit of our faculty and students”.

With the RDTC Campus situated far away from the city, major efforts were taken to send the student hostel resident, especially female students, to their homes safely.

“It was a herculean task to make immediate arrangements for vacating hostel in which our Management and Staff

Honourable Anantrao Thopte, Founder president (RDTC), Ex-Education Minister, Maharashtra State Founder President of Rajgad Dnyanpeeth Trust, Anantrao Thopte is the Ex Education Minister of Maharashtra. He served proactively as a sensible politician with a total serving experience of more than four decades. He has collectively worked at different portfolios right from education minister to transportation and animal husbandry department. He has played a pioneering and proactive role in the establishment of our institution. He has been involved in the process of social, economic, and political reform in Maharashtra and especially around the Pune region for the last 40 years. His visionary leadership to established academic activities from KG to PG under one roof has made our institute a name of pride in serving effectively and efficiently in the field of technical education. He implemented multidimensional activities to enhance and enrich our academic endeavours.

Our institution is working very hard under his strong leadership to reach the zenith by improvising innate qualities, adopting innovative ideas, acquiring new skills, and implementing new techniques to overcome our weakness and thus strengthening the institution.

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Relentlessly gave their unconditional support.

Currently, we are working with minimum staff on a rotational basis so that any administrative work can be done on top priority basis”, says Anantrao.

Taking centre stage in improving the educational structure that took a hit during these unprecedented times, RDTC is conducting regular online sessions, E-learning workshops, Awareness Programme, COVID related quizzes, food and shelter for the needy were provided during the lockdown. “Our Hostels were completely dedicated to the made into Quarantine centres for those who came into our Bhor Taluka place from the outside region.

Lavish Infrastructure with 24 hrs electricity along with the place situated in a hilly area which is to be pollution-free was completely utilized”, states Anantrao.

Hon’ble Sangram Thopte (Executive president-RDTC) MLA, Bhor Constituency Maharashtra

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Helping Students step into the industry RDTC has been very proactive in providing every possible platform beneficiary to graduating

students. The efforts are made in Collaborations and MoU, Industry- Internship to students, and Industry Sponsored projects. The institute has a record of consistent academic results and placement. Further ignition and fostering of entrepreneurship which have several initiatives, led to the rise of several leading business managers at state and national repute. With one-to-one interaction, grooming program, and mentoring by the faculty, we have fostered self-employment as an important goal amongst several students. “With MIDC, SME and full-fledged Training and Placement cell, Regular mock interviews, Training programs, group discussion with special emphasis on soft skills for the needful development of the students from the start of the second year itself are organized as an essential part of our academics”, point out Anantrao.

RDTC has started Research and Development cell (R&D Cell), chaired by the principal, industry member, and senior faculty members from each department and resource person. Research and Development Cell have initiated its action plan to encourage the faculties as well as students to conduct research-based activities. This cell aims to promote

faculty members and students as well as to conduct a research survey in and around industries to cater to the needs to resolve associated industrial problems. “The institute organizes various workshops, guest lectures, conferences for enlightening the research environment.

Institute has established Institution Innovation Cell (IIC) as per guidelines of AICTE, New Delhi, and MHRD to promote entrepreneurship through Industry Institute Interaction”, says Anantrao.

Intending to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship among its students, RDTC has come with an Entrepreneurship Cell that hosts activities to create awareness, mentor students, and assist them in getting financial support for their start-ups. “We have been fostering better linkages between Parent Institution, Industries and R&D Institutions in the region and other related organizations engaged in promoting small and medium enterprises including NGOs and other voluntary organizations”, adds Anantrao.

Promoting employment opportunities, RDTC effectively responds to emerging challenges and

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Dr. Bhagyashri Patil (Honorary Secretary- RDTC)

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opportunities and aspires to inculcate entrepreneurial spirit and culture among the Science and Engineering graduates and postgraduates. Anantrao says, “We conduct programs in entrepreneurship enabling skills and skill industrial development programs with updated technologies to provide need-based consultancy services to industries”.

The institute consciously takes effort to cultivate creativity in the teaching-learning process. Industrial visits, Group discussions, and ICT classrooms with audiovideo aids are used to make the teaching-learning process more effective. An innovative operating lab manual for each laboratory assignment/instrument is developed by faculty members and is made available to the students for use. The institute library has infrastructure and resources such as reference books, journal papers, E-Resources, NDL Membership, and DELNET membership for the enrichment of knowledge. “To enhance the technical skills among students, the institute organizes the technical event, ‘ANANT NIRMAL TECH FEST’, where the students can participate in technical competitions, poster presentation, and project competition”, adds Anantrao.

Providing Industry with Top-Notch Professionals Having a Training and Placement Department that is fully functional and proactive, RDTC has placed more than 1500 students across India in the last few years through On Campus/ off-campus/ Pool Campus Drives.

Around 80 Recruitment Drives are generally conducted every year. A total of 119 Placement offers in the first 30 Companies for RDTC students in the Academic Year 2019-20. “Reputed Core Companies like KSB Pumps, Alfa Laval, Godrej, Cummins, L&T Technologies, TCS, Godrej, and many others recruit our students. Also, our college T&P cell encouraged the students to participate in online registration for firms and to attend the job fairs and off-campus programs conducted at the institutional level”, adds Anantrao.

The Training and Placement (T&P) cell of the RDTC provides career guidance and organizes campus

Higher Education Digest November 2020

recruitment drives for the students. The T&P cell prepares the students for placement and overall development activities through various initiatives such as online assessment tests, soft skills development programs, Addon Courses, Group Discussions, Personal Counseling, and providing Internship opportunities to all students to make them industry-ready. “The T&P Cell also arranges special coaching for Soft Skills and other competitive examinations. We have associated with Rubicon Skill Development Pvt. Ltd. which provides necessary training programs and conducts the assessment of the students”, says Anantrao.

With the students participating in various national and international level competitions, RDTC students have secured 57th rank in “Maruti Suzuki SUPRA SAE INDIA” at, Chennai and obtained 3rd rank in “Smart City Competition Pune” State-level Competition. Securing 18th place in “Hybrid Vehicle Design competition” at Noida, New Delhi, the students qualified in the “Smart India Hackathon 2017” competition. The student team has also participated in “Gokart Championship 2020” secured 2nd rank in the 150cc category and got the prize of Best Emerging Team. Supporting their students, the RDTC student team has participated in national and international level competitions like HACKATHON, SUPRA organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Gokart organized by Nexus Motorsport.

Shaping the Future of Business and Society depends more on the education system in general and higher education in particular and the institutions of higher education. Leveraging all existing academic activities and focusing on the major challenge of getting accredited by NBA, New Delhi, for all the branches, RDTC is looking to have major Tie-ups and collaboration with foreign universities and multi-access skill development platforms globally for 100% professional growth of students. “We are in talks of strengthening our CDC and EDC Cell to help students make their presence proactive in the global scenario”, concludes Anantrao.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

5 Tips Not to Avoid While Choose a Fashion Designing Course

By Shilpi Sharma, Director, Edu Brain Academy

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n today’s world fashion designing has become highly competitive, and one of the most rewarding, alluring, and exciting career options for those students who have a flair for creativity, style, and originality. If students have a creative sight to explore the things in different forms of trends with unique fashion ideas, then the Fashion industry offers a multitude of job opportunities.

Fashion designing courses offer endless opportunities, but here are 5 major tips that students never avoid while choosing Fashion Designing Courses.

Accreditation of Education Accreditation is a big fancy word that defines the value of your degree & diploma courses. It simply means a quality check. An accredited design college or institute has gone through a rigorous check by an authority on education to make sure the college meets their standards and is qualified to teach students the programs they are offering. A degree from an accredited school is valuable.

That is why it’s so important to check the accreditation status of your fashion design institute or college before enrolling and make sure it fits your needs and expectations before spending your time and money.

Best Teaching Technique Teaching Technique in Fashion Design Education is another most important element that helps you to lead towards a lucrative future in the fashion designing industry. Before enrolling yourself into an institution, always take a trial class in a fashion institute and understand their technique and lab equipment which makes your mind clear that the design institute or college meets your

Higher Education Digest November 2020

The New Education policy helps to add more skillbased design subjects and the flexibility of choosing a degree or diploma courses as per your need in between your existing academic tenure

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Shilpi Sharma

Shilpi Sharma is a young entrepreneur and Director at Edu Brain Academy, India. She has proved her skills in vocational education and training and made her brand “Edu Brain Academy� a most trusted education brand in India. Shilpi is an eminent individual who is a part of various national and international bodies and has also won many achievement awards. Her effort in improving the teaching and learning methodology by implementing new technologies.

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expectations or not. For this, you need to analyze teaching techniques in 6 ways.

1. Visualization 2. Cooperative learning 3. Inquiry-based instruction 4. Technology in the classroom 5. Behaviour management 6. Professional development 7. Job Placement Placement is something that students start to seek while enrolling in any course or day first of their college because placement gives students the opportunity to gain skills and earn well specific to their subject or industry of choice. So, ask your College or design institute for their recruitment partners and campus placements list before getting admission in any Fashion designing courses in India.

New Education Policy Ask your Fashion Design college about the NEP friendly academic process.

The New Education policy helps to add more skill-based design subjects and the flexibility of choosing a degree

Higher Education Digest November 2020

or diploma courses as per your need in between your existing academic tenure. This policy gives importance to practical and research-based training instead of putting them into Theoretical studies. Better Skills with a high quality of education will increase their employability as per the international standards in the early stage of their life.

Internships & on the job training An internship can help you to provide a practical aspect of your course and are beneficial because they help develop your professional aptitude, strengthen personal character, and provide a greater door to opportunity. An Internship Provides Real Life Experience and Exposure. In the fashion world handson learning is key to success. By investing in an internship, you will give yourself the broadest spectrum of opportunity when seeking and applying for a job after college or completing your course. If your Institution offers an international internship, then this globule opportunity will help you to get good skills and job placement.

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