Career connect june 2016 issue (1)

June 2016 Vol 4 Issue 10

Postal Registration No. : DL(S)-01/3496/2016-18 Posted at IPMBC on the 9th & 10th same month RNI No: DELENG/2012/43525 Published on the 5th of the same month

Transforming Education, Transforming Lives In the Quest of ‘Prestige’ University Education Flavoured with Ed Tech

STATE WISE EXHAUSTIVE COVERAGE OF THE LEADING UNIVERSITIES

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June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 3

Contents

84 Pages including Cover June 2016 I Volume 4 I Issue 10 I `40

14 Cover Story

University Education : India's Asset Over the last two decades, India has remarkably transformed its higher education landscape. It has created widespread access to low-cost high-quality university education for students of all levels.

Special Feature Transforming Education, Transforming Lives....................................42

Features In the Quest of ‘Prestige’...... .................................................................48 University Education Flavoured with Ed Tech.........................................54

Course Review Liberal Education Makes You a Freeman.........................................58

Experts Opine Dr Rajendra Pandey, President, NIIT University ................................................................................................................28 Prof V K Verma, Vice Chancellor, AISECT University ..........................................................................................................30 Prof (Dr) R S Bawa, Vice Chancellor, Chandigarh University.............. ...............................................................................32 Tarsem Garg,Chancellor, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana ........................................................................34 Prof (Dr) Deependra Kumar Jha, Pro Vice Chancellor, GD Goenka University ..................................................................36

Success Story Vimlendu Jha, Founder, Swechha....................................................80

News .............................................10 Letters to the Editor ..................... 06 Events .......................................... 78

Interview

Pg: 64 - 77

Dr P K Shajahan, Dean (Students’ Affairs) and Chairperson, School of Social Work, TISS Dr CLVRSV Prasad, Principal, GMR Institute of Technology Poonam Sharma, Group Director, Accurate Institute of Management and Technology Dr S R Musanna, Dean (Academics), IMT, Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad Dr K S Badarinarayan, Principal, MS Engineering College Arti Chopra, Principal, Amity International School, Sector 46, Gurgaon, Capt (IN) Alokesh Sen, Principal, Birla Public School, Pilani, Rajasthan

Guest Column Dr J K Goyal

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Letters to the Editor

May 2016 Vol 4 Issue 09

Editor and Publisher Smiti Suri Executive Editor Samaya Chhabra Assistant Editor Dr Kirti Mudgil Pathak Principal Correspondent Ritika Arora Bhola Roselin Kiro

Best Professional Colleges of India 2016 The cover story on ‘Best Professional Colleges of India’ literally depicted “Professionalism at its Best.”The coverage of the best streams of professional education and the exhaustive list of colleges were really informative.

Great effort!

Nikita, Delhi

Special Correspondent Joydeep Banik

Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Reporter Sana Husain

Aviation is one of the fascinating careers in the emerging scenario.

I always wished to ‘fly high’ but was not actually sure how to go about it. Your article- ‘Let Your Dreams Take Flight’ enlightened me a lot to know the scope and opportunities in this career path.

Thank you for helping me out.

Director Marketing Ajeet Kumar Manager Marketing Niti Chauhan Marketing Executive Chetan Pathak Rajesh Basu Asad Mohammad

Reshmita, Assam

Marketing Support Sheetal Singh Administration Vipin Marwah Lavish Thakur Designer & Visualiser Mayank Bhatnagar Shaique Ahmad All material printed in this publication is the sole property of CAREERCONNECT All printed matter contained in the magazine is based on the information of those featured in it. The views, ideas, comments and opinions expressed are solely of those featured and the Editor and Publisher do not necessarily subscribe to the same.

CAREERCONNECT is printed, published and owned by Smiti Suri, and is printed at Compudata Services, 42, Dsidc Shed, Scheme–1, Okhla Industrial Area Complex, Phase–II, New Delhi-110020, and published at 6/31B, Jangpura–B, New Delhi-110014.

Editor–Smiti Suri

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Postal Registration No. : DL(S)-01/3496/2016-18 Posted at IPMBC on the 9th & 10th same month RNI No: DELENG/2012/43525 Published on the 5th of the same month

Best Professional Colleges of India 2016

FEATURES

Let Your Dreams Take Flight A Career to Break on the Red Carpet The ‘Judicial ‘ Commandments Lend Your Voice to the Masses

EXHAUSTIVE COVERAGE OF THE BEST PROFESSIONAL COLLEGES / UNIVERSITIES

Course Review: Hotel Management

The course review on ‘Hotel Management’ was extremely beneficial for students and aspirants like us with a ringside view of the various sub-courses and routes.

Thank you for this interesting piece of review.

Laxmi, Hissar

Interview: All-round Coverage

Law is indeed a complex profession. It is important to know the pros and cons before undertaking this profession.

The article also highlighted some important traits of this profession.

The interviews published in the June issue of CareerConnect were delightful read. You had coverage of all the streams of professional institutes and studies around the central theme. These also highlighted the importance of industryacademia linkage.

Debosmeeta Bhattacharya, Kolkata

Vibeet, Education Consultant, Pune

‘Judicial’ Commandments

Rad io Jockey as a Career

Career Around Fashion

Radio Jockeying is a cool job but is not everyone’s cup of tea. You need to be technically sound as well as creative to enter this profession.

You feature story on RJs successfully encompassed the various dimensions of an RJ. It was a good read.

“A Career to break on the Red Carpet” is not at all a smooth thing. Fashion has various aspects and you need to know the specifics to choose the best one suited for you. The article in your May issue had a simple as well as intense highlight for this glamorous career. Good one!

Rajdeep, Bhavnagar

Sampark Sood, Amritsar

Diversity of Content

The richness of the varied news, events and guest columns carried in the May issue was appreciable. The student community feels the need of such diverse coverage that is truly and consistently served by your magazine. Thanks a lot.

Pratham Kumar, Bengaluru

Stani Memorial P. G. College (Affiliated to the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur)

Estd. 1998

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August 2016 Edition

Best Mass Comm Colleges In India

2016

August 2015 Vol 3 Issue 12 January

MASS COMMUNICATION EXPANDING HORIZONS Write Your Heart Out

Broadcast Journalism

Entrepreneurship and Start ups

August 2015 Final.indd 1

APPs: The New Way to Study 01-08-2015 14:38:08

Contact us for the participation in Ranking & Advertisement

Niti Chauhan - +91-9811494495 Chetan Pathak - +91-9582000899 niti.surecommedia@gmail.com, chetan.surecommedia@gmail.com

To feature your institute among ‘Best Mass Comm Colleges in India,’ please fill up the form and send back to us.

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NEWS

HRD ministry plans to revive Vedic education he NDA-II government is planning to set up its own school board for ‘Ved Vidya’ (vedic education), although it rejected a similar proposal moved by yoga guru Ramdev recently.

The HRD ministry plans to establish an examination board under the aegis of Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan (MSRVVP) in Ujjain, an autonomous organisation working on encouraging and preserving ‘Ved Vidya’.

A five-member government panel headed

by MSRVVP Secretary Devi Prasad Tripathi has recommended an initial

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fund of ` 6 crore to set up this board.

The decision to start a Vedic education board, on the lines of CBSE, is based on the recommendation of Sanskrit

Sri Lanka takes a leaf out of Odisha government’s book 30-member delegation from Sri Lanka’s education department studied various initiatives of Odisha government for improving quality of education in their schools during a fiveday visit to the state. They said that they will propose the Sri Lankan government to replicate some best practices in education in India, including initiatives like primary education in mother tongues to tribal children, Ujjwal scheme to improve learning abilities of children, child tracking system, high enrolment and fall in dropout rate in Odisha.“We got information from the

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National University for Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) about various innovative and effective educational initiatives in India. They recommended us Maharashtra and Odisha. We visited several schools in the state and are really impressed on the way government managed a large number of schools,” said head of the Sri Lankan delegation Sagarika Dangal. The team, which included 22 women officers, visited several schools in Puri and Khurda district and studied the implementation of the guidelines of the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

experts and representatives of gurukuls and ved pathshalas, who met under the chairmanship of Swami Govindadeva Giri in Bengaluru on January 17.

India achieves the 24th rank for higher education

ccord i ng to t he QS Hig her E ducat ion System St reng t h Rankings (HESSR) 2016, India was ranked at the 24th position out of 50 in a list of overall ranking of higher education. Indian institutions scored 69.00 out of 100. The top three positions were secured by US, UK and Germany, with the score of a 100, 98.5 and 94, respectively.

The rankings in the list are an aggregate of the ranks given to countries in four categories--system strength, flagships, access and economic context. The system strength category calculates the score given to each country by dividing the number of institutions it has in 700 or above QS World Ranking with their average position in the list. India, for instance, was ranked 20th in the system strength category.

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NEWS

Intel gears up to take ‘Digital India’ a step ahead ntel I nd ia a n nou nced its latest initiative to st reng then the use of technology in the education ecosystem, in a continued effort to contribute to the Government’s Digital India v i sion . T he c omp a ny i s ai m i ng to accelerate the penetration of technology in the country’s education sector.

At the ‘Education S o l u t i o n s Te c h n o l o g y Fr a mework’ Conclave, jointly organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Intel highlighted that it is collaborating with

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All-India Education Service on cards

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reat ion of a n A l l I nd ia Education Service is believed to be one of the key recommendations of the National Education Policy committee, which submitted its report to HRD ministry recently. Sources said the panel’s r e c o m m e n d a t io n s r a n g e d f r o m pedagogy to structural changes.

The concept of all-India education service was first mooted in the 1980s by the then education secretary Anil Bordia. Later as HRD minister, Kapil

Sibal favoured the concept but failed to implement it. Dinanath batra of RSS is also in support of creation of such a service. Thematic consultations were held by HRD ministry, University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Teacher Education, National Council for Educational Research and Training ( NCERT ) a nd seve r al ce nt r al lyfunded universities and institutions, autonomous bodies, and offices.

leading device manufacturers, education digital content and publishers, as well as education solution providers, to build end-to-end solutions t hat promot e t he u se of t e c h n o l o g y i n I n d i a’s education sector.

As part of this collaboration, Intel has made available the Intel® Pentium® Processor A1020 to leading device manufacturer partners.

This processor delivers power savings and is optimal for devices designed for running education applications in semi-urban and rural India.

Delhi tops fake education boards in the country

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he national capital has t he most nu mbe r of bog u s school education boards and universities in India, dishing out fake degrees and certificates to hundreds of unsuspecting students each year.

This is worrying considering the admission season is around the corner and thousands of students, especially those who fail to make the cut in popular Delhi colleges, will be looking for options. The National Institute of Open Schooling, an approved education board under the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry, lists 47 fake boards on its website, of which 21 are in Delhi.

Of the 74 fake boards listed in the 2016 prospectus of the Indira Gandhi National Open Universit y, 44 are in Delhi. Also, the Capital has the s e c o n d - h ig h e s t n u m b e r of f a ke universities in the country, five out of 22, according to the University Grants Commission (UGC).

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NEWS

Alumni philanthropy needed in education: Rajan eserve Bank of India’s (RBI) G ove r n o r R a g h u r a m R aja n recently said that when alumni give back to the university, it is a way of subsidising the costs of future generations.

Delivering the convocation address on money and education at Shiv Nadar University, Rajan said education at high quality research universities will remain expensive for a while till technology and the people are combined better. According to Rajan, “Giving back to the university is a way of subsidising the costs of future generations, acknowledging the subsidies you received from the founders when you got your degree. I hope we develop a strong culture of alumni giving in India.”

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Referring to the sayings of ancient Indian philosophers and behavioural psychologists, Rajan said the achievement of personal goals such as greater wealth, rapid promotion or increasing renown does not bring anything more than brief

FDCI, Pearl join hands he Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and Pearl Academy recently announced a landmark collaboration to offer India’s best fashion program. The announcement was made at the finale of Pearl Academy’s annual graduating event, ‘Por tfolio 2016’, in presence of ace designers Manish Malhotra, David Abraham, Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Mishra, Sabyasachi, J J Valaya, Namrata Joshipura, Anju Modi, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Manish Arora.

In an industry first time approach, Pearl Academy’s graduating fashion students will show their final collections at Amazon India Fashion Week. Also, FDCI will be conducting masterclasses for Pearl Academy’s faculty and expose them to the latest trends and techniques.

Also, regular FDCI events will be hosted at Pearl Academy campuses where by designer members, trend forecasters and fashion editors will mentor students.

“I find them to be forward-looking, i n novat ive a nd le a de r s i n de sig n education. Their student work has been

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pleasure. He said the most enjoyable life journeys are those where a person’s goals are broader and where he takes others.

He also reflected that making education affordable will broaden access to it for all deserving students.

Give education equality to girl child: Bachchan he girl child should be nurtured, educated and treated as equal to the opposite gender, superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who is also the ambassador of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’ campaign, said recently at a gala event held at India Gate recently to mark the completion of two years of the Narendra Modi government.

Amitabh Bachchan participated in the talkathon named ‘Ek Nayi Subah’ where he addressed the audience with a valuable message around the campaign.

Pointing out at how in Indian culture, women are worshipped in different form, he said God resides where women are held in respect. “A girl child should be nurtured, educated and taken care of so that eventually they can essay a relevant and valuable role in the society.

This thought should be encouraged, and people should put i n thei r b e s t t o b r i ng u p t he g i rl ch i ld ”, Big B added.

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outstanding and I am confident that it will be further enhanced with this association.

It is an opportunity for FDCI to shape the industry for tomorrow and this alliance is a first step in that direction,” said Sunil Sethi, President, FDCI. Sharad Mehra, CEO, Pearl Academy added, “We have been associated with FDCI for multiple events but this association is a historic one and will change the face of fashion education. We welcome all the leading designers from FDCI to be a part of Pearl Academy and help mentor Pearlites to be future ready.”

COVER STORY

University Education

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Asset 14 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

COVER STORY

Over the last two decades, India has remarkably transformed its higher education landscape.

It has created widespread access to low-cost high-quality university education for students of all levels. CAREERCONNECT in this University special issue gives a ringside view about the higher education scenario of India and inspite of the tremendous growth at the university level education, what are the stumbling blocks and where do we lack?

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COVER STORY

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ndia has one of the largest higher education systems in the world comprising of 650+ universities, 35,000+ colleges and numerous stand-alone technical/professional institutions with annual enrolment in excess of 25 million students.

The instit utional f ramework of higher education system consists of Universities established by an act of Parliament (Central Universities) or State Legislature (State Universities), Deemed Universities, Instit utes of National Importance, Institutions established by State Legislative Act, colleges affiliated to a University, professional and technical institutions amongst others.

The Indian Higher Education system is the largest in the world encompassing 17 million students and approximately 34,000 institutions. However, with the population of India expected to grow over 1.3 billion by 2020, the capacity of higher education needs to nearly double, to meet the targeted Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 30 percent for the higher education segment.

This would require an investment of USD 180 billion. India needs to make sure that private universities are encouraged, and that the legislation to create them is enabling. It’s a maze right now with multiple governing bodies that have conflicting mandates. Several

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states do not yet have a State Private University (SPU) Act. As universities and institutes are so tightly controlled, there is little autonomy and flexibility in governance structures. Private universities, like governmentowned universities, have little scope for innovation in designing their curriculum. Establishing a private university typically takes at least three to four years. “Private universities have the agility and freedom to operate within the state boundary. They can decide their curriculum, affiliations, accreditations, fee, duration of courses, student admissions, faculty recruitment etc.

Gover nment universities on the other hand need to comply with a whole range of nor ms by UGC and other regulatory bodies, but also enjoy funding and patronage of the state. They are also considered safer and have a wider recognition.

What’s Trending in Higher Education?

Growing Need for Alliances International tie-ups broadly help in developi ng cu r r icu lu m , prov id i ng affiliation to a reputed brand, assisting in transfer of knowledge, placements, and student and faculty exchange.

The new progressive initiatives provide state-ofthe-art infrastructure and well-rounded, culturally, and socially relevant programmes to meet the contemporary challenges.

New Education Paradigm A new breed of instit utions is being spaw ned by large cor porate entities and educationists that aim to set global benchmarks. The new progressive initiatives provide stateof-the-ar t inf rast r uct u re and wellrounded, culturally, and socially relevant programmes to meet the contemporary challenges.

Growing Value of Accreditation Accreditation is now a definitive indicator of the quality of education. In the context of Indian Higher Education, accreditation is expected to gain a lot of traction as the landscape is marred by several poor

JULY 2016 EDITION

Best Distance Education Colleges and Universities of India 2016 Contact us for the participation in Ranking & Advertisement

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To feature your institute among ‘Best Distance Education Colleges and Universities of India,’ please fill up the form and send back to us.

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COVER STORY

quality institutions, and accreditation provides them with an opportunity to differentiate.

Growth of Online Courses The accumulation of educational content from many universities on one website would enable learners worldwide to access either the course content of any participating university or a common set of online educational tools shared by all participating universities.

Growth of Private Universities Establishment of private universities has been an important achievement in the history of the Indian Higher Education seg ment.P r ivate u n iver sit ies have witnessed tremendous growth in the past five years, as illustrated in the following exhibit. The coveted global rankings still elude Indian universities at large. Only one lndian institution features in the list of top 500 universities in the world. As per Webometrics’s 2012 ranking of global universities (20,300 Universities), only IIT Madras made it to the list of top 500 Universities in the World. Even in the Asian rankings, only IIT Madras (Rank in Asia – 66; World Ranking – 454) and IIT Bombay (Rank in Asia – 91; World Ranking – 576) made it to the list. This dismal statistic is repeated across the numerous reports issued by other ranking agencies, and is therefore a cause for concern.

Faculty

India has been facing an acute shortage of faculty in Higher Education. There is not only a 30 percent shortfall in the number of faculty members but also a huge challenge in terms of quality of faculty. As can be seen from the adjoining exhibit, the Indian Higher Education system currently a huge number of faculty members as per the UGC norms. However, considering that we need to attain a GER of 30 percent by 2020, we need to add millions of faculty members every year. The problem of faculty shortage is consistently severe across premier institutions like the IITs as well as second or third rung colleges. The government recently allowed institutions to hire expatriate Indians to make up for faculty shortage.

The Way Out

By 2030, India will be amongst the youngest nations in the world. With nearly 140 million people in the college-going 18 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

age group, one in every four graduates in the world will be a product of the Indian higher education system.

Seeing plethora of opportunities, many industrialists and corporates are eager to enter the higher education sector through private university model.

They can easily notice the pool of young people that are considered part of country’s biggest strength. The demand for education in India is everlasting and will continue to increase; therefore it is hard to say that whether these universities will be sufficient to meet such demand.

Many private universities have come up with innovative and attractive course curriculum. They have done a thorough research of all the streams and have concrete strategy to stay ahead of the competition. Many are concentrating on Liberal education with multidisciplinary fields. Others are providing intensive industry training programme in every semester and are focussing in practical education with more corporate exposure.

Some institutions of India, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institute of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), University of Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru University have been globally acclaimed for their standard of education. The IITs enroll about 8000 students annually and the alumni have contributed to both the growth of the private sector and the public sectors of India. However, India still lacks internationally prestigious universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford.

The Government should come up with policies which can boost private investment in higher education.

The private university owners should involve in not-for-profit activity where the excess revenue should be invested back for the development of the universit y. If India needs to mark its global presence in the education field, the private universities will have to play a significant role.

The canvas of our country’s higher

Indian educational landscape today is dotted with Private Universities, many having achieved acclaim for raising the bar for educational standards. education will remain incomplete without these universities.

Why We Did This Ranking?

Indian educational landscape today is dotted with Private Universities, many having achieved acclaim for raising the bar for educational standards. The journey cannot be completed without the inevitable support from the Private and Deemed Universities. Equipped with the global best practices, technology-enabled pedagogy and linkages with the industry, Private Universities have the potential to take the Indian higher education system to new heights. With this background, we have come up with a special edition on ‘Best Universities of India’. This issue highlights the viewpoints of Vice Chancellors and Chairmen of various private universities on the key issues plaguing the education sector and the opportunities to address these.

COVER STORY

Module 1

Module 4

A detai led template was sent across to UGC affiliated universities across India to measure several parameters, both online and offline.

Our template collected factual data on the following information areas:

Raw scores and weighted score for each parameter was calculated to get the perceptual score.

• • • • • •

Learning pedagogy Exposure Industry Interaction Infrastructure Placements Global tie-ups

Module 2 A geographical spread of the sample was ensured by selecting multiple starting points spread across the cities. The sample survey of over 5,000 universities was conducted in select tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 cities

Module 3 Our research team did an assessment to find out individual scores secured by the universities on respective parameters based on the received information template forms. We also did some secondary research for missing institutes.

Module 5 The perceptual and factual were added in the ratio of 50:50 to arrive at the final score.

Module 6 T he cu mu l at i ve s c ore s were calculated and the top universities were rated on the median-based ‘star’ rating process.

EXCEPTIONAL OUTSTANDING EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD SATISFACTORY NB: The universities have been rated alphabetically at each level of the ‘Star Rating’

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COVER STORY

CAREERCONNECT PRESENTS

BEST UNIVERSITI CAREERCONNECT magazine is presenting an issue on best universities of India-an extensive rating positioning of universities after analysing them on various parameters for the overall development as it is an overview of the factors concerning the Indian universities at present Name of the Universities Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi ABV- Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi Bharath University, Chennai GLA University, Mathura ICFAI University, Ranchi Graphic Era University, Dehradun Indian Institute of Technology, Patna Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar Jadavpur University, Kolkata J K Lakshmipat University, Jaipur King George's Medical University, Lucknow Lovely Professional University, Phagwara National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali National Institute of Technology, Silchar National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Coimbatore AISECT University, Bhopal Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Banasthali University, Banasthali Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani BS Abdur Rahman University, Chennai Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod Chandigarh University, Chandigarh Chitkara University, Patiala Delhi Technological University, Delhi

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RATING

                                       

COVER STORY

ES OF INDIA 2016 issue based on various parameters. The purpose behind the endeavour is to highlight of students. We believe that our rating edition will be highly beneficial for the students Name of the Universities Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar DIT University, Dehradun Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar G D Goenka University, Gurgaon GNA University, Phagwara Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla Hindustan University, Kelambakkam Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kancheepuram Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad ITM University, Gwalior Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad Jaypee University of Information Technology, Solan Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar Karnataka University, Dharwad Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur Manav Rachna International University, Faridabad Manipal University, Jaipur Manipur University, Imphal Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal Mody University, Laxmangarh National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Guwahati

RATING

                                        June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 21 June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 21

COVER STORY Name of the Universities National Institute of Technology, Patna National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli National Institute of Technology, Rourkela National Institute of Technology, Durgapur National Institute of Technology, Calicut National Institute of Technology, Surathkal National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra National Institute of Technology, Puducherry National Institute of Technology, Sikkim National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh National Institute of Technology, Uttarakhand National lnstitute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad National lnstitute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur NITTE University, Mangalore North Eastern Hill University, Shillong Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar Panjab University, Chandigarh PES University, Bangalore Presidency University, Kolkata Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Raebareli Reva University, Bangalore Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar SGT University, Gurgaon Sharda University, Greater Noida Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu Shiv Nadar University, Dadri Siksha O' Anusandhan University, Bhubaneshwar Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati SRM University, Chennai Subharti University, Meerut Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad University of Calcutta, Kolkata University of Calicut, Malappuram University of Delhi, Delhi University of Kalyani, Kalyani University of Kashmir, Srinagar University of Madras, Chennai University of Mumbai, Mumbai University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun Uttaranchal University, Dehradun Vel Tech Dr Rangrajan Dr Sakunthala Technical University, Chennai Alagappa University, Karaikudi All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna Amity University, Noida Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam Bharathiar University, Coimbatore Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai Central University of Punjab, Bathinda Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi D Y Patil Education Society, Kolhapur Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar

CAREERCONNECT < June 2016 22 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

RATING

                                                       

COVER STORY Name of the Universities Forest Research Institute, Dehradun Goa University,Taleigao Plateau, Goa Gulbarga University, Gulbarga Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati Indian Institute of Technology, Indore Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida Kakatiya University, Warangal Kalasalingam University, Virudhunagar Karunya University, Coimbatore Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam Manipal University, Manipal MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Raebareli National Institute of Technology, Warangal National Institute of Technology, Raipur National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya National Institute of Technology, Srinagar NIIT University, Neemrana Nirma University, Ahmedabad Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli Pondicherry University, Puducherry Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana Punjabi University, Patiala Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Science, Allahabad Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow SASTRA University, Thanjavur Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune Shivaji University, Kolhapur Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai TERI University, Delhi Tezpur University, Tezpur Thapar University, Patiala The Northcap University, Gurgaon University of Burdwan, Bardhaman University of Jammu, Jammu University of North Bengal, Siliguri University of Rajasthan, Jaipur

RATING

                                                        June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 23 June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 23

COVER STORY Name of the Universities Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani Vignan University, Guntur VIT University, Vellore YMCA University of Science and Technology, Faridabad Yogi Vemana University, Cuddapah All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar Anna University, Chennai Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat Assam University, Silchar Azim Premji University, Bangalore Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi Central University of Bihar, Patna Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad Gauhati University, Guwahati Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry JSS University, Mysore Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata National Institute of Technology, Goa National lnstitute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ahmedabad North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon Osmania University, Hyderabad Padmashree Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Navi Mumbai Pt Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur Sathyabama University, Chennai Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya, Kanchipuram Symbiosis International University, Pune Tumkur University, Tumkur University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore University of Allahabad, Allahabad University of Lucknow, Lucknow Vidyasagar University, Midnapur Visva Bharati, Santinikaten Xavier University, Bhubaneswar Karpagam University, Coimbatore Mangalore University, Mangalore Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar

24 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

RATING

                                               

COVER STORY

BEST YOUNG AND EMERGING UNIVERSITIES 2016 Name of the Universites

City

Azim Premji University

Bangalore

Alliance University

Bangalore

Chitkara University

Patiala

Nalanda University

Nalanda

South Asian University

New Delhi

Shiv Nadar University

Dadri

National Institute of Technology

Dadri

Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University

Varanasi

Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research

Chennai

MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Bangalore

Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology

Gorakhpur

PES University

Bangalore

International Institute of Information Technology

Bhubaneswar

Lovely Professional University

Phagwara

Sanskriti University

Mathura

Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology

Sangrur

Chandigarh University

Chandigarh

DIT University

Dehradun

SRM University

Sonipat

Kalasalingam University

Tamil Nadu

Visvesvaraya Technological University

Visvesvaraya

Saveetha University

Chennai

Vignan University

Guntur

Vels University

Chennai

Dr CV Raman University

Bilaspur

AISECT University

Bilaspur

G D Goenka University

Gurgaon

Mody University of Science & Technology

Laxmangarh

Manipal University

Jaipur

JECRC University

Jaipur

Centurion University of Technology and Management

Bhubaneswar

K R Mangalam University

Gurgaon

BML Munjal University‎

Gurgaon

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 25

COVER STORY

BEST UNIVERSITIES

(FOR RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION) Name of the Universities

City

ABV- Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management

Gwalior

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

New Delhi

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

Coimbatore

Anna University

Chennai

Annamalai University

Annamalai NagarÂ

Banaras Hindu University

 Varanasi

Bharathiar University

Coimbatore

Bharath University

Chennai

Birla Institute of Technology

Mesra

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Pilani

Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya

Sagar

Forest Research Institute

Dehradun

Guru Nanak Dev University

Amritsar

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

New Delhi

Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology

Shibpur

Indian Institute of Science

Bangalore

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research

Pune

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research

Kolkata

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research

Thiruvananthapuram

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research

Mohali

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research

Bhopal

Indian Institute of Technology

Kharagpur

Indian Institute of Technology

Bombay

Indian Institute of Technology

Delhi

Indian Institute of Technology

Madras

Indian Institute of Technology

Roorkee

Indian Institute of Technology

Kanpur

Indian Institute of Technology

Guwahati

Indian Institute of Technology

Indore

Indian Institute of Technology

Hyderabad

Indian School of Mines

Dhanbad

26 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

COVER STORY Name of the Universities

City

Indian Statistical Institute

Kolkata

Indian Veterinary Research Institute

Izatnagar

Institute of Chemical Technology

Mumbai

Jadavpur University

Kolkata

Jamia Hamdard

New Delhi

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

Bangalore

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University

Hyderabad

Jawaharlal Nehru University

New Delhi

King Georgeâ&#x20AC;şs Medical University

Lucknow

Kuvempu University

Shankaraghatta

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Vadodara

Maharshi Dayanand University

Rohtak

Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology

Allahabad

National Brain Research Centre

Gurgaon

National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences

Bangalore

National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research

Mohali

National Institute of Technology

Tiruchirappalli

National Institute of Technology

Rourkela

National Institute of Technology

Durgapur

Panjab University

Chandigarh

Pondicherry University

Puducherry

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research

Chandigarh

Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences

Lucknow

Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology

Surat

SASTRA University

Thanjavur

Shivaji University

Kolhapur

Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology

Thiruvananthapuram

Sri Ramachandra University

Chennai

Sri Venkateswara University

Tirupati

SRM University

Chennai

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

Mumbai

Tezpur University

Tezpur

Thapar University

Patiala

University of Allahabad

Allahabad

University of Delhi

Delhi

University of Hyderabad

Hyderabad

University of Jammu

Jammu

University of Kalyani

Kalyani

University of Lucknow

Lucknow

VIT University

Vellore

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 27

EXPERTS OPINE

“Formulate policies in sync with socio-economic realities”

Higher education system in India faces many problems including low level teaching quality, financing of higher education, traditional methods of teaching and supply-demand gap,” says Dr Rajendra Pandey, President, NIIT University. In an exclusive interview with Ritika Arora Bhola, the expert extensively discusses about quality education, academics, infrastructure, extra-curricular activities, placement cell and faculty, and also talks about government initiatives for higher education

28 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

How are you bringing in innovation in terms of teaching pedagogy at your college? Please throw light on the management staff and faculty.

NIIT University believes in leveraging technology for: • Higher order complex thinking • Making meaning of the study for students • Improving student’s experience and • Preparing students for futures Today’s classrooms routinely use digital resources for the teaching-learning

is developed “asThean University institution of excellence to provide exceptional education based on the four core principles that make learning industrylinked, technology-based, research-driven and seamless.

“

What sets you apart from yo u r c o u n t e r p a r t s i n t e r m s o f academics, infrastructure and other extracurricular activities?

NIIT University (NU) is a not-for-profit institution dedicated to build great careers and ensure excellent job opportunities to all its students. The University is developed as an institution of excellence to provide exceptional education based on the four core principles that make learning industry-linked, technologybased, research-driven and seamless.

We aim to provide the best education for its students. Extensive connectedness with industry is the hallmark of NU. Six months or a full semester internship with major corporate houses, industrys p o n s o r e d R & D p r oje c t s , h ig h ly experienced mentors, co-curricular and

extra-curricular activities are some of the key features of NU education system.

T h e Un ive r sit y a l s o p r o m ot e s entrepreneurship platform amongst its students. The University is equipped with state-of-the-art, technology-enabled teaching and a strong research-focused curriculum, some of which originated in NIIT’s incubation labs viz. Centre for Research in Cognitive Systems (CRCS) at IIT-Delhi campus. Seamless internet connectivity, world-class faculty, wellequipped labs and libraries, vast sports indoor and outdoor ground, lecture halls and auditoriums are some of the infrastructural amenities that students get at the University. We provide opportunity for sports, meditation, trekking and other extra-curricular activities. NU students have launched a drive called ‘Shram-Daan’ in an effort to convert the neighbouring barren ‘Kali Pahari’ to a fertile ‘Hari Pahari’. Every student participates in ‘Astachal’ in the evening at Sunset Theatre, where they are encouraged to meditate and repeatedly reminded of their role in the larger environment that we live in.

process. With the rise of internet and communication technologies, there is an exponential increase of information, which makes it impossible both for teacher and student to focus on ‘taking as much information as possible.’ Hence, NU focuses on teaching design and on learning outcomes rather than mere factual details.

At NU, the learning complexity is addressed pedagogically in the course by incorporating a value creating activitybased project in which a team of students with mixed ability levels are challenged, while providing scaffolds and positive environ ment to be successf ul. N U recognises well-designed team projects and allows differentiated instruction as well as assessment. NU also encourages faculty to design team engagements that are planned under courses so that students can practice self-directed learning. Last but not the least, another significant connectome implicating insight that literature reports is that the brain connects new information to old. In pursuance of this, NU has experimented with brain-

EXPERTS OPINE

Quality is a matter of serious concern in the higher education scenario of India. Which are the weak points and challenges at present?

The role of higher education in the emerging scenario of knowledge economy is crucial and multifaceted for any country in general and India in particular. There are many basic problems faced by higher education system in India.

• Lower level of teaching quality: Our education system faces many quality issues such as lack of faculty, poor quality teaching, traditional teaching methods, outdated and rigid curricula and pedagogy, lack of accountability and quality assurance and separation of research and teaching.

• Financing of higher education: It is not feasible for India to make massive state investments in research and development that produced researchled universities in the west such as MIT, University of California, Berkeley in the US or University of

•

•

Cambridge in Britain.

Traditional methods of teaching: Professors still stick to those older methods of teaching like board and marker. They don’t like to make use of audio-visual aids in teaching.

Also, they are not up-to-date with the information available and what global industry demands.

Supply-demand gap: Despite an average growth rate of over seven per cent in the last decade, India’s GER in higher education is very low.

India needs to drastically increase the number of places at universities and enrolment through distance learning programmes. Over the last decade, the diversity of courses offered by universities and colleges has narrowed, resulting in saturated markets for engineers, technology graduates and MBAs.

According to you, what are the most sought after professional courses being picked by students nowadays?

Fi r s t l y, t h e d i s t i n c t i o n b e t we e n ‘professional’ and non-professional is waning. Students are opting for many different programmes like economics, psychology, law, and animation design, etc. and also preferring computer science, mechanical or electronics engineering.

Do you have any policy expectations from the Government for institutes having professional courses?

Government should formulate regulations that are in sync with economic and social

Over the last decade, the “diversity of courses offered

by universities and colleges has narrowed, resulting in saturated markets for engineers, technology graduates and MBAs.

“

aligned pedagogic initiatives for team as well as individual learning from real world projects that make ‘meaning’ to students. This makes learning effective for students. NU has qualified faculty and management staff. They are equipped with domain knowledge and technological skills to practice best teaching-learning and academic administrative practices.

NU invests in its people to develop them th rough workshops, t raining sessions and encouraging them to pursue higher degrees.

realities of the time if it desires expansion of overall education, and higher education in particular.

Placement is a key factor driving admissions in professional institutes nowadays. How does the market scenario look like?

Education as a teaching domain has completely transformed and so has the placement trends. Today, placement week is being plugged out from more campuses than ever before. Many universities promote themselves as a learning centre rather than placement cell.

Engineering campuses with large batches have placements sessions running for two semesters or even more. Today, the placement procedures have become more critical. Corporates scouting for students has never been tougher, recruitment tours are getting longer, first-stage elimination tests tougher and interviews longer. Core companies nowadays plan their campus recruitments only after third quarter results. Hence, the slot-wise placement process is fading fast.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 29

EXPERTS OPINE

“Research-driven education is our stronghold”

AISECT University strives to be an epitome of excellence in education providing dynamic and world-class research oriented education facilities and boasts of a faculty committed towards the betterment of its students. Prof V K Verma, Vice Chancellor, AISECT University in an interview with CAREERCONNECT highlights some scholastic anecdotes in terms of imparting quality education which sets their university apart

30 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

How do you plan to stay af loat in today’s cut throat competition among the universities?

Quality and meaningful education can only make any institute of higher learning survive on a long-term basis.

This comes only if organisation is ready

The university has “research collaborations through MoU with more than six universities abroad and more than ten research labs, industries and institutes in India.

“

What sets you apart from other universities in terms of academics, infrastructure and other activities?

Surrounded by hills and green forests, AISECT University reminds you of a ‘Gurukul’ ahead of time with most modern facilities, preserving ancient Indian values in work culture and cur riculum. It has many essential ingredients to help this distinction. A very dynamic course curriculum with active involvement of industry experts in the Board of Studies to address employabilit y gap, sk ill deliver y and research orientation right at the undergraduate level makes us really special. We are the first one who has made a skill course compulsory in every semester.

For this initiative, we are one of only three universities in India felicitated by Ministry of IT, GoI, in the NIELIET Award Ceremony, 2014. We are also a distinguished institution which has started skill academies affiliated to NSDC and with support from industries like Tata Motors, Microsoft, Reliance, etc. Every year, a research project competition for UG students provides the right motivation for research to our students. Lab facilities and software/ hardware tools for research in the university are of excellent standard. The university has research collaborations through MoU with more than six universities abroad and more than ten research labs, industries and institutes in India. Ours is the only university which established a Research Cell at Kumbh Mela at Ujjain recently, where students are conducting research work on noise pollution/management, disaster control, thermal radiation, energy, sensors, etc.

Another aspect which sets our university apart is its national outlook. Be it Startup India-Stand Up India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India or Gramoday Se Bharat Uday, our students and faculty have associated meaningfully. Our Start-up initiatives in collaboration with CII saw large scale participation in panIndia. In three villages adopted by our university, we propagated many of our national programs very effectively.

to spend handsomely on good teachers, excellent lab and library set up, and effective teaching learning pedagogy with a strong industrial and social connect. Since inception, AISECT University focuses on quality education with st rong social and indust r ial interface. The university has developed its enti re f ramework, manpower, work culture and academics, research and skilling management system to ensure quality and professionalism to our pass-outs.

It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academic atmosphere for research output. How does your university back students to promote research and publications?

Research orientation and researchdriven education are our strongholds.

Advanced Research Labs for Material Science, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics and Renewable Energy in our campus are only of their kind in Bhopal.

We are publishing two research journals ‘Anusandhan’ and ‘Shodhaytan’ (both bi-annual), right from our inception.

In a short term of five years, faculty

EXPERTS OPINE

and scholars have published over 20 books and 250 research papers for other reputed publishers and journals.

The university has organised two inter national conferences and six national conferences on research areas, where more than 20 countries IITs, NITs, Central Research Labs and industries participated in last three years.

What are your policy expectations from the government on the Private Universities?

There are mainly four points which need i m mediate at tent ion for policy corrections: • The rules and regulations should be same for any university, be it state central or private. There should not be any discrimination. Level field for all universities is need of the hour.

• Unified single regulatory body with minimum inspection visits for private universities will reduce corruption and provide more time and energy for the universities to look into their main business of education and research.

•

•

Equitable funding to universities i r respective of being pr ivate or gover n ment w ill be i n national interest.

Provision of soft loans and g r a nt s fo r d e velo p m e nt of P r ivate Un iversit ies w ill insure quality.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been dramatically increasing i n the last few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges. Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time?

Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

Our university has developed its entire framework, manpower, work culture and academics, research and skilling management system to ensure quality and professionalism to our pass-outs.

There should be certainly a limit to number of colleges under a university.

I think maximum of 100 is a reasonable number which will ensu re bet ter monitoring, control, management, and thereby, excellence.

Real autonomy can def initely

help i n i mprov i ng qu al it y of education delivered by the university.

Mu lt iple cont rol on u n ive r sit ie s though numerous regulating bodies at state and central level defeats the so called autonomy of a university.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 31

EXPERTS OPINE

“Govt should provide research funding for universities”

Chandigarh University is a full-fledged university established by the Punjab State Legislature.

The leading university is envisioned to excel in research, innovation and entrepreneurship and is ranked among Asia’s best and fastest growing education institutes. Prof (Dr) R S Bawa, Vice Chancellor, Chandigarh University in an exclusive interview with Ritika Arora Bhola discusses about the academics, infrastructure, placement cell and expectations from the government on quality education. Excerpts:

• • •

•

W hat sets you apar t from other universities in terms of academics, infrastructure and other activities?

C h a n d ig a r h Un ive r sit y h a s b e e n envisioned as a u n iversit y with a difference. The university is professionally managed through top academicians and educationists drawn from prestigious institutions across the county. The following activities set Chandigarh University apart from other universities: Academics: • The cur riculum is designed to m a ke it c ompa r able w it h t he international universities and to meet contemporary and future industry requirements.

• Industry experts nominated by top corporates are members of Board of Studies along with prominent academicians.

• Two students one male and one female are also members of board of studies.

32 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

•

•

•

Students are given 25 per cent flexibility in choosing there semester courses.

This choice includes open electives and inter-disciplinary subjects along with up to five projects.

The university follows Completely Flexible Choice Based Credit System (CFCBCS).

The flexibilities allow students to have up to one semester abroad with the facility to transfer the credits earned.

Training for placement includes courses on Communication skills, Soft skills, Mathematical skills, Logical skills, and IT skills which are mandatory for all students of university. These mandatory papers are a part of the curriculum, for the first four semesters.

Practical is a separate paper, and lot of emphasis is given to hands on practical experiential learning.

A large number industry sponsored labs are set up in the campus.

Courses in Cloud Computing, Big Data & Analytics and Information Security are offered in collaboration with IBM. Also, MBA in Business Analytics is of fered i n associat ion with I B M . M BA i n B a n k i n g a n d Financial Engineering is offered in collaboration with ICICI Direct, Tally and FLIP.

Infrastructure: • The university has world-class infrastructure with great ambience of a clean and green campus.

• Workshops and labs have state-of-

Chandigarh University has “been envisioned as a university with a difference. The university is professionally managed through top academicians and educationist drawn from prestigious institutions across the county.

“

•

• • •

the-art equipment.

The whole campus and hostels are Wi-Fi enabled. Internet bandwidth of 1GBPS is available on the campus.

The university has 50 buses of its own.

Hostel facilities for over ten thousand students available.

Other Activities: The university has constituted a Corporate Advisory Board with 150 plus members including the senior officials of top corporates like CEOs, Country Head of MNCs, Vice President, HR Heads and other senior officials. Students and faculty have the benefit of on the floor training FDPs etc through corporate technical experts. More than 350 companies came for placements resulting in more the 45000 placement offers and highest package of more than 23 lakhs during 2015. During 2016, there was 1600 plus placements in a day. company including 573 offers by Wipro alone.

How do you plan to stay afloat in today’s

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It is often heard that India does not have conducive academic atmosphere for research output. How does your university back students to promote research and publications?

Chandigarh University is committed to excel in research and innovation along with entrepreneurship.

• University provides a number of incentives to its faculty for doing research, publications and procuring research projects.

• University encourages its faculty to pursue PhD and currently more then 200 faculty members are doing PhD. • University promotes research among

• •

•

•

•

students and have started publication of ‘Jour nal of Under Graduate Research’ where under graduate students are initiated into serious research.

For i nter nat ional a nd re puted publ icat ion s, ca sh pr i ze s a nd Teachers Day Awards are given.

Annual appraisals and incentives are given on the bases of primarily the research publication and research innovation etc.

The University organises annual in novation day th rough which students are encouraged to give innovative ideas, defend their ideas, and finally arrive at the productive use of these ideas.

Last year, innovation day resulted in 1041 ideas. After defence by the students 40 ideas were selected for further development.

Finally 25 patents have been filed on the bases of this innovation competition.

What are your policy expectations from the government on the Private Universities?

Expectations from the government are: • There should not be over regulation.

• Preferably only one regulatory body that is, UGC should oversee and regulate the universities.

• G o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d p r o v i d e research funding at par with public universities.

• G o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d p r o v i d e regional research support centers

Chandigarh University is “committed to excel in re-

“

cut-throat competition among the universities?

The University plans to stay af loat in today’s fiercely competitive world by: • Professional management of the university.

• Quality assurance in all its activities.

• Providing a student centric system.

• Ma k i ng a ca dem ic at mosphe re inspirational learning centric.

• Designing cur riculum which is globally acceptable and industry relevant.

• Providing inspirational learning experience to produce socially sensitive professional leaders.

• Affording all career options to the students.

• Promoting excellence in Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

• Introducing futuristic and innovative new courses.

search and innovation along with entrepreneurship.

•

by establishing latest and costly equipment for universities including private universities.

Student scholarships, concessional bus passes and other student related incentives and suppor t should be provided at par with public universities.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been dramatically increasing in the last few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges. Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time? Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

I agree that number of affiliated colleges with the state university have become unmanageable for some universities.

• Yes, the quality of output is a matter of concern.

• Providing autonomy to all institutions cannot be a solution because it may further affect the quality of output.

• The actual solution and a pragmatic approach could be a more strict regulation by affiliating universities and giving autonomy to some outstanding institutions with at least 25 years of standing and ‘A’ grade

by NAAC.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 33

EXPERTS OPINE

“Our students are our strength” Maharishi Markandeshwar University (MMU), a leading University in North India offers quality education in various professional streams. It also gives equal importance to research, innovation and skill development which is the need of today’s education system. Tarsem Garg, Chancellor, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana in an interview with Roselin Kiro shares the success story of the University on the completion of 23 successful years and how they keep themselves on toes to reach to new heights of success

In its journey of 23 years of rich academic excellence MM University has:• A n a l u m n i b a n k o f o v e r 25000, “Success Stories” –Our a mb a s s a d o r s s e r v i ng a c r o s s the globe in different industries & categories.

• 5 M i l l i o n S q . F t . B u i l t - u p Area – world class 1500 seater Auditor iu m, 20+ Seminar 34 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

Education is the most “powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. The importance of education in the development of a country cannot be underestimated, as it is the tool which alone can build a progressive and prosperous society and inculcate national and cultural values.

“

What sets you apart from other universities in terms of academics, infrastructure other activities?

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

The importance of education in the development of a cou nt r y can not be underestimated, as it is the tool which alone can build a progressive and prosperous society and inculcate national and cultural values.

Halls, Over 320 Hi-Tech Labs, 230 + L e ct u r e T he at e r s , 20 0 (1:1) Mbps Internet Bandwidth, Wi-Fi campus, 15 Air-conditioned & computer ized Librar ies, Host el s for 6 0 0 0 + st ude nt s , International Hostels.

• World class Sports Complex and 16 acre Stadium including Yuvraj Singh Cricket academy The world of MM University has: • Over 10,000 students from 25 countries and 29 Indian States • 200+ courses.

• 1300+ Dedicated Faculty MM University, Mullana is a place like no other, rich serene location, 200 acre campus, well connected to most cities; the campus is frequented by top honchos. It is an ideal place of study. As a progressive university MMU, Mullana has been at the forefront of innovating its cou rse content and pedagog y.

MMU Mullana is recognised as the top NAAC ACCREDITED GRADE ‘A’ UNIVERSITY in India. Needless to mention, there are a fewer Universities in the region that have been accredited as Grade A University by NAAC and we are one of them.

Our greatest strength is our students.

Our students are technically sound, excellent in managerial skills and we encourage them to participate in different national and international con fe re nce s, t e ch n ical se m i n a r s and competitions.

Innovations @ MMU: • Centre of Excellence - NI (USA) • Centre of Excellence - BOSCH • Centre of Excellence - CISCO • Some more Centre of Excellence from prominent groups to come in near future.

• Campus Business Incubation Centre

•

Innovative Campus Business Park Campus Business Park is a first of its kind initiative in the country with most in novative ideas to improve employability of students. It offers an oppor tunity to our students to r ub shoulders with the experience professionals at the campus.

More than ten companies have chosen MMU campus Business Park as a way to grow in today’s environment. It helps them to reduce operational risk and find the best talent.

Business Incubation Centre (BIC) is a miniature corporate identity to provide business services amongst its st udents, facult y and alu m ni.

M M U BIC fo c u s s e s o n h o n i n g t he e nt re pre neu r sk i l ls, product development and manufacturing that fall in line with the initiative of the Government of India to encourage the programs like ‘Make in India’

EXPERTS OPINE

How do you plan to stay aloft in today’s cut throat competition among the universities?

O u r con st a nt endeavou r to kee p ourselves updated, rigorous efforts on building strong Industry – Academia interface, tie-ups with industrial leaders for partnership in the development, training and applied research areas are some of the key factors which render us the advantage.

It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academ ic atmosphere for research output. How does your University back students to promote research and publications?

Our students are our strength and our objective is to extend them all kind of support they would require to excel in their respective field.

St udents are mentored for the entire program by teachers, industry leaders and experts from the academic wing of the University. Each student is

linked to a mentor with international exposu re. St udents over a per iod develop a responsive and inf luential network virtually in every area they are working on. Research projects have been introduced as an essential part of all PG programs and most of the UG programs so that students imbibe in them the spirit of curiosity and creativity.

What are your policy expectations from the government on the Private Universities?

Government should incentivise the Pr ivate Un iversit ies to ma ke the quality education easily accessible to the deserving meritorious candidates.

Soft education loans and subsidised fee should be made available for the economically weaker but academically st rong candidates in the areas of resea rch a nd development, to en hance the out put qu alit y f rom Private Universities.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been dramatically increasing in the last

Soft education loans and “subsidised fee should be made available for the economically weaker but academically strong candidates in the areas of research and development, to enhance the output quality from Private Universities.

“

and ‘Startup India’ with an objective to encourage entrepreneurship that creates self-employment.

few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges. Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time? Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

Yes, we agree with you that the current scenario on this front is not good. The output quality of course is a matter of great concern. Well, we sincerely do not think that autonomy in any case is the answer. The government on the other hand should come up with more stringent norms to ensure t h at qu al it y of e ducat ion is not compromised with.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 35

EXPERTS OPINE

“We believe outcome based education is the way forward”

GD Goenka University, Haryana, one of the renowned universities in India is best known for its quality education. It offers multi-disciplinary courses and attracts students from all across the globe. Prof (Dr) Deependra Kumar Jha, Pro Vice Chancellor, GD Goenka University, in an interview with Roselin Kiro shares about the kind of education that they impart in the university with global standards and how they continuously strives to provide the best education so that the students perform well in their professional lives

What sets you apart from other universities in terms of academics, infrastructure and other activities?

With world-class infrastructure and competent faculty hand picked from premier institutions of USA, Europe and Asia, the campus is always buzzing with activities aimed at holistic development of our students. One thing that sets GD Goenka University apart from other universities is the way we have incorporated project-based learning in our curriculum. Many institutions talk about it, we have made it a reality.

Every semester students are required to undertake a 3-credit course called 36 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

How do you plan to stay af loat in today’s cutthroat competition among the universities?

Competition is good. One has to keep innovating to stay ahead of competition.

Today, the major stakeholders like students and parents know what they want. Fringe institutes who only look for short-term gains do not provide quality education and hence, employability of their students is miserably low. Though a late entrant in higher education sector,GD Goenka has a legacy of two decades in school level education.

Car r ying the legacy for ward, the University has never compromised on quality be it infrastructure, faculty or pedagogy and it strives to provide the best education so that the students perform well in their professional lives.

Being a Fee-based institution, it must deliver value and continue to adopt latest technological developments.

Innovation aimed at making our society

semester students “areEvery required to undertake a

3-credit course called interdisciplinary project. We have integrated the concept of ‘Making’ or ‘Creating’ in the expected outcomes from the core courses.

“

inter-disciplinary project. We have integrated the concept of 'Making' or 'Creating' in the expected outcomes from the core courses. For example, in Instrumentation and Control course, a student is asked to make a working instrument, in Computer Aided Design course, the students have to come up with a product idea before carrying out the design and analysis of the same, and in Entrepreneurship Development course, the students are encouraged to setup their own startup companies.

These efforts have made GD Goenka University a leader among its peers.

We strongly believe that outcomes based education is the way forward.

a better place to live is the only mantra to stay afloat in today's world for any educational institution.

It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academic atmosphere for research output. How does your University back students to promote research and publications?

It sometimes hurts to hear this. But to be honest it is not entirely true.

Indians do have the proven potential to conduct outstanding research in signature areas but most of it is done in developed countries. So, it seems like somewhere the support and facilities are not adequate here in India and people tend to settle abroad after finishing their education. However, there are institutions in India where faculty and students are active in conducting research and producing great results too.

At GD Goen ka University, we encourage research by providing funds and technical know-how to students from the undergraduate level itself.

We motivate them to participate in

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What are your policy expectations from the government on the Private Universities?

I think the time has come for the government to recognise and appreciate the efforts put in by Private Universities.

About t wo -t h i rd s of t he st udent enrolment is in private institutions.

They now play a significant role in realising Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal to raise the higher education gross enrolment ratio (GER) to 30 per cent by 2020. Some of these institutions have excellent faculty, state-of-the-art infrastructure and zeal to make a difference by providing quality education. If the government backs some of the major initiatives of

private universities, both technically and financially, I am sure it will lead to better results.

One thing I am sure about is that the productivity efficiency of private universities is much higher than many of the government funded ones. The perception that all Private Universities are in this sector only to make money needs to change. I believe that this notion will change with time. If, at the school level, private schools can be a preferred destination, then the same can become true of private universities in higher education also.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been dramatically increasing in the last few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges.

Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time? Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

I think so. Autonomy can be really good for educational instit utions.

Howeve r, mon it or i ng is e qu al ly

thing I am sure about â&#x20AC;&#x153;isOne that the productivity ef-

ficiency of private universities is much higher than many of the government funded ones.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

conferences on and off campus and publish their research results. Our faculty has rich research experience to guide them when they feel lost. So, we have tried to develop a good research culture here and it has yielded good results so far. Having said this, we are aware that these things do take time. As long as we are on the right track, results are bound to come.

important. I am in favor of controlled autonomy for affiliated colleges. For an affiliated college, most of the things are fixed. They can't modify curriculum or introduce innovative evaluation techniques.

So, the out put is affected undoubtedly. Autonomy may solve such issues but at the same time, if there are no processes in place to monitor such institutes, the freedom could be exploited and this may lead to degraded education qualit y. Ever y solution brings with it a series of undesired side effects but with strong and robust processes in place, such issues could be resolved.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 37

IMPACT FEATURE TALE

ROORKEE COLLEGE

Academic Environment

Roorkee College of Engineering (RCE) was envisioned by CA Mr. S.K. Gupta ( Fou nd e r of Sa t y a m E d u c a t io n a l Society) who started the college in the year 2010, with a view to provide high quality technical education to the regional aspirants. Till date, RCE retains a special place in the academic landscape of northern India and in the heart of those who live, study and teach here. RCE emphasises on emerging technologies, teamwork, entrepreneurship and the importance of global outlook and partnerships. RCE is forever committed to help its students realise career ambitions and unlock their true potential.A variety of resources and support services help students to get the most out of their time at RCE campus, and hence, for more than a decade, our students have beenmaking a difference in communities.

The RCE Edge

The choice of right educational institute is equally important as choosing the r ight cou rse. RCE is approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, Government 38 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

of India. The admissions are through centralized online counselling conducted

by Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU), Dehradun on the basis of JEE score. RCE is affiliated to Uttarakhand Board of Technical Education, Roorkee (UBTER). The admissions in Diploma are on the basis of JEEP conducted by UBTER. RCE is also affiliated to Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University Tehri, Garhwal. The admissions are open for B.Sc. (Agriculture & Forestry).

Size and Location

RCE boasts of a huge 30-acre campus with good infrastructure, highly distinguished faculty, latest teaching aids, excellent hostel facilities, vibrant in-campus cultural ambience and a vision that drives us to ensure imparting wholesome technical education. The college is located at the outskirts of Roorkee town on Canal Road, Roorkee. The town, which has now become a dream hub of technical education, is known as ‘Gateway to the Himalyan Ranges’ and is situated about 170 km north of Delhi on NH-58 and is bejewelled by the presence of many

premier technical institutions of national and international importance.

Courses Offered M.Tech • Computer Science • Computer Science & Engineering • Elect ronics & Com mu nication Engineering B.Tech • Automobile Engineering • Civil Engineering • Computer Science & Engineering • Elect ronics & Com mu nication Engineering • Electrical & Electronics Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Petroleum Engineering Diploma (Polytechnic) • Electrical & Electronics Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Civil Engineering B. Sc. • Agriculture • Forestry

Mission and Vision

RCE was established with the following

IMPACT FEATURE TALE

E OF ENGINEERING mission, vision and objectives: • Achieving academic excellence with a com mit ment to qualit y education and research in the field of technology.

• Developing students as global citizens with conscience, commitment and dedication.

• Strengthening industry-institute interface and promote entrepreneurial developmental activities.

• Uplifting the rural poor by means of technical and professional education at their doorstep.

Facilities

From st ate - of t he -a r t libr a r ies to innovative computer technology, students have access to many tools to explore academic interests. No matter what is your choice of study, the RCE campus will inspire you.

Classrooms RCE possess well-furnished and equipped class rooms. Spacious lecture halls provide the most conducive atmosphere for dynamic and focused discussions as well as create the right atmosphere for hours of learning and have been designed to bring together analysis with action. They are augmented by audio-visual teaching aids for lectures, presentations, seminars, etc.

Wi-Fi The RCE campus is well-equipped with high speed internet connectivity and has strong backbone of dedicated OFC link throughout the campus, so that the students can surf the web, enhance knowledge and use the e-information. The whole campus is well connected through wired as well as wireless networks and students are able to have access to internet with 100 Mbps connectivity.

Library The central library of RCE is stocked with thousands of books by prominent authors on various subjects. To encourage research and advanced reading, our libraries have memberships of many e-journals and databases. This gives access to articles,

books, and reference material online.

The intake of books is a regular feature in the library and no important title related to the courses of study is missed.

In addition to the course books,general books for personality development, general knowledge handbooks, yearbooks, reference books, etc. are also added.

Cafeteria The RCE has spacious cafeteria which provides hygienic snacks and beverages at nominal charge to students, faculty and visitors alike.

Sports Activities In line with the objective of all round development, the college takes interest in providing ample opportunities for sports and games in providing the students with a cemented basketball court, lawn tennis court, volleyball court, shuttle badminton court, football court, cricket court, and athletic field and gymnasium facilities.

The college also provides indoor facilities for table tennis, caroms and chess.

Medical A small dispensary is housed in the campus which caters to the medical needs and emergency services. First aid medical facility is available round the clock. The renowned doctors from the city are on panel of college doctors who may be contacted any time on need.

Transport The institute provides ample transport service to all the adjacent localities and is committed to provide its students all the comfort and convenience.

Extra Curricular Inter-disciplinary debate competition, quiz competition, essay writing, practice sessions to make presentations, industrial tours to see Operating Plants in Industry, are the parts of extra-curricular activities.

Hostel The instit ute has a wide range of accommodation option and most students find that these options suit to their needs.

There are rooms ranging from single-seater to three-seater and students can take a room as per their convenience and choice.

Recognitions “Excellent Technical Education Institute Award-2016”-Under CMAI National Uttarakhand Education Awards-2016 jointly organised by CMAI, AICTE and UTU. The award was presented by Shri Harish Rawat, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Uttarakhand.

“Best Placement Award-2015”-Under Royal Brands Education Awards-2015. The award was presented by Hon’ble Minister of State Human Resource Development & State Union Minister of Govt. of India Dr. Ram Shankar Katheria.

“Best Upcoming Engineering College Award”Under CMAI National Uttarakhand Education Awards-2013 jointly organised by CMAI, AICTE and UTU, The award was presented by Shri Harish Rawat, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Uttarakhand.

“Excellence in Technical Education Award”Under National Jharkhand Education Awards-2014. The award was presented by Hon’ble Dr. L.N. Bhagat, Vice-Chancellor, Ranchi University & Dr. A.K. Pandey, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary Science and Technology, Govt. of Jharkhand.

“Best Engineering College in Rural Area”Under ASSOCHAM National Education Excellence Awards-2014. The award was presented by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Karan Singh, Member, Parliament of India.

“Best Technical Institute in Uttarakhand Award”-Under CMAI National UP Education Awards-2013 jointly organised by CMAI, AICTE and MTU in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology, Govt. of UP.

“Best Engineering College Award”- Under CareerConnect Awards-2014. The award was presented by Chief Editor of CareerConnect Magazine.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 39

IMPACT TALE

Faculty of Management StudiesInstitute of Rural Management, Jaipur a c u lt y of M a n a ge me nt Studies- Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur is an energetic, innovative and research led Business School in Rajasthan. With a modest beginning in 1994, it has traversed a long path to become an essential choice for thousands of B-School aspirants. Today, with a well-knit academic programme assisted by capable intellectual capital and corporate interface, it has been ranked A+++ among the top B-Schools of the country and the best B-School in the geographically vast state of Rajasthan. In a recent survey conducted

by GMRCO-ICMR and CSR, FMS-IRM was respectively ranked 1st amongst the top B-Schools of Rajasthan. FMS-IRM has also been ranked 15th among India’s B-Schools Placements Rankings. The Institute was established and is led by the Society for Indian Institute of Rural Management (SIIRM) under the brilliant and noble leadership of Prof Barbara Cangan, an educationist and philanthropist whose mission is dissemination and extension of knowledge with quality and equality, to eventually lead to an ethically built society.

T he major pilla r on wh ich the institute is built is its mission itself, which clearly states the provision of quality education and creation of human capital, for the welfare of the society and to develop individuals who can energize the development process in India. As envisaged by its founder, it aims at creating an environment, which fosters team spirit, kindles the entrepreneurial drive and mobilise individuals to learn, articulate and apply and in turn to enthuse them to become the drivers of socioeconomic change in the country. The institute has taken many initiatives for providing widely recognised leadership in management education, research and development. In the process of nurturing and g rowing f ut u re managers, the mantra is always to prepare corporate

F

40 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

Stany Thomas Cangan, Chief Executive Officer, SIIRM Consortium of Educational Institutions, Jaipur

and development professionals. The Institute is offering two years’ full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Management with thrust on Business Management (PGDM- BM) and Rural Management (PGDM-RM). It is affiliated to AICTE and is regarded as a contemporary, smart and leading B-school in the country with a vision to propel its inherent strength towards excellence in education. It has an unconditional commitment to quality education and research in topics that are forward-focused and relevant to the development sector and corporate world, today. The Institute has taken the lead role to develop the discipline of ‘Rural Marketing’ which has emerged as the corporate catchword of 21st Century in India.

FMS-IRM always seeks to bring, both the corporate and the academia, to a single platform for intellectual interface.

The institute organizes campus based Management Development Programmes (MDPs), Corporate Trainings, Business Seminars and Conferences on a regular basis. This has a huge impact on the intellectual capabilities and skill sets of students as well, as they gain the highest level of knowledge, business acumen and skills to achieve a right place in

this increasingly challenging business environment, through these co-curricular initiatives.

Management Gurus, corporate leaders and political head honchos from India and abroad are visiting FMS-IRM for interaction with its burgeoning managers, on issues of contemporary importance, from time to time. In addition, FMSIRM organises thought leadership lecture series with the participation of top notch business leaders and social thinkers for the benefit of its young managers. This would help the managers- in- making to upscale their thinking and perspectives on business and development sectors and to reach out to a global canvas. As a sign of its social commitment and new age thinking, in the year 2012, FMS-IRM has instituted a Global Business Leadership award in the name of its founder Dr Thomas Cangan. The first recipient of the award was Shri. Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Group, followed

by Prof (Dr) Upinder Dhar, Group Addl Vice Chancellor – RBEF & Pro Vice Chancellor for Management & Allied Areas, Amity University Noida and Mrs Neeta Boochra, Ex-National President, FICCI Ladies Organisation.

M o r e ove r, a s a s t e p t ow a r d s strengthening the acquired skills and managerial competencies students, they are allowed to undergo summer Internship and winter internship programme with reputed companies and developmental organisations abroad. For the proper i mplement at ion of such of f-shore programmes, FMS-IRM has close ties with AIESEC, an International student organisation having presence in more than 100 countries who acts as the via media for such student development initiatives.

Similarly, through the same channel, hundreds of graduate students from more than 40 countries have done their internship programme at FMS-IRM and such student exchange programmes play a pivotal role in shaping the quality and future its young managers.

SPECIALFEATURE

Transforming Education

Transforming lives

The concept of smart class education has come as a boon for students of the 21st century. In this time and age of smart kids, computers and the Internet, the right use of technology in education is a gift for them. Roselin Kiro tracks the dynamics of the emerging smart class industry and its growing acceptability in the Indian education system

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SPECIAL FEATURE

T

he days of rote learning and chalk and talk are long gone. One can’t ig nor e t he fa c t t h at child ren today are exposed to gadgets at a very early age and are prone to the latest in technology. Hence, it only makes sense to teach them in the way they want to learn. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has transformed the education sector in every sense, with e-learning emerging as the latest buzz. The use of ICT in schools and colleges has not only become vital to learning, it is also crucial in bridging the gap between students and their access to quality education.

It is in recognition of this factor that an increasing number of schools and colleges are now incorporating the latest tools in technology to enhance the quality of education being imparted.

The introduction of the concept of smart classes or digitised classrooms

in several schools across India has revolutionised the teaching and learning process. By adopting interactive and eye-catching modules, smart classrooms today symbolise breaking the tradition of text book teaching and making a shift to a concept that draws students towards better learning.

Smart class has also simplified the teaching process for teachers who can easily explain and demonstrate many abstract concepts making it more comprehensive for students. So, the use of technological tools in education not only has the potential to make learning more rewarding, it can also empower teachers with technology inside the classroom which helps them teach more effectively, thus enriching the quality of education as a whole. “The conventional blackboard has made way for digital equipments, making the learning process interesting and vibrant.

This has partly put an end to mugging up of lessons and jot ting notes,”

Arti Chopra, Principal, Amity International School Gurgaon

“Computational thinking is taught as part of mathematics, science and art. The aim is not just to encourage children to be computer coders, but also to master an art of thinking that will enable them to tackle complex challenges in all aspects of their lives.” observes Manu Nanda, Marketing Director, Wacom India Pvt Ltd. “The new smart class is a blessing for the institutions as it has created a simple yet a distinctive way of teaching,” he adds.

A Sunshine Sector

Post 20 0 0, a la rge nu mb e r of companies established themselves as technology solution providers in the education sector in India. This was the period when new schools, especially International Baccalaureate schools, were being set up in the country. The primary reasons for this growth can be attributed to the spread of the Internet and opening up of the Indian market to foreign players, further propelled by the IT revolution and boom in the Indian economy.

“Schools are realising that digitisation of teaching methods gives an experiential edge to the students,” June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 43

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Chetan Mahajan , President, HCL Learning

“Schools need to understand the place for technology and should be able to ensure that technology is used as an aid in teaching. But there is no question of any mechanical device for substituting a teacher in classroom.” says Ni r av K ha mbhat i, Ch ief Executive Officer, Tata ClassEdge. The prospects for smart class education seem brighter than ever before. “What the future holds for technology in education is far more than what we can imagine at this point in time,” adds Nirav.

There are several others who also believe that the inf lux of technology in education is already changing the learning and teaching scenario in India.

The acceptance of the system has been remarkable and very encouraging, says Nanda, “The use of smart classes and modern technology eases the learning process of all students and promotes more participation from both teachers and students alike,” He adds, explaining the reasons behind the success of smart classes.

The smart class concept is gaining popularity majorly in schools fostering i ndividualised and peer lear ni ng and schools have started accepting 44 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

SPECIAL FEATURE

technology intervention as a boon for their students and teachers. Talking about the kind of ICT used in schools for the betterment of both teaching and learning, Capt (IN) Alokesh Sen, Principal, Birla Public School, Pilani shares, “On the educational technology front, in addition to the state-of-theart educational gadgets like smart classrooms, science, computer, math and Computer Aided Language Learning (CA LL) Labs w it h u lt r a-mode r n equipment, we have the TABLETS introduced in the school to each student.

We are working in close collaboration with British Council, Google, Educomp and Microsoft and many other national/ international agencies to sharpen the skills of our teachers by keeping them abreast of the latest in educational technology. Besides regular conduct

of the Capacity Building Programmes for the teachers, they are encouraged to take online courses run by authentic resources and reputed organisations li ke Br it ish Cou ncil, Ca mbr idge English, Southampton University and University of Leeds etc. I believe that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of teachers and latest educational t e ch nolog y a nd me t ho d olog y i s indispensable if we have to keep our students at par with the best.” As compared to a few years before, one can now see a greater degree of acceptance among schools towards adopting such learning solutions. “The content forms the backbone of the overall solution which enables students to disseminate abstract and abstruse concepts with ease and also compliments teachers in delivering lectures,” says Monica

Capt (IN) Alokesh Sen, Principal, Birla Public School, Pilani

“We are working in close collaboration with British Council, Google, Educomp and Microsoft and many other national / international agencies to sharpen the skills of our teachers by keeping them abreast of the latest in educational technology.”

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Malhot ra Kand har i, Senior Director, MBD Group. “The outcome of smartclass solutions are very positive as the learning experience of the students and the teaching experience of the teachers today has completely changed as compared to last decade,” she adds.

Challenges

Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Senior Director, MBD Group

“The outcome of smartclass solutions are very positive as the learning experience of the students and the teaching experience of the teachers today has completely changed as compared to last decade.”

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T he conce pt of sma r t cla sses is innovative and encouraging. However, technology in education still has a long way to go in India. Today, a majority of schools implementing smart class solutions are from the private sector, which many in India cannot afford.

T he cost i nvolved with adopting these technologies is high, which is preventing many schools from adopting these methods. So, with smart education comes the problem of high cost of education. On the other hand, there are debates on how digital education can act as a major trigger to overcome issues like lack of textbooks and blackboards in rural schools. But this too has its own set of challenges. Unlike urban centres, where education is imparted through smart classes, rural areas lag behind.

The government, on its part, has always appeared to have been interested in the use of ICT in education sector in India. It sees ICT as a great driving force in education that can link the gap between urban and rural education sector and help in tackling issues of access and quality. Both the Centre and state governments have taken some initiatives in building technologyenabled schools in villages.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative in making India

Stumbling Blocks l Misconception that technology is substituting teachers in classroom. l Teachers do not use ICT effectively l High cost preventing schools to adopt this technology. l Poor internet connectivity, poor infrastructure, low literacy rate in India. l Lack of research and development in the sector. l No parity in prices of e-learning solutions in Indian and global mart. l Some technical fault might arise during a class lecture creating disturbance in the classroom. l There is a need to develop digital content in regional languages l Limited exposure of teachers to technology in rural areas l Poor after-sales service

by IT companies

digitised, schools and colleges have a long way to go to make the education system digitalised. However, it is diff icult to r un such institutes as the format does not find acceptance in the villages.

Looking ahead

ICT in education can enable students to be true natives of the global village.

There is a need for every school to use the emerging technology of smart class education for the benefit of both teachers and students. Sharing about the initiatives taken by them to make education smart and digitised, Arti Chopra, Principal, Amity International School,Gurgaon says, “We believe in reaching out to the students with the latest and appropriate teaching methodology as it is crucial to provide

SPECIAL FEATURE

Nirav Khambhati, Chief Executive Officer, Tata ClassEdge

“Schools are realising that digitisation of teaching methods gives an experiential edge to the students.”

scheme, Information “andTheCommunication

Technology in schools,was launched in 2004 to develop ICTskills and promote an ICTaided learning process.

“

them new insights or open up new channels of intellectual stimulation to enhance student’s essential and creative thinking power. Presence of KYANS, projectors, SMART boards along with the use of software like hot potato, Geo zebra, e Draw, AutoCollage etc., by the teachers in flipped activity and PBLs have brought about a paradigm shift in teaching learning process.

With the incorporation of 21st century learning skills, Amitians are not only learning languages like python, java, C++ but also designing websites, making e-portfolios and developing APP’S. Learning about robotics & amp; automation, Linux, basic Raspberry pi and Macromedia advance f lash

provides them an added advantage, Digital language laboratory, Robotics lab and Animation lab have enhanced the listening, speaking and analytical abilit y, and helped in k nowledge creation in classroom. Other than these, computational thinking is taught as part

of mathematics, science and art or in other settings.

The aim is not just to encourage children to be computer coders, but also to master an art of thinking that will enable them to tackle complex challenges in all aspects of their lives.

Beyond the classroom, learning is en hanced th rough other en r iched contexts such as visiting a heritage site or being immersed in a good book.

Learning in informal settings, such as museums and after-school clubs, is linking educational content with issues that matter to learners in their lives.”

The industry of digitised education is g radu ally budd i ng w it h ma ny stakeholders venturing into it and increasing their stake in the market.

Howeve r, mor e r e s e a r ch a nd development is required in the sector.

The growth of smart classes could be jet speeding in the years to come, If technology is changing the way of life and its for good, then why not go for it!

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In the Quest of

‘Prestige’ Quality education is the ‘mantra’ of present day education ecosystem and has become a major cause of concern. In this context, it can be said that global rankings create a healthy competition among educational institutes/universities. The recently announced world rankings of top universities of the world have terribly disappointed India.

Joydeep Banik dissects the current scenario and tries to find out the reason behind the poor show of Indian universities in the global landscape

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nat ion ca n not a ch ieve progress without education; in the context of globalisation, demand can only be f ulf illed by imparting higher quality education. Even though India aims to be a premiere educational hub in the coming decade, the bitter truth is that Indian higher education system does not even stand at par with world standards in terms of quality and/or flexibility.

Post-independence, Indian higher education system has expanded at a fast pace. As per 2011’s statistics, India had 42 central universities, 275 state universities, 130 deemed universities, 90 private universities, 5 institutions established and functioning under the State Act, and 33 Instit utes of National Importance.

T he main gover ning body at the tertiary level is t he Un ive r sit y G r a nt s Commission; accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 12 autonomous institutions established under UGC. In spite of the sizable volu m e a n d g r ow t h i n terms of quantity, quality of Indian higher education is far away from global educational standards and has remained a major concern over the years for all the stakeholders 48 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

in the education system i.e. students, parents, faculty, policymakers and the society as a whole. The demand supply is highly imbalanced and adds chaos to the situation.

Current Scenario

India’s education system has been at the centre of vociferous debate for several years now. Despite the presence of prestigious IITs and IIMs, Indian universities and institutes have had a remarkably poor run when it comes to global institutional rankings,.

No Indian University has succeeded in making a con sist e nt appea r a nce i n the top 100 listings of three significant global rankings Ti m e s H ig h e r E d u c a t io n World University Rankings, Aca de m ic R a n k i ngs of World universities compiled b y S h a n g h a i J i a o To n g Un ive r sit y a n d Q S Wo rld University Rankings.

Discussing the cu r rent scenario, Ben Sowter, Head of Research, QS said in an interview to a leading Indian daily, “India has two institutions in the top 200 this year, which has occurred as a result of QS evolving its methodology to be more even-handed across subject areas and it has revealed strength in research in engineering, technology and the natural sciences. If you want to compare India and

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“There is need for change in the perception and attitude of universities realising that their field is wider, task is greater and goal is higher in building a strong and happy India.”

-Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrisnan

China, the primary shortfalls are money and consistent policy leadership.”

W h ile ove r al l, US u n ive r sit ie s dominate all three rankings with its Harvard and Princeton, other countries are ahead of India. IIT Bombay finds itself at the 225th position far beyond the 187th position in 2010, IIT Delhi is on 218th position and IIT Madras is on 281st position in the Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) rankings. On the other hand, in the QS Global University Rankings published last year, Indian schools gained ground— IIT Delhi climbed 56 spots to the 179th rank and the Indian Institute of Science ranked 147th; but, it’s also a fact that they were the only ones to make it into the top 200. Indian institutes and universities that have nurtured some of Silicon Valley’s greatest leaders feature just eight times among a recently compiled list of the world’s top 250 engineering schools.

The highest ranked Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi came in at 103rd place on the U.S. News and World Report ranking.

transformed the productivity of global corporations?” he said. “Folks, the reality is that there is no such contribution from India in the last 60 years.”

On the other hand, Prasad believes, “There is a misconception about global ranking in India. The most important criterion in top categories of global rankings is research achievements.

All others are next to that. Private universities have just started building research programmes and it will take decades before they can compete globally in rankings. The implication is that only public universities can compete at this point of time. The issues facing public universities are numerous which need to be discussed publicly without politics into it.” According to Sowter, India should worry less about rankings. He avows, “The current priorities of its HE system are domestic; the country has unique demographics that are very difficult to comprehend for many outside observers.

What India should probably focus on is having its universities focus on fostering global citizens with leadership potential, whilst maintaining its strengths in research in engineering, technology and natural sciences.

I n p u r s u i n g t h e s e o b j e c t i ve s , institutions might conclude that a more diverse international mix on campus is not just a benefit for the visitors, but also for the natives, who will learn important skills and understanding, from working alongside their international peers.”

Dr Stephen Mavely, Vice Chancellor, Assam Don Bosco University adds, “The traditional Indian perspective on education has been an adherence to the prescribed syllabus and regulatory norms and while it is a fact that there has been no significant global ranking of Indian institutions of Higher Education, there is a growing awareness of the criticality of achieving global standard of excellence in education.

What Should We Do?

So, the obvious question arises at this point of time—why are Indian universities unable do better internationally? Experts attribute the low rankings to a lack of focus on research and the high studentto-faculty ratio among other things. As per recent data findings, at IIT Delhi, the size of international faculty was only about one per cent of its total teaching staff of more than 400, whereas, at the National University of Singapore, the top-ranking Asian university on the QS list, more than 60 per cent of the staff was international.

Speaking at a recently held event in Delhi, Narayan Murthy, Founder, Infosys Ltd sceptically says, “Let us pause and ask what the contributions of Indian institutions of higher learning particularly IISc (Indian Institute of Science) and IITs, have been over the last 60-plus years to make our society and the world a better place.

Is there one invention from India that has become a household name in the globe? Is there one technology that has June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 49

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VC, Assam Don Bosco University

Several educationists have stressed focus on research, promoting an environment conducive to creativity and innovation.

Basic Problems in Indian Higher Education

The role of higher education in the emerging scenario of knowledge economy is crucial and multifaceted for any country in general and India in particular. There are some basic problems faced by higher education system in India as listed below: • Low level of teaching quality: Our education system faces many quality issues such as lack of faculty, poor quality teaching, traditional teaching methods, outdated and rigid curricula and pedagogy, lack of accountability

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The Meaning of Quality

Q u alit y i n educat ion is gener ally interpreted from a viewpoint where educational standards are judged from examination results. An educational instit ution that shows higher pass percentage is considered to be an institute of greater quality. The expansion of higher

universities have “justPrivate started building re-

search programmes and it will take decades before they can compete globally in rankings.

“

Dr Stephen Mavely,

and quality assurance and separation of research and teaching.

• Financing: It is not feasible for Indian universities to make massive state investments in research and development that produced researchled universities in the west such as MIT, University of California, or University of Cambridge in Britain.

• Traditional methods: Professors still stick to those older methods of teaching like board and marker.

They don’t like to make use of audiovisual aids in teaching. Also, they are not up-to-date with what global industry demands.

• Supply-demand gap: Despite an average growth rate of over seven per cent in the last decade, India’s GER in higher education is very low.

India needs to drastically increase the number of places at universities and enrolment through distance learning programmes. Over the last decade, the diversity of courses offered by universities and colleges has narrowed, resulting in saturated markets for engineers, technology graduates and MBAs.

education over the years in our country has resulted in educational malpractices.

The entry of large number of private universities has resulted in a rapid increase in proceedings involving st udents, teachers, employees, management of higher education universities and other stakeholders negatively. While some of them are resorting to various malpractices to appeal and attract students, particularly in smaller cities and towns, many of these universities do not have a centralised policy or a regulatory regime However, quality in education also needs to be defined in the wider sense, that is, as the all round development of the individual and his commitment to social objectives. Mavely tells, “Several educationists in the country have stressed to focus on research, promoting an environment conducive to creativity and innovation and inculcating moral values among faculty members, students and staff. At Assam Don Bosco University, the approach is to strive for excellence in every process and undertaking, and the University will spare no effort to ensure that its graduates become dependable and trule human leaders with a strong sense of commitment to the poor, the disadvantaged and the needy.”

Speaking on the same, Dr Vishwanath Prasad, President, Mody University of Science & Technology, “Mody University believes in students’ learning rather than teaching. We have developed a Quality Learning Model whose five pillars are Critical Thinking, Analysis, Applications, Innovation, and Communication. Mody university’s motto is Global Education and Human Values. We are striving to integrate educational pedagog y with hu man values such as creativity, innovation and leadership, and build a strong and unique international partnership with the ultimate objective of providing the best education in India.” He continues, “In our opinion, the university must educate students

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about fundamentals and the foundation blocks over which the building of applied knowledge can be built. Here, in India, there is much more emphasis on tailormade applied knowledge in educating professionals. This needs to change. Also, without caring for students we overload them with number of credits that are hard to believe and find anywhere in the world.

Mody University is trying to develop the educational pedagogies to provide a balanced education in fundamentals and applications. In addition, we are working on developing a curriculum that allows some flexibility for students to take credits outside their disciplines, an effort towards Choice Based Credit System.”

Mavely shares, “Our university is among the premier universities of the state. ‘Quality’ is the mantra we follow.

We try to maintain and deliver quality in ever y sphere of education. The stakeholders of the university believe that education can never be a business product, rather it is human sensitive; and cautiously, we try to build the blocks accordingly as dealing with humans is far more difficult than any other thing in the world. We are very cautious in imparting education and maintaining the quality as it is related to developing the overall personality of individual. We concentrate not only on the engineering subject but also on human engineering aspect of an individual. Human engineering has a lot to do with moral and ethical upbringing of the candidate and we provide a conducive environment to the students to enhance their personality.”

open and transparent academic systems.”

He continues, “Balancing viewpoints of the faculty, cultural outlook of the youth and the fast changing technology offer greater challenges for the institutions in effective implementation of quality policies. The pass percentage, first pass yield, number of distinctions are some of the performance indicators for students.

The number of papers published, R&D activity, and consultancy are performance indicators for the staff. The placement process, recruitments, and services offered are some of the performance indicators of the institutions. In affiliated institutions, the autonomy with reference to design of the syllabus and delivery mechanism is limited. The autonomous institutions have greater flexibility with reference to administration and providing leadership in promoting quality education.”

Significance of Benchmarking

Definition:“The practice of being humble enough to admit that someone else is better at something, and being wise enough to try to learn how to match, and even surpass them at it.”

-International Benchmarking Clearinghouse

Pandit Jawharlal Nehru once said, “A university stands for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands for the onward march of the human race towards even higher objectives.

Dr Vishwanath Prasad, President, Mody University of Science & Technology

We have developed Quality Learning Model with five pillars: Critical Thinking, Analysis, Applications, Innovation, and Communication.

If the universities discharge their duties adequately, then it is well with the nation and the people” We must recognise that rankings provide an opportunity for benchmarking and a comparative assessment and evaluation of universities worldwide, and nationally. Mavely throws light on this aspect, “Assam Don Bosco University is

Dr Kuldeep K Raina, Vice Chancellor, DIT Universit y tells, “Q ualit y is always preferred than quantity in DIT University. As we believe in quality faculty, industry-ready curricula for various academic programs, limited intake, impressive infrastructure, full automation and holistic-teaching learning process. We have excellent linkages with industry, academia and professional bodies, soft-skills, aptitude and software training, student’s participation in open academic governance and transparent academic system. Quality improvement is a continuous process and we believe institutions of higher learning in our country will follow it to enhance the quality at all levels. Ours is a student centric University where we follow just, June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 51

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Vice Chancellor, DIT University

Autonomous institutions have greater flexibility with reference to administration and providing leadership in promoting quality education. committed to continuous improvement towards the achievement of the benchmark of excellence and has initiated process mapping to ensure transformation through analytical thinking and reflection. The University has used the technique of f low charts to illustrate the f low of a process from the most macro perspective to the level of detail required to identify opportunities for improvement. The Human Resources Management at the University has been a novel attempt

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Way Forward

For a country that aspires to become a global economic player over the next quarter, mediocre education is not the way forward. If we aim to dominate global discourse, we need educational institutions/universities that not only create sk illed hu man resou rce but

We need educational “institutions/universities

that not only create skilled human resource but also boost indigenous research and development.

“

Dr Kuldeep K Raina,

to ensure a shared vision, a cohesive team and an engaging work culture by initiating Performance Management as a shared understanding of what is to be achieved and how it is to be achieved, thereby making accountability, appraisal and professional development every one’s concern. A multisource feedback mechanism with inputs from students, peers and supervisor enables a platform of clarity and understanding of gaps in performance and impetus for leveraging areas of strength.” However, there is thin line of a difference between ranking and benchmarking. Benchmarking uses comparison as a strategic tool, helping governments, university leaders, and others to compare systematically with peer institutions. In contrast, rankings measure education quality through quantification, i.e. by agg regating the scores and establishing a hierarchy of performance.

I n tod ay’s more i nter nat ionalised sector, governments across the world are using rankings to measure their global competitiveness. Ultimately, university rankings are a tool. When using a particular ranking, it is important to be aware of its limitations as well as credibility.

also boost indigenous research and development, and power the country’s intellectual and entrepreneurial leadership.

We also need private universities that can become a major draw for international students to help obtain the twin purposes of earning foreign reserve and spreading the country’s soft power. In recent times, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was at the forefront of the Nalanda revival process.

Such projects should make global culture an intrinsic part of the DNA, and aim at producing truly global students who think of themselves as global citizens.

The Indian government is planning to select 20 universities and enable them to become world-class, as told by Arun Jaitley, India’s finance minister, who announced in his budget speech on February 29 this year, that an “enabling regulatory architecture will be provided to 10 public and 10 private institutions to emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions”.

One of the underlining features of such new universities has to be access to the best professors and minds. Student-teacher exchange programs within institutions across the world, greater attempts to attract good teachers from across the globe, and increased use of information technology to connect students are the key components of efforts to build new worldclass universities. With growing economic developments and increasing aspirations, the Indian public seeks to know the inside functioning and operational efficiency of our higher education universities.

The fact that Indian universities are not finding their place among the top universities in the world has become a cause of intense public debate in the recent past. India needs to develop a credible and transparent ranking system which reflects our social and national requirements. However, while assigning a numerical rank to a university, it often deflects our attention from a university’s fundamental function.

IMPACT TALE

Bharath University Welcomes Russian Cosmonaut to Handpick the Best

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osmonaut Salizhan Sharipov inaugurated an aerospace research laboratory named after him in Bharath University on February 24, 2016 in Chennai and assured to train five best students from the university at Roscosmos State Corporation near the city Korolev in Russia.

It will be a 15-day training and k nowledge shar i ng session by the cosmonaut. Consul General of Russia, Sergey Kotov said that Sharipov was the first Russian cosmonaut in Chennai. “It is very inspiring. India has already made few big steps to space. We found great interest among students, without which nothing can be explored,” he said.

Vice chancellor of the university, M. Ponnavaiko, said, “Our students are working on mission to Mars and collect debris from space. The students will also develop aerospace tourism.”

Having signed MOUs with the leading educational and technical institutions in UK, US and Singapore, as part of global industry-institute interaction, now Bharath University has chosen the

Russian Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov as the adjunct professor in the department to train the students. Ranked ‘A’ Grade University by NAAC, Government of India, on the basis of curricular aspects, teaching-learning and evaluation and other relevant factors such as governance, leadership and management, Bharath University also clinched the international

award in 2016 for being the best globalised higher education institution, coupled with excellence in medical education and research. Bharath University also has its share of national awards in 2016, being claimed as the best private university of the year, architecture, placement and has held a similar status in 2014, as the best multi-stream and most innovative university.

Established u nder Section 3 of University Grants Commission (UGC) act of 1956, it was founded in 1984 as a self- financing institution called Bharath Institute of Science and Technology. In 2003, it received the status of a university by t he Un ion Mi n ist r y of Hu ma n Resource Development. Bharath group is one of the largest and multi-disciplinary private educational efforts in the state of Tamil Nadu. The group operates eight engineering colleges, two colleges each in medicines, dentistry, nursing and physiotherapy, a management institute, arts and science colleges, teachers’ training institute and two schools. It’s one of the oldest universities to invest into education and research for the underprivileged.

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University Education Flavour ed w ith EdTech Online revolution has revamped the conventional model of education in India. Sana Husain analyses the role of EdTech in higher education, with a checklist of relevant Indian start-ups to look out for and plays out its pros and cons.

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measure progress and raise achievement levels, technology strongly imprinted upon minds, with the rise of portable technology, popularly known as ‘smart’ devices, having more connectivity than ever.

Current Scenario

T he mai n challenges t hat plag ue our higher education system include access, parity and merit. All of these can be easily tackled with the help of tech nolog y. As i nf rast r uct u ral constraints and delivery issues prevail, dependence on technology

Massive Open Online “Courses (MOOCs) have

altered the way of imparting education, by creating a premium industry sector called Educational Technology.

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hoice and innovation drove the education reform in the 1990s.

The charter school movement, the creation of reform-minded organisations like Teach For America, The New Teacher Project and the new policies focused on student access to equal education.

While this was the scene in education, the hardware and software sector were climbing the ladder of sophistication through powerful personal computing, the World Wide Web and the rapid expansion of e-mail. Then, in the 90's, technology star ted feeling its way in schools.

When the ‘No Child Left Behind’ education policy kicked in 2001 and new funding sources like the Gates Foundation added fuel for schools to

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Economy of Education in India

Every year, more than 20 million student enrolments are recorded in the Indian higher education system. Thence, it is marked the third largest, after United States and China. According to a recent EY report, this number is expected to rise to 140 million by 2030, accounting as the largest pool in the world.

Today, higher education for ms nearly 60 per cent of the sector and is poised for an average growth of 18 per cent CAGR until 2021, as stated in The Financial Express article.

According to a note by India Ratings and Research, a Fitch Group company, India’s education sector is set to reach Rs. 7,80,000 crore in size in FY 2016-17 from Rs 6,42,300 in FY16, a growth of over 20 per cent. The education sector

Corrigendum In the May 2016 issue of CareerConnect, the name of Roorkee College of Engineering, Roorkee was missing in the ‘Best Professional Colleges of India’ list under the stream ‘Engineering’ (P-26, 27). The mistake is regretted.

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has tremendous potential to grow due to the huge demand-supply gap.

Indian Ed-Tech Start-ups

Almost flocking together, the startups are geared up to play a key role in delivering education in India using the internet to scale and solve the last-mile problem. With the right blend of cheap smartphones and affordable internet, they offer access to quality education, anywhere and anytime. As per the report published by start-up data tracker Tracxn, since 2006, more than Rs. 67,496 crore has been invested in Ed-Tech, whereas onethird of the amount was invested in 2015 alone.

The following list shall enlighten you about the level of enormity and creativity of some of these leading EdTech startups in India.

Advantages and Limitations

The vantage point of Ed-tech allows the learner an opportunity to access study material anytime, anywhere, on any connected device. In the remotest of regions, online platforms connect millions of deserving students to the topnotch educators in the world.

Ed-tech is instrumental in addressing the demand-supply gap for quality education. Although online learning in India stands at less than $1 billion, it is growing at a healthy CAGR of 40 per

The vantage point of “Ed-tech allows the learner

an opportunity to access study material anytime, anywhere, on any connected device. In the remotest of regions, online platforms connect millions of deserving students to the top-notch educators in the world.

“

for imparting education will continue to grow, thereby attracting increased investments in the sector. There have been several advancements in this area, including the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that have altered the way of imparting education, by creating a premiu m indust r y sector called Educational Technology. Education Technology, shortened as ‘Ed-tech, is about learning in a mobile, networked world . I nt e r pret i ng e ducat ion i n technology, it aims to enhance teaching practices and improve the learning outcomes as a consequence. The thrust of Ed-tech lies in the development and application of tools (including software, hardware, and processes) intended to promote education.

cent, as mentioned in an article by The Financial Express. Further, the emphasis on Digital India has given impetus to Edtech and is expected to have a positive impact on the education sector. Offering an array of unique benefits, such as cost-convenience and customised pace of progress, e-learning functions as a support system to the higher education in the country. However, technology isn’t everything. One needs to also use the brain before getting the best out of technology. So, one mustn’t solely rely on it. After all, it’s a man-made product, with drawbacks of its own. Without a good understanding of technology, some educators feel handicapped and are unable to develop ways of applying technology to their respective discipline

FEATURE

MeritNation

Based in Delhi, MeritNation provides interactive study material for class 1 to 12 students, studying in CBSE, ICSE, and Maharashtra (MSBSHSE), Karnataka (KSEEB) Kerala (SCERT) and Tamil Nadu board. The website encompasses a broad range of test preparation material ranging from engineering, medical and other vocations. They serve to users escalating to figures in crore, by presenting courseware features like multimedia tutorials, interactive exercises, tests and analytical data reports to analyse strength and weaknesses.

Simplilearn One of the world’s largest professional certification company with customers in more than 150 countries, Simplilearn offers more than 400 courses from a panel of over 2,000 industry experts; ranging from Data Science, Project Management, Big Data, Digital Marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), et al. The start-up claims to have trained more than half a million professionals since its inception in 2010. It is named the eighth most influential education brand in the world by LinkedIn in its 2016 Education Edition report.

Toppr

The key start-up Toppr, deals in entrance exam preparation by providing personalised and adaptive learning tests and practice packages to help students ascertain and improve their rank. Founded by Hemanth Goleti and Zishaan Hayath, Toppr is compatible for state board, medical and IIT-JEE exams. Achieving a record of 6, 90,000 registered students as per its website, Toppr courses are priced between Rs. 2,900 to Rs. 6,900 per year.

CultureAlley

With roots in Jaipur, CultureAlley p r ov id e s a l a n g u a ge - e d u c a t io n platform designed by linguists from across the globe, with an interactive and contextual courseware. Named ‘Hello English’, its app enables Indians to learn English from 15 vernacular languages. The most widely used Android learning app, with more than 10 million downloads has the backing of 500 Startups, Kae Capital, and Tiger Global.

Unacademy

India’s largest free education initiative, Unacademy, aims to index the entire world’s education on its platform in all languages. The founders, Gaurav Munjal and Roman Saini, have made it India’s most popular educational channel on YouTube, with 200,000 visits and 1.5 million page views a month.

Vedantu A personalised online tutoring platform crafted for middle school and high school students presents an attractive package of live tutoring, two-way interaction, flexible schedules, and access to class recordings. With teachers from premier learning institutions like IITs, NITs, and IISc, Vedantu offers a technology platform that can establish a two-way audio-video connection between the teacher and student at surprisingly low internet bandwidths.

Best Anecdote

Free online courses changed the life of one intelligent Mongolian teenager, named Battushig Myanganbayar. The 15-year-old student in Ulan Bator took a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from MIT. It was one of the first they had ever offered about circuits and electronics, and he was one of about a hundred and forty thousand people to take it. He not only passed, but also was one of about three hundred who got a perfect score. Myanganbayar was

featured in The New York Times as a boy wonder. Soon, he got accepted by MIT. It was a feel-good story that matched the hopeful narrative about MOOCs at the time. These free courses were touted as a way to bring top education to underserved communities around the world.

The Road Ahead

Education Technology can prove to be a truly industry-changing move for academicians, as it would help them

streamline time-consuming processes such as lesson planning, reporting, record keepi ng and ulti mately i n simplifying communication.

T h e r e’s a n e n t i r e g a m u t o f opportunities in the Ed-tech segment in India to take care of analysing student progress and budget performance for the educational institutions. So, the future of education heavily depends on the ongoing dialogue between the educational institutions and professionals in the tech industry.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 57

COURSE REVIEW

Liberal Education Makes You a Freeman

Imagine walking onto a campus where a biology major is on his way to theatre practice or a mathematics major is on her way to a ceramics class or piano rehearsal. That’s what Liberal Arts is all about. Liberal education is taking root in India in a number of new institutions, making this an opportune time to explore how the subject can develop in its own way, building own academic traditions that create lasting and meaningful impact for society. Joydeep Banik reports “The value of an education in liberal arts is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.”

-ALBERT EINSTEIN

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COURSE REVIEW

gradual but increased demand for the study of Liberal Arts courses in India.

Precursor

The concept of Liberal Arts dates back to antiquity; artes liberals in Latin meant the pursuit of those subjects which would make a person knowledgeable, good communicator and an active participant in public life. In medieval times, the seven Liberal Arts included grammar,

is a pre-occupa“tionThere in India with pursuing

professionally-oriented courses, but an appreciation for breadth and inter-disciplinary education is the need of the 21st century.

“

L

iberal education is an approach to learning that empowers individuals by emphasising on the breadt h of st udy a nd introducing new schools of thinking. Liberal Arts is a seriously structured combination of social sciences and humanities, and encompass certain areas of literature, languages, art history, music history, philosophy, mathematics, and psychology.

There is limitless scope for Liberal Arts students, both in India and abroad.

Here, one can study mathematics along with drama or fine arts and also explore a variety of disciplines, and then choose a specialisation tailored to their unique interests. Liberal Arts colleges have traditionally focused on collaborative learning without compromising on the quality of education.

Few years back, if one had to pursue a course in Liberal Arts, visiting a foreign country would have been the only option.

But now, with several private universities introducing autonomous liberal education programs and scholarships, domestic students are getting a chance to give it a shot at home itself. Although Liberal Arts education is in a nascent stage in our country, the Central Government is taking ambitious steps to usher in liberal arts in its true form, and experts predict that in coming years, there will be a

dialectics, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. Taking cues from the ‘old school’, a modern day typical Liberal Arts curriculum might consist of courses in literature, language, mathematics, scientific principles, history, philosophy and public speaking.

There is a pre-occupation in India with pursuing professionally-oriented courses, but an appreciation for breadth and inter-disciplinary education is the

need of the 21st century. Study of Liberal Arts offers a well-rounded exposure to lifelong skills that enable you to adapt to new challenges and juggle diverse responsibilities, by using effective analytical, communication and problemsolving skills, which in turn helps you to thrive in a constantly evolving world.

The right kind of liberal arts education can intellectually excite, emotionally fulfil, and transform our youth into valuable and productive citizens for the country.

Liberal Arts students are creative t h i n ker s a nd dy na m ic lea der s of tomorrow. In an age where job markets are shrinking, candidates are not only required to be adept at respective fields of specialisation, but also expected to have the capacity to adapt to any given situation, be it problem-solvers, as well as multi-taskers. A rigorous training in the Liberal Arts system develops these skills in a candidate.

Why Liberal Arts?

There has always existed an over emphasis in India on specialisation; whereas having command over more than one area of specialisation allows students to think critically, enabling them to tackle a problem from more than one direction. Given the inter-disciplinary nature of the programme, a Liberal Arts student, being able to bring

Core Liberal Arts Grammar

Rhetoric Logic

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 59

COURSE REVIEW

to the table a cumulative knowledge of various fields, would naturally have an edge over other regular graduates.

Another unique advantage is that unlike graduates from most other streams, they do not need to rely solely on getting ‘placed’ by the institute where they st udy. Liberal A r ts st udents themselves have all the potential to turn bizarre-sounding combination of subjects into a successful, unconventional career.

For instance, someone with a Political Science major and a Film Studies minor could enter the field of political activism by making political documentaries.

En rolling yourself in a Liberal A r t s c ol l e g e c o u l d b e t h e b e s t decision you ever make. This kind of education is imperative in a world that is experiencing paradigm shift in global com mu nications and information technology.

Liberal Arts colleges give students increased opportunities to participate in research and publishing experience.

C ont r a r y t o p opu la r p e r c e pt ion , Liberal education institutions offer good pla cement oppor t u n it ies to students through career development cells (although, a large part of the st udent popu lat ion a re gene r ally

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i nterested i n social vent u res and h ig he r a ca de m ic qu al i f icat ion s).

Institutes nowadays are also looking at collaboration with professional bodies and reputed industry associations like FICCI, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industr y and NHR D Network for placements and student-industry interface.

Eligibility and Course Fee

Candidates who have passed 10+2 examination in any discipline are eligible to pursue this course. Candidates who have passed Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts can pursue master’s degree in Liberal Arts in Indian and foreign universities. A three/four-year programme in a Liberal Arts program would cost you anywhere between `7 lakh and `20 lakh.

Career Options and Opportunities

A s t old e a rl ie r, Lib e r a l A r t s i s an extremely broad f ield. It often encompasses many disciplines and can therefore lead students to multiple career options such as journalism, civil services, writing, research, social work, academics, policy and financial analysis, banking, public relations and international affairs, to name a few. The various job titles may be as Lecturer, Activities Assistant or Activities Director, Administrator, Case Manager, Community Advocate, Public Welfare Social Worker, Media I nst r uctor, and so on. Many students also go for h ig her st udies af ter c o m ple t i n g g r a d u a t io n in Liberal Arts. Because of the diverse ar ray of career options available to Liberal Arts Graduates, job outlook and remuneration varies based on the chosen profession. We don’t often realise how academic interests intersect in unexpected way. Liberal arts students complete their education with the abilit y to cr itically analyse and sy nthesise information, communicate confidently, and to write well– almost all necessary skills t hat a ny employe r wou ld

Top Colleges/Universities Offering Liberal Arts (India and International) Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities Apeejay Stya University Ashoka University Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University Foundation for Liberal and Management Education Harvard University Bristol University University College London Quest University, Canada welcome. Thus, a formal education in Liberal Arts provides the foundation ground for other specialised careers.

In fact, often more jobs are available to liberal ar ts majors than to preprofessional majors!

Conclusion

To sum up in a nutshell, a degree in Liberal Arts makes the students effective thinkers and communicators, who are not only well-read, but also possess interpersonal and analytical skills, adaptability and multi-tasking, which are extremely valuable in today’s world and prepares them to be the harbingers of creative, social and political change.

Employers these days often look for plain graduates who have had a better-rounded or holistic education, are socially aware, and are culturally sensitive and not focused on making money only. While specialised education (engineering, medicine, management) is highly prized in India, ditching the arts or humanities in favour of technical curricula might not be a good idea. It would be a better idea at this point of time to adopt ‘liberal arts’, an amalgamation of arts and basic sciences that seems to be gaining popularity around the world and in India as well.

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

EMERGING STARS IN INDIAN Name of the Institutions

City

Name of the Institutions

City

Abeda Inamdar Senior College for Girls

Pune Greater Noida

Government College of Engineering and Textile Technology

Kolkata

Accurate Institute of Management and Technology Academy of Aviation And Engineering

Bangalore

GNA University

Phagwara

Acharya Bangalore B-School

Bangalore

G L Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management

Greater Noida

Acharya Institute of Technology

Bangalore

GMR Institute of Technology

Rajam

Aizaz Rizvi College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Lucknow

Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya

Jalandhar

Harcourt Butler Technological Institute

Kanpur

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh

Heights Institute of Fashion & Technology

Delhi

Alliance School of Business

Bangalore

Hindu College

Delhi

AM Jain Institute of Management

Chennai

Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering

Bhopal

Amity Business School

Noida

Indian Institute of Aeronautical Science

Kolkata

Amity Law School

Delhi

Indira Gandhi Medical College

Shimla

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

Coimbatore

Institute of Aeronautical Engineering

Hyderabad

Ansal Institute of Technology

Gurgaon Delhi

Institute of Leadership Entrepreneurship and Development

Kolkata

Army College of Medical Sciences Assam Medical College

Dibrugarh Banasthali

Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University

Banaras

Banasthali University

Ballari Institute of Technology & Management Ballari

Institute of Rural Management

Jaipur

Birla Institute of Liberal Arts & Management Kolkata Sciences

ITM School of Business

Gwalior

ITS Institute of Management

Greater Noida

Jaypee Institute of Information Technology

Noida

Jesus & Mary College

Delhi

Jindal Global Law School

Sonipat

JNTUH College of Engineering

Hyderabad

College of Technology, GB Pant University of Pantnagar Agriculture and Technology

Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences

Bhubaneswar

Kamala Nehru College

Delhi

D G Ruparel College of Arts, Science and Commerce

Mumbai

Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences

Hubli

DAV College

Ambala

Karunya University Business School

Coimbatore

Delhi Business School

Central Delhi

KC College of Arts Commerce and Science

Mumbai

Delhi Technological University

Delhi

Harihar

Design Institute of India

Indore

Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies

DG Vaishnav College

Chennai

KLE Society›s Law College, Karnataka State Law University

Bangalore

Dr SNS Rajalakshmi College of Arts and Science Coimbatore

K Ramakrishnan College of Engineering

Trichy

DIT University

Dehradun

K Ramakrishnan College of Technology

Trichy

Era Medical College

Lucknow

Lady Hardinge Medical College

Delhi

Fergusson College

Pune

Madras Institute of Technology

Chennai

Film and Television Institute of India

Pune

Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology

Delhi

FLAME University

Pune

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

Vadodara

Garden City College

Bangalore

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology

Kolkata

Government Institute of Garment Technology Amritsar

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Pilani

Bharath University

Chennai

CMS College of Science and Commerce

Coimbatore

CMR Institute of Technology

Hyderabad

College of Engineering Roorkee

Roorkee

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION Name of the Institutions

City

Name of the Institutions

City

M Kumarasamy College of Engineering

Karur

SSN College of Engineering

Kalavakkam

MS Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce

Bangalore

Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology Hyderabad Stani Memorial P.G. College

Jaipur

Muthayammal College of Arts & Science

Rasipuram

St Francis College for Women

Hyderabad

M S Engineering College

Bangalore Bhopal

St George College of Management and Science

Bangalore

National Law Institute University National Law University

Jodhpur

St Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College

Delhi

New Delhi YMCA Institute for Media Studies and Information Technology

Delhi

St. Xaviers College of Arts, Science & Commerce

Goa

NIET

Noida

Star Aviation Academy

Gurgaon

NSHM Knowledge Campus

Kolkata

Oxford College of Education

Kolkata

Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce

Pune

PES University

Bangalore

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management

Pune

Pondicherry University

Puducherry

Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies

Pune

Presidency College

Chennai Coimbatore

Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication

Pune

PSG College of Arts & Science Radha Govind Group of Institutions

Meerut

Symbiosis Law School

Pune

Ramnarain Ruia College

Mumbai

TA Pai Management Institute

Manipal

Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College

Mumbai

RICS School of Built Environment

Noida

The Faculty of Law, ICFAI University

Dehradun

Roorkee College of Engineering

Roorkee

The Oxford College of Science

Bangalore

RV College of Engineering

Bangalore

Times School of Journalism

Delhi

Sacred Heart College

Salem

Uttaranchal University

Dehradun

Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology

Longowal

Vaish College

Bhiwani

Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology

Surat

Velammal Engineering College

Chennai Nagpur

SASTRA University

Thanjavur

Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology

School of Law, Christ University

Bangalore

VSB Engineering College

Karur

SCMS Cochin School of Business

Cochin

Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering

Mysore

SDM Medical College

Dharwad

VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology

Hyderabad

SDNB Vaishnav College for Women

Chennai

Wigan & Leigh College

Bangalore

Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology

Bombay

WLC College India

Mumbai

Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute for Management Development

Mysore

Xavier Institute of Communication

Mumbai

Xavier Institute of Management

Bhubaneswar

Zakir Husain College

Delhi

Delhi Business School

Central Delhi

Delhi Technological University

Delhi

SIES College of Arts Science and Commerce

Mumbai

Sinhgad Law College, University of Pune

Pune

Sona College of Technology

Salem

Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology Ghatkesar Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology Coimbatore Sri Sai Ram Engineering College

Chennai

SRM University

Chennai

INTERVIEW

“Our vision is to be an institution of excellence in HE”

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) right from its inception has achieved many feathers in their cap. An institute specialised in social sciences, TISS has received consistently high appreciation for academic excellence and is counted among the best institutions in the country. Dr P K Shajahan, Dean (Students’ Affairs) and Chairperson, Centre for Community Organisation and Development Practice, School of Social Work, TISS in an interview with Roselin Kiro shares about the success story of TISS and how they plan to stay aloft to face today’s cut throat competition in the education sector

64 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

How do you plan to stay aloft in today's cut throat competition among the universities?

TISS has car ved its ow n u n ique s p a c e a m o ng m a ny e d u c a t io n a l institutions within the countr y as well as internationally. Educational programmes of TISS are unique in its content, pedagogy and application o r i e n t a t io n . T h e f i r s t c ycl e of assessment by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2002 awarded 5 star rating to TISS, the second round in 2010 assessed the institution with “A” grade with an overall cumulative grade point of 3.88 out of 4.00.

• In the third cycle concluded in

TISS has carved its own “unique space among many

educational institutions within the country as well as internationally. Educational programmes of TISS are unique in its content, pedagogy and application orientation.

“

What sets you apart from other universities in terms of academics, infrastructure and other activities?

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was established in 1936 as the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work. In 1944, it was renamed as the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The year 1964 was an important landmark in the history of the Institute, when it was declared Deemed to be a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act (UGC), 1956.

Vision of the TISS has been to be an institution of excellence in Higher Educat ion ( H E) t hat cont i nu ally responds to changing social realities through the development and application of k nowledge, towards creating a people-centred, ecologically sustainable

and just society that promotes and protects dignity, equality, social justice and human rights for all. The TISS works towards its vision through: • C r e a t i o n a n d p r o v i s i o n o f socially relevant and high quality professional education in a wide range of inter-disciplinary areas of Social Sciences to students from all sections of the society in the country.

• Facilitation of autonomous research and dissemination of knowledge.

Sup p or t k nowle d ge c r e at ion through strong M Phil. and Ph D programmes and Post-Knowledge is co-created and applied through direct field action, networking and advocacy keeping the people at the centre of all academic and practice engagements.

Febr uar y 2016, TISS received a score of 3.89/4.00, which is the second highest among all universities across all the rounds thus far. TISS also provide strategic support to other Doctoral scholars.

• Strategic extension, field action and advocacy through training and capacity building of state and nonstate institutions and personnel.

• Initiate field action and advocacy to demonstrate and facilitate creation of policies and programmes.

• Professional response to natural and hu man-made disasters, through participation in relief and rehabilitation activities.

TISS is primarily an institution of Higher Education with considerable focus on Post Graduate and Doctoral programmes in a variety of Applied Social Sciences. Mumbai campus continues to offer only Post Graduate and Doctoral Programmes. However TISS has been offering BA (Hons) in

INTERVIEW

It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academic atmosphere for research output. How does your university back students to promote research and publications?

There are differences in research

outputs in social sciences in comparison to other scientific and technical fields.

Research in social sector and resultant publications and policy contributions are considered as research outcomes for an institution like TISS. At any point in time TISS has around 500 high quality research projects up in operation. In the year 2015-16, TISS faculty produced 378 publications as peer reviewed journal articles in some of the most renowned jou r n a l s a nd ch a pt e r s i n b o ok s authored / edited volumes published by reputed publishers.

What are your policy expectations from the government on the Private Universities?

TISS is a fully funded public university with autonomous status in its academic and governance functions. Such universities providing strategic contribution to nation building through higher education in applied social sciences, research and advocacy for ensuring social and economic well-being of the people of the country need stronger nurturing and strategic support to continue its mission of creating a people-centred, ecologically sustainable and just society.

to ensure quality â&#x20AC;&#x153;andIn order standard, autonomy

is to be combined with stronger quality assurance mechanisms with transparent and result oriented academic governance and accountability measures.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Social Work with specialisation in Rural Development for many decades from its Tuljapur Campus (known as Rural Campus). From the year 2012 Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati campuses started offering Integrated BA / MA in Social Sciences.

TISS is a unique institution of advanced and applied social sciences.

National University Students' Skill Development Programme (NUSSD) currently being implemented in eleven universities across India focusses on increasing employability of University st udents by impar ting k nowledge and sk ills, th roug h cut t i ng edge pedagogy and learning materials, while undertaking community work that brings about sustainable social change.

TISS also has collaborative and research and student exchange programmes with over 100 universities and institutions across the world.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been dramatically increasing in the last few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges.

Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time? Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

Autonomy in itself neither assures quality education and output nor it come in way of the same. In order to ensure quality and standard, autonomy is to be combined with stronger quality assurance mechanisms with transparent and result oriented academic governance and accountability measures.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 65

INTERVIEW

“Autonomy is thinking beyond scope of University education”

Dr CLVRSV Prasad, Principal, GMR Institute of Technology in an interview with Joydeep Banik shares about the best practices that the institute has adopted to impart the best of education to the students and how they plan to keep themselves ahead in today’s competitive education scenario

W hat sets you apar t from other institutions in terms of academics, infrastructure and other activities?

The main USP of the institution is its wide spread lush green campus in 157 acres with the resources available to the students beyond the working hours. This is an enabling campus which makes every opportunity to be available to the students to develop in holistic sense. It provides support in terms of learning beyond curriculum; encourage them to participate in all the competitions, curricular, cocurricular and extra-curricular activities to showcase their talents.

How do you plan to stay af loat in today’s cut throat competition among the institutions?

66 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academic atmosphere for research output. How does your institute back students to promote research and publications?

Research aptitude is inculcated from the 1st year onwards enabling the students and encouraging them to participate in seminars, conferences, tech fest and other project contests by providing incentives.

Courses like Term paper, Mini project, Open electives, Seminars, Internship (FSI) are introduced in the curriculum to promote Research.

What are your policy expectations from the government on the Private Universities?

Expect the govt. to allow the starting of Brownfield Private Universities i.e. converting the existing reputed institutions into universities.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been

The institute curriculum is “industry driven and incorporates the best practices on ongoing basis to make the students more employable and industry ready. More scope is given for learning beyond the classroom and students are trained in all the contemporary technologies.

“

The institute curriculum is industry driven and incorporates the best practices on ongoing basis to make the students more employable and industry ready. More scope is given for Learning beyond the class room and Students are trained in all the contemporary technologies.

dramatically increasing in the last few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges. Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time? Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

Yes, autonomy is an opportunity given to the institution to think beyond the scope of University education and design the curriculum in line with the industry requirements and introduce innovative t e a ch i ng le a r n i ng met hodolog ie s, choice based credit system, relative g r a d i n g s y s t e m , o p e n el e c t i ve s , audit courses enabling the student to excel in interdisciplinary technologies.

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INTERVIEW

“We have set our own benchmarks”

Finding solution to India specific issues from 2006, Accurate Institute of Management and Technology, located in Greater Noida, has synchronised with the foreign universities such as University of Auckland, New Zealand and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and gained prominence. Poonam Sharma, Group Director, Accurate Institute of Management and Technology in an interview with Sana Husain lays emphasis on identifying the need of the students and bringing the best out of them

Does your institute focus on constant innovation in the education curriculum 68 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

Does Accurate follow any benchmark der i ve d f r om t he i nt er nat i ona l standards?

in view the need “ofKeeping the market these days,

we have special certification for kids be it digital, marketing certification or be it the classes, international exposure or interaction with the corporate people. You name it and we have it.

“

How has Accurate pioneered the concept of holistic development with an all-round approach to learning?

Every B-school is focusing on holistic development and so are we. But, there are different ways to do it. Keeping in view the need of the market these days, we have special certification for kids--be it digital, marketing certification or be it the classes, international exposure or interaction with the corporate people. You name it and we have it.

as well as teaching model such that it guarantees employment to all?

Yes, definitely! But, I wouldn’t say that it guarantees employment to all. Ours is not an employment agency, where I’m guaranteeing every student a job for sure. We’re training and making them placeable, such that whenever they go out, they are able to apply their skills in the market and are hired or they start up on their own, which is what we call ‘entrepreneurship’ that every institute is focusing on.

We get the curriculum wedded by the industry experts, by taking what’s going on in the market. We also focus on the numerous upcoming innovations these days in the education at the national as well as the international level. In entrepreneurship, we have a f lexible module that enables students to actually change what their preferences are in terms of job prospects.

So, the day a student enters the school, we consider what he actually wants to do.

So, his internship projects are based upon his own final requirement of the job. On day one, I’m not guaranteeing anybody a job. We’re only preparing them to get the best out of them such that they are automatically accepted in the market. Our USP is about the kind of faculty we have here, the leadership quality possessed by our director (who is from IIM-Calcutta) and the placement training which we give to our students along with different certifications like Six Sigma, ARP, digital marketing, et al.

Not at all! We have set ou r ow n benchmarks.

From the list of courses you provide, which is the most sought after course by youngsters today?

The various courses in our institute are Architecture, Engineering, MCA and Management. To categorise the course which sells as the most sought out after course shouldn’t be the thing. It has to match the student’s need. Talking about the volume, engineering course is a more widely acceptable thing, having a 1000+ student intake, and is also favourable after 10+2. So, I can’t compare courses. If we talk about management education, then PGDM and MBA are two separate things again. It isn’t possible for me to rank our own courses.

To improve the education system in India, the government plans to make ten public and ten private institutions world-class. Do you think it’ll really improve the quality of education, which is a serious concern in the higher education scenario?

INTERVIEW

Placement is a major driving factor for admissions in professional institutes.

Due to the variations in the current market scenario, is the placement process ever affected?

No, the placement process is not affected in our B-school. The kind of jobs a fresher is looking for can’t actually depend on the marketing conditions. Three years back they said that the IT market is crashing.

Till date, IT as a job prospective has been understood by students or by anybody else. If it’s about IPOs or KPOs, then these aren’t jobs that a student from a B-school is looking for. So, in the IT industry, when somebody is looking for a manager, they would then look for a B-School to actually hire someone. So, a market condition should never hamper the placement of the B-School category like ours. If we go to IIMs and IITs, then we don’t find all the kids placed at the same package. Hence, it isn’t possible.

With a gamut of brilliant ideas and opportunities in India, the start-up policy was initiated, offering a plethora of related schemes, concessions and benef its. However, start-ups need adequate government help and financial backing. What approach would you advise your students to tackle this situation?

Last year, PM announced the ‘Start-up policy’ on August 15 and it came into action on paper this year in January. So, it has been only four to five months. It’s too early for anyone to actually comment upon that. But, the scheme sounds good because in India, we don’t have the concept of entrepreneurship.

Today, if somebody goes to bank and asks for a bank loan, one needs to have 100 good documents to submit before actually going for it. For the generation sitting in banks, it is difficult for them to understand the concept of a student about to starting something new.

These days, kids won’t pursue their studies. Rather, they would say that they just want to carry on with their passion of climbing Mt. Everest. They want somebody to fund their summit and do that. So, people need to understand what the whole concept is. Now, it’s good to

In entrepreneurship, we “have a flexible module

that enables students to actually change what their preferences are in terms of job prospects.

“

I don’t know how that’s facilitating the process. A government college or engineering college isn’t focusing on what something is internationally accepted. So, when anything new comes up, it sounds good. Only after some time has passed, we can see what best it can actually do.

say that India has a start-up scheme.

Naturally, there’ll be documentation.

One can’t ask government to give them ‘x’ amount of money. There has to be a certain system.

Yes, the concept is good, which was and is very much required. However, the concept shouldn’t be biased.

In fact, when our students started their own project, it was under an online company metrodelight.com. They also needed funds to start up.

So, at that time, we didn’t have any kind of scheme. Then the institute stepped in and funded them, understanding that they’ve good ideas, towards which they needed to be motivated.

If things go very well, understanding what an individual’s need is, I’m sure there’ll be progress.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 69

INTERVIEW

“Distance learning is the way out to eradicate illiteracy”

Institute of Management Technology-Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad (IMT CDL), offers a wide spectrum of management and information technology programs for those who cannot afford to attain education in conventional classrooms due to various constraints.

Dr S R Musanna, Dean (Academics), IMT, Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad in a one-on-one with Roselin Kiro shares about the importance of Distance Learning and how it is the way out to reach out to those sections of the society who are deprived of education

70 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

What are the different modes of learning for the teacher and the taught?

We teach at our headquarter and it is a face-to-face conventional learning.

I n case a st udent has m issed on conventional teaching, we organise a doubt cle a r i ng se s sion i n ou r facilitation and informationcentre.

Students are constantly in touch with the institute, so it is a blended model of

In India, the growth rate is “tremendous and people are

enrolling in DL; people are on the job and simultaneously upgrading their skills as they cannot take up studies and job together. So, our institute facilitates learning through various technologies, so that a person can pursue education while working,

“

What is the concept of Distance Education?

A s t he word sug ge st s, D ist a nce Learning (DL) is when the student and the teacher are at a distance, there is absolutely no connection physically between them and no interface within the four walls of a classroom, but teaching and learning happens through the study materials, through doubt clearing, through some visuals, etc.

Technology is facilitating the education process through audio-visual learning.

W hat i s the e duc at ion ma rket scenario of DL in India?

In general, across the world, DL is gaining momentum day by day.

Wit h i n I nd ia also t he a spi r a nt s/ education seekers are spread all over and it has been obser ved that the conventional classroom has got some kind of capacity restraint. I cannot have the physical infrastructure where all the students can assemble and fit.

Therefore, if one has to be taught and one has to learn, you must reach that person. If you really want to practice the concept of ‘No child is left behind’, then one has to switch to the DL mode.

I n I n d i a , t h e g r ow t h r a t e i s tremendous and people are enrolling in Distance Learning; people are on the job and simultaneously upgrading their skills as they cannot take up studies and job together. So, our institute facilitates learning through various technologies, so that a person can pursue education while working. Students from the rural area cannot afford expensive education from reputed conventional institutes; but in case of distance education, it is far cheaper, effective and affordable as well.

teaching and learning. We use state-ofthe-art Learning Management System (LMS) and we use Adobe Connect for teaching and learning, and of course, face-to-face interface.

Has DL in India today come to this stage where one can pursue PhD and research?

Research is a mode of distance learning right from the early days. Nowadays, students are asked to be in the campus while doing research. Research is something which should not be confined within the four walls of a classroom.

Any research can take place without an interface.

I MT CDL is rooted i n the philosophy where we have our focus and mission in building st udents and making them skilful in terms of managerial talent. When you are aware of the mission where you are heading,

INTERVIEW

A f ter succe ssf u l complet i ng of distance education, how are the students placed in the professional world?

The Government of India recognises t h e d eg r e e fo r t h e e m ploy m e nt pur poses. Our students even from the distance lear ning courses get preference over a full timer from other business schools. Our students have the backing, the legal status which is as good as any institute.

Secondly, because of our constant e f f o r t s I M T- C D L h a s b e c o m e

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

A decade ago usage of Facebook or the social media was not accepted by the society but today social networking has gained much importance in every phase of life. So the moment any new concept starts impacting people and the society at large, the acceptance comes.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

then the processes are automatically aligned around that.So one should be clear of what their missionary zeal is towards. Any institution which deviates from it dilutes its teachinglearning process. We are focused on building students and manufacturing t hem i nto a ver y capable a nd responsible citizen of the country.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only reason why I feel that we are cut above the others.

a br a nd wh ich s p e a k s ab out it s quality education.

What is the acceptance of DL in the Indian society?

The acceptance of DL in the society is exactly not the same as that of the

full time education.We have seen that the society takes time in accepting any concept. Today, no one can do effective business without a website.

A decade ago usage of Facebook or the social media was not accepted by the society but today social networking has gained much importance in every phase of life. So, the moment any new concept starts impacting people and the society at large, the acceptance comes.

In the same way, society is gradually accepting DL and the time is not very far we will have almost the same status of Distance Learning as that of t he conve nt ional t ea ch i nglearning process.

Your message to the society and the students of DL. If a person sitting in a remote part of a country wants to upgrade his/her skills and get into learning and acquiring education please use this opportunity of DL where good education providers are available.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 71

INTERVIEW

“Innovation happens through out-of-box-thinking”

M S Engineering College, promoted by M S Educational Trust, offers quality education to achieve their goals of becoming sought after professionals. Spread over an area of 25 acres, the college is equipped with best of infrastructure and has highly accomplished professionals.

Dr K S Badarinarayan, Principal, in an interaction with CAREERCONNECT, discusses their academic strategies to impart quality education

72 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

We have developed and “commercialised India’s

first VLSI Design software AARON and Nanoelectronics NanoCYM. We have extended our incubation cell with ten companies, with support from DST Govt. of India under IEDC Scheme.

“

What sets you apart from other universities in terms of academics, infrastructure and other activities?

To stand out in the crowd, one has to be different. With respect to academics, we have the best learning management systems and project-based learning mechanisms which give hands-on experience in relevant field of technology.

The innovative learning methodology practices inculcate the creativity in the students for experiential learning.

Innovation happens through outof- b ox- t h i n k i n g . T h e p e d a g o g y methods are well thought and designed apart from regular chalk and board approach. All lecture PPTs, videos, and NPTL Videos are all available on the department websites. D-Book

Store, the online portal of the college allows the students to download the study materials uploaded by faculty members. We have adopted mentoring scheme to identify slow learners and give them special attention by conducting week ly test s a nd assig n ment s, such that slow learners are in pace with others.

We are rated by CareerConnect Magazine April 2016 amongst the ‘30 Best Private Engineering Colleges in Karnataka’ and also our institute is recognised by Higher Education Review Magazine March 2016 as ‘20 Most Promising Educational Institutions in Karnataka’. We are also recognized

by Silicon India Magazine as ‘Silicon India Education College of the year 2015’ for contribution in Research and Development.

On the other hand, we have the state-of-the-art infrastructure with all the essential equipments in the labs supported by hi-tech incubation centers; with that, we have developed and commercialised India’s first VLSI Design software AARON and Nanoelectronics NanoCYM. We have extended our incubation cell with ten companies, with support from DST Govt. of India under IEDC Scheme.

O u r wel l f u r n ishe d l ibr a r y is modernised with the digital access to national and international journals to the students, research scholars and faculties.

We have a separate hostel for boys and girls with well equipped gymnasium, sports complex and hygienic mess to cater different food needs.

Our college buses ply in and around the Bengaluru city to satisfy the transport needs for all, day scholars and faculties.

A fully appointed doctor is available in the campus and a MOU signed with a renowned hospital for specialised healthcare. Last but not the least, our whole campus is Wi-Fi zone 24×7.

How do you plan to stay af loat in today’s cut throat competition among the institutions?

Success comes through constant effort and innovation. In order to maintain the status quo in the organisations, we have to move at a fast rate and face the future challenges. Healthy competition is a must for growth of the institution. The competition instills motivation among the competitors. MSEC has a strong culture and vision oriented management steering the institution. The vision and the mission, strategies, quality policies are made known to all its stakeholders.

Through rigorous meetings and deliberations, the faculty implements the policies to achieve the objectives. The key differentiators for comparison are the teaching methodology, infrastructure and the culture of the institution. Adapting to the changes is the success mantra of us to face the competition from universities.

INTERVIEW

What are your policy expectations from the government on the private universities?

In order to develop an education system, government provides an opportunities toprivate players to start of the deemed universities and private /state university to produce the man power requirements of the country.

While starting a university/college, there are many hurdles with reference to getting approvals. It starts with AICTE approval/University approval/ Government approval/Accreditation agency approval, etc. Most of the productive time of the u niversit y is spent on ad m i n ist rat ion work.

Therefore, single window scheme for approvals through one ministry may help university to concentrate on more of academics.

The common entrance test throughout the country for engineering students will help the admission process. Syllabus for engineering streams must be made common throughout the country. There is a need for recognition of the Indian degrees at international level. An effort from government is highly desirable in this aspect.

The number of affiliated colleges in federal state universities has been dramatically increasing in the last few years making it difficult for the state universities to manage these colleges.

viewpoints of â&#x20AC;&#x153;theBalancing faculty, cultural out-

look of the youth and the fast changing technology offer greater challenges for the institutions in effective implementation of quality policies.

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It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academic atmosphere for research output. How does your college back students to promote research and publications?

R&D plays a very important role in sustainability of the organisations.

Academicians should involve themselves in R&D collaborates with industries to develop new products and process. We have an excellent industry-academia linkage with 26 MOUs made with different industries to provide industryinstitute interaction to bridge the gap, the MOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on product design, development, manufacturing and testing.

We have industry supported by Elint labz, CADANCE, etc., Brain Computer I nt e r fa c e lab a nd Sm a r t Syst e m Interface lab are setup in the campus to car r y out research in cutting-edge tech nolog ies. Well qu alif ied a nd experienced faculty and research fellows contribute and bridge the gap between industry-academia.

We also conduct project exhibitions at inter-college level to faster research skills in undergraduates and provide online Lab support in the areas of VLSI and Embedded systems.

Our incubation centers nurture our students with an opportunity to become ent repreneu rs in association with ou r EDC cell, along with reg ular conference workshops and guest lectures by eminent personalities.

Is the quality of output a matter of concern at this point of time? Can autonomy be a way out to achieve excellence?

T he nu mber of colleges of fer i ng tech nical education has increased exponentially in the recent years. The demand supply is imbalanced and adds chaos to the situation. In order to sustain in the market, the institutions have to provide quality education to its customers. As per a report, only 25 per cent of the graduates are eligible to be employed. The industry-ready engineers have to be produced in the colleges to minimise the industry training period.

Quality is defined as delight of the customer. The stakeholders in the system have to be pleased well and have to be provided with required service level.

The quality planning, vision, mission, a nd i mplement at ion of st rategies are a great challenge for educational institutions in giving quality education.

Balancing viewpoints of the faculty, cultural outlook of the youth and the fast changing technology offer greater challenges for the institutions in effective implementation of quality policies.

The pass percentage, first pass yield, number of distinctions are some of the performance indicators for students.

The number of papers published, R & D activity, and consultancy are performance indicators for the staff.

The placement process, recruitments, and ser vices offered are some of the perfor mance indicators of the institutions. In affiliated institutions, the autonomy with reference to design of the syllabus and delivery mechanism is limited. The autonomous institutions have greater flexibility with reference to administration and providing leadership in promoting quality education.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 73

INTERVIEW

No more limited ‘walls’ but classrooms enabling ‘thinking’

Schools are the building blocks of students. It moulds a child and prepares him/her to face the realities of life. Amity International School, Gurgaon is doing every bit to train students to face the competitive world. Arti Chopra, Principal, Amity International School, Sector 46, Gurgaon, in an interview with Roselin Kiro shares about the importance of education blended with technology and innovation. Excerpts:

74 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

Instead of focussing on “outdated models of brick

and mortar colleges and universities, we need to create educational delivery mechanisms that can actually take the wealth of human knowledge to the masses.

“

In today’s education sector there is a tough competition which a child has to go through right from the admission in schools. Do you think that our education system needs a change and should focus more on the holistic development of the child rather than bookish knowledge?

There is a need to redefine the sole purpose of education. We need to ask ourselves, is our education system creating an enlightened society, ready to embrace diversity? Is it encouraging development of social behavior and values which make for good citizenship.

We may t ake pr ide in giving the maximum engineering graduates to the world,but that certainly has not translated into much technological innovation. We have seen truth and beauty ascending the international tech world when Microsoft

chose I nd ia n- or ig i n tech ie Sat ya Nadella as its CEO last year and Google announced Sundaram Pichai as their new CEO, but actually we are busy running the call centres of the rest of the world – that is where our engineering skills end.

Today is the era of high technology, superstar teachers can use them as an important tool in their classroom.

Teaching jobs are until today widely regarded as safe, well-paying, risk-free and low-pressure jobs. Hence, to improve our education system teachers should be better trained. With the easy accessibility of information, teachers can no longer be mere transmitters of knowledge, rather they should be orchestraters of knowledge. ‘Innovation’ is the buzz word of today as the students need to be challenged and engaged to optimise their learning potential. Instead of focussing on outdated models of brick and mortar colleges and universities, we need to create educational delivery mechanisms that can actually take the wealth of human knowledge to the masses. The tools for this dissemination will be cheap smartphones, tablets and computers with high speed internet connection. There is an urgent need for effective de-regulation of Indian education sector so that there is infusion of sufficient capital and those who provide or create extraordinary educational products or services are adequately rewarded.I believe that if you teach a man a skill, you enable him for a lifetime. Knowledge should not be largely forgotten after the semester exam is over, instead learning should be lifelong. Schools of tomorrow, shall not have limiting “walls” and only classrooms that enable ‘thinking’ can churn out global citizens and ensure holistic development.

W hat a re t he ex t r a - cu r r icu l a r activities offered by your school for the holistic development of the child?

“The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.” Sigmund Freud Extra-cur ricular activities help to channelise positive energy and relaxes mind and at times cures depression too.

Indulgence in these activities help in improving interpersonal relationships, aug me nt i ng so cial g row t h wh i le maintaining emotional wellbeing. The activities offered to the students are based on all eight multiple intelligences i.e. logical, linguistic, musical, visualspatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinesthetic and naturalistic, offered through work experience clubs wherein the child is given the freedom to choose as per his/her interest.

As they step into the senior school, they enjoy participation in Debating Society, Model United Nations Club, Literary Society, Interact Club, R & D Club, The School Rock band, Quizzing Club, Cyber Congress etc just to name a few. The learning in collaboration with others helps students to gain confidence

INTERVIEW

What is the approximate studentteacher ratio in each class?

“Ideal” student-teacher ratios will depend on a wide variety of complex factors, including the age and academic needs of the students represented in the ratio or the experience, skill, and effectiveness of the teachers. The school abides by the CBSE guidelines in this regard and ensures that individual attention is provided to each and every student. This ratio at Amity varies from 1:20 to 1: 25, to 1:30 or 35 depending on the age group of the students.

Taking in consideration the present day social environment, how do you inculcate morals and values among children, especially in the junior classes?

The school gives a lot of emphasis on life skills training, which is embedded in the curriculum itself as recognising intangibles in education is part of Amity’s culture. Students are coached, monitored and counselled about the real life’s challenges .I have been practicing two other techniques with the students – • Internal self-ref lection and selfawareness exercise- students are asked to try to look within, find out where all did they go wrong in their

•

• • • • • • • • •

behavior, hurt someone, failed in their planning and steps to be taken further to steer ahead irrespective of hurdles. Five to ten minute reflection time is given every day wherein the student is quiet, just with himself and taught to dwell within. They pen down their thoughts, in bullets or pictures. This can be done by setting the mood right, either by lighting the lamp or candle in a bid to offer reverence to almighty.

Connection of self with external creations- an inner dependency with all the other creations, leading to acceptance of all creatures and feeling of brotherhood amongst all. This is practiced through doing prayer in large numbers either by chanting with eyes closed or performing yajna. Other than these, the following form part and parcel of an Amitian’s routine: Expressing gratitude to helpers and others in society Control impulsive actions Fo r g i v e & f o r g e t o t h e r s f o r incremental routine errands.

Respecting diversity Focus & Concentrate on life’s goals Form broader perspectives in life through exchanges Sense of security & comfort Rat ional t h i n k i ng & creat ive problem solving.

En hancing SQ & EQ th rough community outreach programs

Career counseling is “intended to help the

students in selecting a course of study as per their interest, aptitude and strengths which can lead them to good colleges, thereby helping them to build a successful career.

“

to take part in Intra school national and International competitions to win accolades for their school and reach out to the society at large.

How are you preparing students at 10 +2 leve l t o enc ou nt er the professional world? Have you thought of introducing or have introduced academia-industry linkage in your education system?

Career counseling is intended to help the students in selecting a course of study as per their interest, aptitude and strengths which can lead them to good colleges, thereby helping them to build a successful career. An amazing and comprehensive career counselling programme for class X students is organised by Amity Career Counselling and Guidance Cell ( ACCGC) in coordination with Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences for all the students.

Career fairs are also organised to help students and parents know about emerging careers. ACCGC undertakes the responsibility of regularly updating grade XI & XII students on competitive examinations apart from arranging interactive sessions with accomplished stalwarts in a variety of fields to provide them an insight into professions of their interest. AICE & AERC provides career orientation training and student exchange programsrespectively to identify budding scientists, techies, analysts and artists in the system.

Amity Institutions in India and abroad conduct ref resher courses, conduct Olympiads and scholarship exa m i nat ions, conduct I ndu st r ial training programs and internships,hold International science seminars and exhibition for the senior secondary students in order to equip them for life as we believe in lifelong learning.

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INTERVIEW

“We ensure to produce 21st century ready global leaders”

Birla Public School, Pilani over the years has given the Indian society some eminent personalities who are offering selfless service to the country. Capt (IN) Alokesh Sen, Principal, Birla Public School, Pilani, Rajasthan in an interview with Roselin Kiro shares with pride the kind of education they impart to make the students efficient enough to face every challenge in life and contribute to the society at large

In today’s education sector there is a tough competition which a child has to go through right from the admission in schools. Do you think that our education system needs a change and should focus more on the holistic development of the child rather than bookish knowledge?

Not only education sector but we see cutthroat competition in every walk of life.

Healthy competition has the abilitating effect, it spurs us to excel but what I am personally concerned about is the debilitating effect of ruthless competition in education sector which tends to turn human beings into machines.

The concept of holistic development of child gets mired in the rat race for obtaining better grades. Yes, I feel our education system needs a change. My school aims at the holistic development 76 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

W hat a re t he ex t r a - cu r r icu l a r activities offered by your school for the holistic development of the child?

In our school, we do not use the adjective ‘extra’ in this context. We prefer ‘co-’. If we think a bit diligently we find that the concept of holistic development extends the scope of curriculum to the extent that there is nothing like extra-curricular and all activities a school undertakes are cocurricular activities.

Yes, my school is a ‘public’ school in the real sense of the word. It is secular in character, residential (fully), a member of the India Public School’s Conference and also Round Square Conference and also received the International School Award of the British Council.

We lay emphasis on character building instilling the qualities of initiative, drive and leadership amongst our students through diversified activities so that they fit effectively into any walk of public life.

We have world class infrastructure and dedicated and disciplined staff, who have a high sense of duty and who identify themselves with the school.

Besides academics, we undertake plethora of activities which can be broadly categorised under the headings l i ke s o c i a l s e r v ic e , d e m o c r a c y, adventure, globalism, environment and

Everyone seems to “agree that education

should focus on holistic development rather than mere content cramming. But practically this concept remains on paper only.

“

of children, we don’t aim at churning out walking encyclopedias. Recent happenings like students taking extreme steps in Kota should serve as eye-openers for us, the so called ‘educationists’.

Everyone seems to agree that education should focus on holistic development rather than mere content cramming.

But practically this concept remains on paper only.

leadership etc. Apart from almost all the outdoor and indoor games we also have activities like horse riding, swimming, archery, rock climbing etc. Brass band has remained a proud part of Birla Public School since last six decades. My school has been amongst the top 10 schools of its category in India for the last many years.

We have integrated international learning into the school curriculum to ensure that the school produces 21st century ready global leaders/citizens.

Model United Nations, Global tours and teacher student exchange programmes have been made integral part of the school curriculum.

Keeping our students rooted in the Indian culture and inculcating amongst them a sense of pride for it is one of the important pillars of the philosophy that guides our education policy, We believe in providing maximum autonomy to our students. All out efforts are made to prepare our students for a lifetime of independent and innovative thought. Instead of teaching them what to thin k we teach them how to think.

INTERVIEW

Blair Faith Foundation and few of the UNESCO projects which work towards i nculcation of moralit y, religious tolerance and broader mental outlook.

Last year the school and some teachers were awarded by Tony Blair Foundation and UNESCO for connecting young people (through video conferencing) of different faiths and beliefs around the world.

Taking in consideration the present day social environment, how do you inculcate morals and values among children, especially in the junior classes?

As I have already mentioned, grounding of students in Indian culture and value education are important ingredients of our education philosophy envisioned by ou r fou nde r s. Vit iat e d social environment that your question has hinted at, is actually the result of eroding value system. In my school, we have secularism in its truest sense.

We observe all religious, cultural and international days collectively and the theme (underlying or implicit) of religious tolerance, respect not only for diverse Indian culture and traditions but also global diversity, harmonious mutual existence, harmonious existence with nature and gender sensitivity is always at the core of such celebrations or rituals. Social service, charity work, environment awareness are integral parts of the school curriculum.

We are also working with some international organisations like Tony

How are you preparing students at 10 +2 leve l t o enc ou nt er the professional world? Have you thought of introducing or have introduced academia-industry linkage in your education system?

In my opinion, academia-industry linkage is successful and is meant for the professional universities and colleges.

Especially, the university is always taken as a hub for innovation where scientists from various disciplines gather to share their ideas for developing new technologies, procedures, processes and systems. I am sure you will agree with me that academia-industry linkage (in its true sense) at school level has not yet been considered viable not only in India but also elsewhere in the world.

Nevertheless, we do prepare students at 10+2 level by helping them discover their aptitude, special strengths and interests and take informed decisions regarding career options. The galaxy of our school alumni includes people who have reached top rungs of their career/

students “atWe10+2do prepare level by helping them discover their aptitude, special strengths and interests and take informed decisions regarding career options.

“

What is the approximate studentteacher ratio in each class?

There is a 1:13 teacher student ratio in the school. To ensure proper individual attention my school has mentor system.

There is a mentor-teacher for 10 to 13 students who monitors learning and behavior pattern and every aspect of growth of the students.

profession ladders like Gen (Retd).

Gen V. K. Singh (PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC), Ex Army Chief (Now an MP and Minister) , Mr.Vinod Rai (Ex Comptroller & Auditor General), Padmabhusan and presently the first Chairman of Banks Board Bureau, the entrepreneur Mr. Vivek Chand Sehgal, fou nder and chai r man of Samvardhana Motherson, International Ltd, to mention a few. The illustrious alumni (fondly called ‘Old Boys’ as our school is a boys' school) from diverse professions are invited to the school to conduct special motivation / awareness / counselling / training sessions in the schools under Project "Transcend" besides career counselling and training of our students by outsourced experts.

It has been working very well and the age long tradition of our school boys getting placed in diverse professions a nd ga r ne r i ng honou r s for t hei r Alma Mater continues.

June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 77

EVENTS

Green initiative by Swechha with the theme ‘Monsoon Wooding’

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t is common knowledge now that Delhi is the world’s most polluted city. One of the biggest reasons cited for air pollution is the respirable particulate matter(PM) that leads to morbidity and premature deaths. A large number of natural forests and green spaces in the city have been chopped off in the name of development over the last one decade. Additionally, 3,500 hectares of forest were swept off in the Uttarakhand forest fires (approximately 28, 00,000 trees) recently which also added to the overall air pollution in North India. Delhi’s Air Quality Index worsened by 16 per cent during the same period (CSE and Forest Department, 2016). Against the same backd rop, Swech ha has been running ‘Monsoon Wooding’, the annual environment campaign for over a decade now. This year, Swechha aims to plant

25,000 trees across Delhi-NCR by engaging the citizens, the crowdfunding way. It has partnered with BitGiving India, a prominent crowdfunding platform to garner support, opinion and thought around the issue of climate change and environment.

Additionally, it has also tied up with several institutions locally and nationally to raise the desired resources along with creating consciousness among the citizens around

issues of environment, particularly the depleting green cover. Prominent citizens, media groups and institutions have extended their support to the campaign. Over six lakh rupees have been raised by the team and volunteers of Swechha within a span of two weeks. The first plantation of this season was being carried out on June 5 on the occasion of World Environment Day in Gurgaon.

ShopClues & Droom hosts third Edition of E-commerce Day ndia’s first and largest managed marketplace, ShopClues and the countr y’s leading automobile m a r ke t pla c e, D r o om joi ne d hands to present E-commerce Day in Gurgaon. The event was attended by management graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs which promised to be an interesting and stimulating learning platform for all those passionate about tapping into the unbridled potential of India’s e-commerce landscape.

T h e d a y- l o n g c e l e b r a t i o n of E-commerce Day was held at Epicentre and witnessed par ticipation from prestigious academic institutions and colleges such as IIFT, MDI, SIBM, IIM, XLRI and many more.

The agenda of E-commerce Day was to bring together industry veterans like Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder of ShopClues and Droom and Sanjay Sethi,

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Co-founder and CEO of ShopClues.com, who shared their valuable insights with the invitees and helped them better chart their own paths to success in this high-growth segment. The event also shed light on the present state of

Indian e-commerce, success strategies and prospective opportunities for career growth. In addition, thought leaders in the domain shared the key challenges ahead of them and their own blueprint to tide over inclement market conditions.

EVENTS

DPS R K Puram adjudged overall winner at CONVERGENCE 2016

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ver 35 schools participated in ‘Convergence 2016’, a competition organised by The Air Force School, Subroto Park. The competition comprised three categories, namely debate, quiz and creative expression. The central theme of the event was ‘Feminism in the post-modern age’.

Delhi Public School, R K.Puram was among the six that qualified for the final round.

The DPS R K Puram team consisted of Ankita Gupta (XII O), Bansari Rao ( XII F ), Vasudha Rajgarhia(XII E), Angelina Dash( XI W) and Shivin Uppal ( XI P). At the end of the competition, Delhi Public School, R K Puram bagged the first prize in the Creative Expression category (Angelina and Shivin) and the runners up in the quiz (Ankita, Bansari and Vasudha). DPS RK Puram was adjudged the overall winner.

NIIT & edX partners to redefine online education IIT, a global leader in skills a nd t a le nt d evelo p me nt , and edX, the nonp r o f i t g l o b a l leader in online lear ning cofou nded by Ha r va rd Un iversit y and the Massachuset ts Instit ute of Technology (MIT) recently entered into a strategic partnership to redefine the online education space in India.

T h e y a i m t o c r e a t e h ig h -i m p a c t learning experiences for learners by offering the next generation Blended Learning MOOC model that provides a n engagi ng a nd live interactive experience, going much beyond the core MOOC content. edX and NIIT pioneers in their respective domains and have a track record of offering the best education and training experiences to their learners across the globe. Over the last 15 years, NIIT h a s c o nt i nu o u sly i nve s t e d i n it s Blended Learning delivery capability through innovations such as its Imperia S y n c h r o n o u s L e a r n i n g D e l i ve r y Model and its Cloud CampusTM with

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st udent- cent r ic lea r n i ng enabler s.

Un d e r t h i s p a r t n e r s h i p, t h e l ive synchronous delivery capability and onground student servicing capability of NIIT will be combined with the world class MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) provided by edX and i t s u n i v e r s i t y p a r t n e r s t o of f e r f ut ur istic talent development prog rams to lear ners in India.

Aligned to the changing future skill set requirements of the industry, programs

in areas like Programming using Python from MIT, HTML5 from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Data Science and Analytics from Columbia U n i v e r s i t y, a n d D a t a S c i e n c e and Engineering with Spark from University of California, Berkeley will be offered jointly by NIIT and edX for college st udents, recent graduates and even work i ng professionals to upgrade themselves June 2016 < CAREERCONNECT < 79

SUCCESS STORY

“Young people are needed to contribute to issues of governance” Swechha, an NGO which had its inception in the year 2000, aims to bring about change in the environment, both physical and social. Vimlendu Jha, Founder, Swechha is a young and spirited youth leader who has solely dedicated his life to erase the faults in the society, and is doing every bit to bring a change. In a candid interview with Roselin Kiro, he shares about the journey of Swechha, what made him come up with such a noble initiative, and what keeps him going. Excerpts:

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wanted to do. So, I took a year off from my studies and started a campaign called ‘We for Yamuna’. The reason behind starting this campaign was because I had seen the river and the issues which revolved round the river and hardly anyone was talking about it 15 years ago.

It came from a point of frustration that we are sitting in the capital of India, which is a hub for all the bureaucrats, netas, socialists, environmentalists and all the powerful people, and still, the situation is pathetic and no one talks about it. So, I decided to do something about it.

Interestingly, the campaign that we started became really strong and to my pleasant surprise, there were hundreds of young people who actually had the similar pain, a n xiet y, a nger; t hey all joined the campaign which turned out to be successful.

I w it nessed t hou sa nd s of people campaigning, shouting and demanding for a clean river. It was the first youth campaign in Delhi which did not have a flag, didn’t have an organisation, didn’t have a logo, didn’t have a structure but just had passion and concern for civil rights, environmental rights, and that’s how the journey of Swechha began. Later, we realised that work like this cannot be a short-term campaign. It is not only for Yamuna; there are so many other issues around it. We also realised that it is very important to have enough space in this ecosystem for young people to come and do something on their own terms like creativity, freedom, passion, devotion, career, etc., and having talents of all of

We want to prove that “young people who are cool,

educated, who can go and watch a movie can still talk of social change. Social or environmental issues cannot be the domain only for the old or boring people. It can be exciting and interesting as well.

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Tell us about the inception of Swechha.

What made you come up with such a concept?

My journey started when I was in college in late 90s when I used to volunteer for several social and environmental campaigns in Delhi; that’s when my interest in the social sector began. After completing graduation in the year 2000, I was clueless in terms of my next career move, while every friend around me was preparing for civil services, management, etc. I was very sure of what I didn’t want to do, but I wasn’t sure of what I actually

these can make a difference in the society.

We wanted to break two stereotypes of social change. One is that anyone who wants to work towards social change or social or environmental issues has to make a big sacrifice in life, and secondly, you need to be extremely poor and impoverished to bring in social change.

We wanted to break this notion and wanted to prove that young people who are cool, educated and who can go and watch a movie, can still talk about social change. Social or environmental issues cannot be the only domain for the old or boring people. It can be exciting and interesting as well.

Tell us how Swechha operates and to which section of the society it caters to?

Our journey from the year 2000 to 2016 has seen organic growth. It is not the agenda that we created in the year 2000 to only focus on a specific issue. The people around us or the ecosystem around us define our focus areas. We started with the Yamuna campaign and right now we work in three primary verticals-

SUCCESS STORY

You were recognised as one of the top 25 youth leaders of India by some renowned media organisations. Do you think that with such recognition, your responsibilities towards the cause and purpose for which you are working also increases?

That could not be the reason why I am more responsible. If I look at the last 15 years of my journey, I could have been anywhere for the kind of education I have got or the kind of skills that I have acquired. Responsibility cannot be a condition, it’s my passion. I won’t say that I have become a little more responsible or the reason why I feel so passionate about this work is just because of the kind of recognition I have got in the past, but yes, I also understand that there are lots of young people who look up to me through different interventions, through

social media, through the work that I do in the mainstream media, my writings, etc. Therefore, it is very important for me to be aware of that and put the right foot forward to create some kind of inspiration, some kind of space for young people, and indeed that’s my responsibility because of which I become a modern day youth leader. There is a stigma in being a leader in our country, as most of the leaders are corrupt, old and fake. I want to be a leader and organically I have landed up in a space where my voice and my opinion matter. Responsibility lies on me that I put the right opinion at the right time to the right set of people.

You are working for a great cause and also trying to involve many youngsters in your organisation. Do you think that the generation today is easily taking up such initiatives and work for such a cause?

Young people all around the world are nice people; It is just the right opportunity, right stimuli and right trigger that young people need. The entire saying about the youngsters in the mainstream is that they are irresponsible, only like to have fun, only career-oriented, fashion-oriented, and like to waste the time. That is not true at all because along with that they have a great sense of responsibility, passion, concern and love. It is just how you are able to manipulate them, and show them the right direction. The problem is not amongst the youth, but it is the lack of forums because of which we are not able to engage the youngsters positively. One

I want to be a leader and “organically I have landed up

in a space where my voice and my opinion matters.

Responsibility lies on me that I put the right opinion at the right time to right set of people.

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1. Environment - Within this, we have issues on waste, air quality, greenery, plantation, etc.

2. Education – Related to access to education which is our first right as there are thousands of impoverished people who do not have access to basic education.

3. Enterprise - We are not dependent on the government to come and change our lives. Rather, we took the initiative to do something for ourselves with innovation.

These are the three verticals that Swechha works on. We are primarily in Northern India (in Delhi) but there are lot of impact stories in other parts of the country and other parts of the world as well.

of the reasons why young people are going astray is because our entire education system and our ecosystem of organisations have somewhere failed. Today, if a young person wants to do something out-of-thebox in life, he/she does not know where to go and ends up in disillusion. The disillusionment of young people is because of the society and not because they are irresponsible by design.

How do you generate revenue for the functioning of Swechha?

There are two primary sources for our revenues. One is the grants that we raise the funds that we get from several foundations and corporations, nationally and internationally.

Secondly, the major chunk of our fund comes from the services that we deliver.

We put our skills out in the market and create services for several institutions. We organise trips, trainings, classes and sell the products that are produced by us. So, we have our self-sustainable model from where we generate revenues in a most innovative way.

Any message you want to convey to the youngsters about taking up such initiatives?

Today, young people are needed more than any other time in contributing to the issues of governance, be it in the government or institutions that further the cause of the governance. Therefore, my call to them is that please continue doing whatever you are doing but also think about your responsibility as a citizen.

You don’t need to abandon or suspend your lives and start wearing chappals and khadi; you can do whatever you like and at the same time think about the nation, think about people around you and how your work can create an impact in your life and the society at large.

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GUEST COLUMN

LOW CAT SCORE: IS IT END OF THE WORLD FOR ME?

By Dr J K Goyal

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very year nearly two lakh aspirants write CAT to make a career in management but the combined intake of all the well-known B Schools taken together is not more than one tenth of this number. Majority of applicants feel dejected and helpless once the results are announced. Should one opt to invest one more year without any guarantee of any better result? It is noteworthy that there are large number of management education providers in the private sector and there is a reason why Government has granted so many approvals. Withthe growth of global economy, the demand for management graduates is unlikely to decline. Large number of management institutions in private sector provide significant opportunities to management aspirants. The question lies – which one should you opt for and why?

Step One: Ask yourself ‘Why do I want to do MBA / PGDM? This is the most repeated FAQ in any personal interview for which you are often prepared by your coaching institute.

Keep that training aside and do your own introspection. Most of the students are fully aware that they cannot make it to the top league. If you too feel so, you have more reasons to be careful in picking up the right B-School as a foundation to your career.

Step Two: At what price: Make a Cost-Benefit Analysis

Course fee for two years full-time MBA program me amongst private sector B-Schools in India roughly varies in the 82 < CAREERCONNECT < June 2016

rangeof Rs.3 Lakh to Rs.10 Lakh. In majority of cases, parents bear this burden whether or not it’s a bank loan. You must assess your parents’ capacity to pay.

Even if they are capable, do not just go for a high-fee charging B-School without analyzing your returns on investment.

For example, if suppose X & Y are two B-Schools charging Rs.4 Lakhs and Rs. 8 Lakhs as course fee respectively, and median salary of placement records of X and Y are Rs. 3.5 Lakhs Rs.4 Lakhs respectively; then X has a better ROI proposition over Y ir respective of any other factors. Few other aspects to be checked are payment schedules, identifying any ‘hidden’ and/or additional charges and temptations of freebees like free laptop, foreign trips, etc.

Step Three: From Home or Away from Home?

Another cost and value analysis is must here. A major benefit of being a day scholar is your savings of hostel fee which may be a little over Rs. 2 Lakh during your entire study period. However, boarding makes you more responsible, you spend much less time in travelling, and you are more productive in your studies. In case you opt for hostel or PG accommodation, you better opt for a B-School distant apart from your home so that you are not prompted for frequent visits to home. You must check the hostel facilities too. Remember, if you do not get proper physical amenities and decent food, you cannot concentrate.

Step four: How do I Verify the Claims of B-Schools?

l A B-School in India must be AICTE approved, list of which is available on AICTE website. Make sure that the program to which you have been offered admission is also AICTE approved. You need to check the accreditation status too. There are two national level bodies accrediting universities and institutions - National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) and National Board of

Accreditation (NBA). NAAC accredits the university departments and affiliated colleges; NBA accredits AICTE approved autonomous institutions. Both these agencies accredit specific programs but not the university or institution as a whole.

So while an institution may proclaim that it is NBA accredited, the program in which you are being offered admission may not be so. l Various popular magazines, newspapers, news channels and websites are also rating /ranking institutions. Do not rely on any one. Cross check with others. More credits ensure more reliability. l Visit the institution, particularly by public transport system. Some institutions ensure free transport facility, but many a times you need to rely on public transport.

Take a thorough round of the institution; talk to as many people as possible without offending the local staff and teachers. l Thoroughly check the website. Any AICTE approved B-School necessarily has a mandatory disclosure section. It is mandatory by AICTE to provide exact information in a standard prescribed format in this section.

Step Five: Admission Cancellation and Fee Refund

There may be cases where in spite of all your precautions, you later realise that the B-School which you picked up is not your worth; or maybe you have an admission option in your preferred B-School but you have already made your payments. In such cases, do not panic and do a costbenefit analysis again. If the difference between two B-Schools is marginal, forget the latter offer. If not, act fast. You must be mentally prepared to withstand some financial loss. As per AICTE guidelines, an institution is bound to refund the entire fee (after deducting a nominal amount not exceeding Rs.1000) in case a student withdraws from the course before its commencement.

(The writer is the Director, Jagan Institute of Management Studies, Rohini)

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