Africa studies a hot new subject for Indian students
New Delhi/Kolkata, With Africa becoming a major growth pole of the world economy, the resource-rich continent and its growing relationship with India have sparked a new interest among Indian students who are opting for Africa studies in increasingly large numbers.
From its rich cultural heritage to booming economy, cinema industry or the civic movements, everything about Africa seems to have fired the imagination of Indian students.
Abhishek Singh, a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) student at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in New Delhi, plans to do extended research on the developing model of trade between India and Africa.
“I want to do deep research on the growing demand for developing infrastructure and new technologies in Africa and how it provides opportunities for Indian business. I want to become a researcher on India-African business.”
Currently, bilateral trade between India and Africa stands at about $45 billion. At the second India-Africa Forum Summit, the two sides seek to scale it up to $70 billion by 2015.
Akanksha Kukreti, a former media student at JMI, who wished to become a filmmaker, wants to study the booming film industry in Nigeria. For Shyambhavi Saxsena, a student of Master of Arts (MA) in Delhi University (DU), the African civil society movements are a model to the rest of the world and she plans to do research on this subject.
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Education Abroad, Education India
Mumbai scientist to spearhead green cause
Mumbai, With the UN General Assembly declaring 2011 as the International Year of Forests (IYF 2011), a scientist here has launched a programme to create awareness about forests between the Himalayas and the Amazon among school students across India.
Pushkar Vaidya is the head scientist of Indian Astrobiology Research Centre (IARC), a virtual institute that represents a partnership between researchers in India, based in Mumbai.
“IYF 2011 is a UN global initiative… They have also listed IYF 2011 Certification Programme on their official key event calendar,” said Vaidya, who has specialised in astrobiology and evolutionary biology.
“This is a first of its kind programme in India. People, students will be exposed to the best and latest via books, CDs, videos and power-point presentations as part of the course. Successful candidates will get certificates with official UN logos,” he added.
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Education India, IARC, Indian Astrobiology Research Centre, International Year of Forests
Court terms MBBS admission criteria irrational
Agartala, The Gauhati High Court has found the Medical Council of India (MCI) eligibility criterion for MBBS aspirants from the scheduled castes and tribes “irrational and in violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution“, officials said Sunday.
According to MCI regulations, MBBS aspirants from these categories must secure at least 40 percent marks in the combined competitive examinations or joint entrance examinations (JEE). The union health ministry and the MCI had earlier refused to further relax the criterion for northeastern tribes and scheduled caste students.
A senior Tripura health department official said around 31 MBBS seats were lying vacant in the government-run medical college in Agartala and in the Tripura quota in other states because no student secured the minimum in the JEE this year in the state.
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St. Stephen’s moves court against Sandeep Dikshit’s society
New Delhi, The tussle between one of India’s leading educational institutions, St. Stephen’s College, and a society founded by Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit has entered the courts with the college filing a petition to stop the society from “misusing” its name.
The college’s suit filed in the Delhi High Court said there already existed an alumni association promoted by the college and called “St. Stephen’s College Alumni Association and Executive” since last 50 years. It was involved in various constructive activities towards the welfare of the institution, it said.
The society promoted by Dikshit and others, “The St. Stephen’s College Alumni Association”, was alleged to have been created for interfering in the functioning of the college and with mala fide intentions.
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Court News, Education India, St. Stephen's College
Supreme Court rejects CBSE’s proposal for merging AIEEE & AIPMT Exam
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) proposal of merging the All India Pre medical Test (AIPMT ) and All India Engineering Entrance Examination AIEEE into a single entrance test for admissions to undergraduate medical and engineering courses in the country, reports the Times of India
A bench of Justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik, which entertained the CBSE’s proposal dismissed the Board’s plea saying there was no unanimity.
While the All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination (AIPMT) is conducted to fill 15% seats in MBBS/BDS courses in government medical and dental colleges against the all-India quota, the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) is for drawing up a combined merit list for a different category of engineering colleges. CBSE conducts both AIPMT and AIEEE every year.
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AIEEE, AIPMT, CBSE, CBSE AIPMT
IGNOU opens admissions to three online courses
New Delhi, The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Friday inivited applications for three online programmes — on nutrition, the Himalayan ecosystem and management of the Ganges river, a statement said.
The last date for submitting applications is Oct 15.
The ‘Appreciation Programme on Sustainable Management of Ganga’ aims to create awareness about the Ganga and its connection with Indian civilization and culture.
The ‘Leadership Programme on Nutrition Security and Sustainable Development’ intends to sensitise policy and programme leaders to rely more on evidence-based programming for achieving targets.
The ‘Leadership Programme on Himalayan Ecosystems’ is based on practical exercises, case studies and field visits.
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Education India, IGNOU, IGNOU Online Courses
Delhi schoolkids observe autumn equinox
New Delhi, Students from 10 schools in and around the national capital got together at the Jantar Mantar Friday to observe the autumn equinox, the NGO which organized the event said.
An equinox occurs twice a year when the day and night have approximately equal length.
“Around 200 students from various city schools participated in the event,” an official of the NGO, Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE), said.
“The autumn equinox is one of the best occasions to celebrate this wonderful phenomenon using the ancient instruments at Jantar Mantar,” added the official.
According to SPACE, an international citizen science project - “Project Paridhi – Measure the Earth Again” was also flagged off on the occasion.
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Education India, NGO, Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators, SPACE
UNESCO to train school principals
New Delhi, In a bid to create a positive impact on thousands of teachers and at least 10 million children, the Unesco will hold training programmes for 10,000 school principals in India, Kenya and Ghana.
The ’10,000 Principals Leadership Programme’ is organised by Unesco and the Varkey GEMS Foundation, an NGO.
“The school principals in many developing countries receive little leadership and development training,” Unesco Director General Irina Bokova said in a statement.
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Education Abroad, Education India, UNESCO
IIM-Calcutta to tap corporates for funds
Chennai, The Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) is planning to tap Indian corporates for funds to complete some of its infrastructural projects following increased intake of students over the last three years.
“The student intake has gone up. This year the total intake is around 450 students. Earlier, the intake was around 260 students,” IIM-C director Shekhar Chaudhuri told IANS here.
“We are building around 530,000 sq ft of new facility. Half of the project is over. We have built 14 classrooms out of 19 planned. Two new hostels are under construction. The total project outlay is around Rs.195 crore,” he added.
He said the institute has decided to approach corporates for Rs.50 crore to complete the infrastructural projects.
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Education India, IIM-C, Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta, MBA
IGNOU to offer electronics, IT courses
New Delhi, The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Thursday said it will offer diploma and degree programmes in advanced information and communication technology and electronics.
The varsity has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and will develop full and part time courses.
“The master of technology programme would consist of specific set of course work for one year, followed by a project of one-year duration,” an IGNOU statement said.
C-DAC, Education India, IGNOU, IT Courses
