More options in the 'cloud'

By HORACIO GONZALEZ-VELEZ, associate professor of computing and head, Cloud Competency Centre (CCC), National College of Ireland (NCI), Dublin, talks to Medhavi Arora on new opportunities in his field'

How is cloud computing gaining popularity in gaining popularit India?

India is blessed with human capital -it has enormous opportunities in IT and has good engineers, mathematicians and physicists. Last October, India became the first country in the world to announce the creation of a national cloud at the IEEE international conference on cloud computing for emerging markets 2013 - Bangalore. This project needs a massive number of engineers skilled in cloud computing and data analytics. Thus, the government is making the right moves in creating opportunities for graduates. Through professional studies at the NCI, graduates can study and gain appropriate training and exposure, and as skilled engineers, help in development of companies. I have spent 10 years in Silicon Valley, but I didn't become a top engineer because I am not Indian and I can't eat spicy food -these are my two regrets.

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Smriti Irani defends FYUP move

“The reasons for reverting to the three-year undergraduate degree in Delhi University included the need to comply with National Policy on Education 1986, ensure that students of DU are not put to any disadvantage vis-a-vis students of other universities,” Irani said in the Rajya Sabha.

NEW DELHI: One of the reasons for reverting to the three-year undergraduate programme in Delhi University was to ensure that its students are not "put to any disadvantage vis-a-vis students of other universities", human resource development minister Smriti Irani told Parliament Wednesday. 

"The reasons for reverting to the three-year undergraduate degree in Delhi University included the need to comply with National Policy on Education 1986, ensure that students of DU are not put to any disadvantage vis-a-vis students of other universities in terms of horizontal and vertical mobility and also in terms of employment opportunities," Irani said in the Rajya Sabha. 

She added that "employability criteria" was not the reason for reverting back to three year undergraduate degree. 

As reported by Delhi University, the total number of students completing their graduation every year is more than 40,000, excluding students of School of Open Learning. 

DU has a Central Placement Cell (CPC) which gives options to the students of the university's different colleges/departments get themselves registered with it. 

In 2013-14, out of the 6,729 registered students 1,200 were placed based in preliminary selections carried out by various employers. 

DU admits over 50,000 students under its undergraduate programme in 63 colleges. 

The admission to the varsity started July 21 after a tussle between the DU and the University Grants Commission over the university's controversial four-year under-graduate programme (FYUP) started last year. The FYUP was rolled back June 27. 

Courtesy: TOI by besteducationhub.com 

Government to formulate new education policy

NEW DELHI: The government has proposed to formulate a new education policy to meet challenges posed by lack of quality, research and innovation in Indian educational institutions, parliament was told Wednesday. 

"The government proposes to formulate a new education policy aimed at meeting the challenges posed by lack of quality, research and innovation in our educational institutions," Human resource development minister Smriti Irani said in the Rajya Sabha. 

She added that the National Policy on Education 1986, as amended in 1992, has been the guiding document for the policies of the central government in the education sector. 

The policy provides for national system of education, which envisages a common educational structure of 10+2+3, implying that up to a given level, all students, irrespective of caste, creed, location or sex, have access to education of a comparable quality.

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Emerge as creative leaders: Kalam to IIM students

SHILLONG: Former president APJ Abdul Kalam Thursday urged students of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Shillong to emerge as creative leaders to bring about the required change in the country. 

"I want to see all of you as creative leaders to bring about the required change," Kalam said, while delivering a lecture "Dimensions of National Development" at the prestigious B-school. 

The "missile man", as Kalam is also known due to his background in aerospace engineering and his role in India's indigenous missile development, is one of the visiting faculty members in IIM-Shillong. 

Kalam spoke about the challenges that India and the world were facing and emphasised on the role of leadership to tackle these issues and develop possible solutions to ensure socio-economic development. 

He said the key requirement for achieving a distinctive profile for the nation was by creating sustainable enterprise-driven models at the rural level. 

Kalam urged the students to emulate a development model to bring urban amenities to rural areas. 

"Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) is one such system which I suggest will help in providing opportunities through cooperative working of resource and social entrepreneur in the rural areas," he said. 

"PURA is the creation of physical, electronic, knowledge connectivities leading to electronic connectivity of rural regions. 

"With this combined and planned intervention of infrastructure, digital technology, information and enterprise, we can select a cluster of about 20 to 50 villages, which share core competencies and empower those using local enterprise. This would enable our country to grow by shared efforts and overcome the challenges faced by the society," he said. 

Charting out a link between creative leadership and economic development, the former president emphasised on the importance of the role that change in leadership would play for ensuring success. 

He also accentuated on the role of integrity among leaders for sustained success and development of the society. 

Kalam also met the faculty members to discuss the role of academicians in promoting creative leadership among students for the betterment of the society. 

The IIM in the Meghalaya capital is named after late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. It was started in 2008 and functions from a makeshift campus at the Mayurbhanj complex, the erstwhile summer palace of the kings of Mayurbhanj in Odisha. 

The Meghalaya government has allotted a 120-acre plot on which work is under way for a state-of-the-art academic-cum-residential campus.

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Indian students' enrolment in German universities up more than 100% in 5 years

CHENNAI: For increasing number of Indians, Germany is emerging a favoured higher education destination overseas. There has been 114% increase in the number of Indian students enrolling for higher education courses there since 2008, according to the latest figures released by the regional office of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The number of students enrolled has increased from 3,516 in the 2008-09 academic year to 7,532 in 2012-13. US, UK, Australia and Canada have been the most favoured destinations for Indian students, partly due to the absence of a language barrier. But Germany, which has the fifth biggest Indian student population on campuses, has sought to bridge the gap by introducing courses in English and easing visa norms to allow students to look for jobs there after completion of studies. 

Engineering courses were the chosen area of study for nearly half the number (close to 48%), followed by mathematics and natural sciences (19.8%). Information technology (13.a8%), and law, economics and social sciences (9.4%) are the other courses sought after by Indian students in Germany. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Franziska Lindhout, director of the DAAD Information Centre in Chennai, said Germany encourages Indian students to sign up for masters and research in engineering as not many natives show an interest in the discipline. "It's least taken up by those in Germany, and the country needs students in these areas, so Germany is interested in cooperation with Indian technical higher educational institutions," she said. 

Lindhout said efforts were being made to internationalise German institutions. "It's no longer a prerequisite to learn German to study there. We invite Indian students to pick up the language to help them adapt better and for jobs, But it is not required to pursue a masters or for the visa procedure. It is part of the internationalization process, and DAAD has been pushing for it," she said. 

Germany has also made a conscious effort to woo Indian students by sponsoring initiatives aimed at enabling Indian students to study, carry out research and gain work experience in that country. Since 2009, 46 new co-operation projects have been forged between Indian and German universities. Working and research internships and scholarships are part of the effort. 

Changes in visa rules to allow Indian students more time to look for employment has also helped increase the number of Indian students headed to Germany. Indians comprise the second largest international student population in Germany, second only to China. 

There are not as many undergraduate students from India as those who opt for masters or doctoral degrees in Germany. "There are few English-medium UG courses to choose from in Germany and the school finals in India are not equivalent to that offered in Germany. But, now there are many masters programmes offered in English," said Padmavathi Chandramouli, information manager of DAAD centre in Chennai. 

As many as 1,324 Indian students AND 761 German students have been part of the DAAD exchange programme. Co-operation agreements have been signed between German institutions and the IITs, IIMs, the department of science and technology and the University Grants Commission. 

While the country does not offer any scholarships for masters' degrees, its research grants for doctoral programmes in Germany and the bi-nationally supervised doctoral degrees are well known. The application deadline for these scholarships is now October 2 this year. DAAD is also organizing a special information session by Martin Rojek, head of the visa section at the German Consulate in Chennai on Monday in the city to give students information on applying for a student visa to Germany. A pre-departure meet will be held on August 7.

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IIMC, SRFTI and FTII to get national tag

NEW DELHI: In a move that is likely to give a boost to international collaborations and funding, three premier institutes — Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) — will be awarded status of institute of national importance and the power to award degrees.

The proposals mooted by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry that will give greater autonomy to the institutes is likely to come before the Union Cabinet soon. This will put the institutes in the league of IITs and AIIMS. 

Sources said the cabinet notes for SRFTI and FTII had been cleared by the law ministry while the one for IIMC was in the final stages. The proposals were announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Union budget on July 10. Sources said that the three institutes are reputed organizations in the media education sector but could only grant diplomas.

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36.5 percent of teaching slots vacant in IITs

NEW DELHI: The central government Monday said 36.5 percent and 40.8 percent of teaching positions were vacant in the country's 16 IITs and 30 NITs, respectively. 

"There are 36.5 percent and 40.8 percent vacancy in teaching positions in 16 IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and 30 NITs (National Institutes of Technology) respectively," human resource development minister Smriti Irani said. 

"The reasons for faculty shortage are due to retirement, resignation, increase in students' intake and non-availability of qualified candidates for taking up teaching assignments," the minister said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. 

She said the institutes have been taking various initiatives to "attract outstanding candidates for faculty positions". 

"Some of these measures include year-round open advertisements, holding of selection committee meetings through video conferencing, invitation to alumni, scientists and faculty to reach out to potential candidates, advertisements in international journals, outstanding young faculty awards," she said. 

She added that as regards NITs, the institutions are engaging contract and adjunct staff as well as using the online mode of teaching to overcome these shortages. 

"Moreover, faculty in NITs has now been given pay parity with faculty in IITs with a view to attract quality faculty," she said. 

She said that with a view to make it possible for foreign faculty to join the institutes, the ministry of home affairs has "reduced the salary limit for employment visa to foreign faculty from $25,000 to $14,000".

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