Global News Post: Education

INDIA: Nursery Admission Ranges from US$5,563 TO US$15,000 per Child

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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By M.Saraswathi <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI, India
 (NNN-Bernama) -- After undergoing a
rigorous selection procedure, parents of tiny tots aiming for seats in nursery
schools in Delhi-National Capital Region say they are now facing the biggest
hurdle in the form of 'donation fees’, which ranged from Rs3 lakh (US$5,563) to
Rs8 lakh (US$15,000) per child, a survey revealed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The fees structure
for nursery and pre-school is costlier than that of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Delhi</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
which really provide qualitative education, industry body Associated Chambers
of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham)’s secretary general, DS Rawat
said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Parents’ applying
for primary schools have increased their budget to Rs3 lakhs in 2013 from Rs 1
Lakh (US$1,854) in 2010 on items and activities integral to the school
curriculum, such as fees, transports, building fund and extracurricular,
reveals the survey conducted by Assocham Social Development Foundation (ASDF). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">“The survey
showed that parents invest an average 75 per cent of their income in their
children’s education. The cost of education is increasing every year, much
ahead of inflation,” he said in a statement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">About 2,000
parents, with a minimum salary bracket of Rs3 lakh to Rs8 lakh annually, were
interviewed in Delhi-NCR for the survey, which indicated that parents find it
difficult in meeting their ward’s education cost and plan to break their funds
for admission process this year. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The parents'
annual income, on an average, has just risen up to 30 per cent in the past five
years but on the other hand education cost has increased by over 300 per cent
in the last five years, the survey said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Majority of parents
believe it is difficult for a single parent to fund a child's education in this
current scenario, it said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">”Over 92 per
cent parents in one-member-earning families often find it impossible to pay
even for one child’s education and 85 per cent of parents spend more than half
of their take-home pay on their children's education, extra coaching and
extra-curricular activities, placing significant burden on their family
budget,” it said.  -- NNN-BERNAMA <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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INDIA: Nursery Admission Ranges from US$5,563 TO US$15,000 per Child

By M.Saraswathi NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- After undergoing a rigorous selection procedure, parents of tiny tots aiming for...

Improvement Needed in Standards of Higher Education: Indian Pres Mukherjee

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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The President, Pranab
Mukherjee delivering the </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">convocation address at the 8<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Convocation of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">SRM</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
in </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Chennai on December 28, 2012. Photo © PIB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">CHENNAI (INDIA) (NNN-PTI) -- President
Pranab Mukherjee on Friday pitched for improving the standards of higher
education by Indian universities and asked the private players also to
contribute their best as there were 'unlimited' demands and 'limited' resources
in the sector.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The standards of higher education in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> today
need improvement. In ancient India, we had universities like Nalanda and
Takshashila which had established themselves as international centers of
educational excellence where students from all over the world came and
studied", Mukerjee said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In contrast, many Indian students today
choose to go abroad for higher studies, Mukherjee said in his Convocation
Address at the <st1:placename w:st="on">SRM</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> here in south <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Observing that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> needs universities to provide
quality education that met international benchmarks, he said, "we must
change the reality of our universities not figuring in the list of top
universities of the world. Indian universities should aim at becoming top
educational institutions in the world with global standards of research,
teaching and learning."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Noting that there were 'unlimited' demands
and 'limited' resources in the field of higher education he said, "it is
important that the private sector also contributes its best to the provision of
higher education in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The private sector has played a key
role in higher education in other countries across the world. Many top
universities including Harvard, Yale and Stanford are the result of efforts of
the private sector. There is no reason why Indian private sector cannot achieve
similar results", he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Stating that Indian education system was
"burdened" with demands of both "quantity" and
"quality", he said, "the numbers of students who seek admissions
in universities today far exceed the capacity of government educational
institutions".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We need many more universities to be
able to address the demands of higher education. And along with quantity, we
also need to focus on quality", he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Defence Research Development Organisation
Director General V K Sarasvat and noted physician Pawan Raj Goyal were awarded
Doctorates in their field of expertise by Mukherjee on the occasion. -- NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Improvement Needed in Standards of Higher Education: Indian Pres Mukherjee

The President, Pranab Mukherjee delivering the convocation address at the 8 th Convocation of the SRM University , in Chen...

President Unveils Aakash Version 2.0 Tablet on National Education Day Launches Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 10pt;">he President, Pranab Mukherjee launching the Aakash Version 2.0 tablet, at the National Education Day 2012 function to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">New Delhi</st1:city></st1:place> on November 11, 2012. The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju, the President of ICCR, Dr. Karan Singh, the DG UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova, the Ministers of State for Human Resource Development, Dr. Shashi Tharoor and Jitin Prasada are also seen. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8pt;">Photo © PIB</span></td></tr>
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<st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (PIB) ---The President of India,  Pranab Mukherjee took the occasion of National
Education Day to release and dedicate to the nation, the innovative and
modestly-priced Aakash Version 2.0 tablet in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">New Delhi</st1:city></st1:place> today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Unveiled
in the presence of Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju, Union Minister of Human Resource
Development, Sh Jitin Prasada and Dr Shashi Tharoor, Ministers of State for
Human Resource Development, Aakash Version 2.0 is a full-fledged tablet computer.
IIT Bombay along with the Ministry of Human Resource Development has created
several useful educational applications for the tablet. Teachers and students
in the remotest corners of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>
can join a classroom and benefit from lectures delivered by the best teachers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Some
of the initiatives in technology-enabled education that can run on Aakash
Version 2.0 tablet include Ten Thousand Teachers Training Programme – a live
video interaction with participants , Clicker applications for real time
feedback in country-wide classroom, Daisy Books for differently-abled students,
NCERT content , GNU Khata- an accounting package for barefoot accountants in
rural areas and Scholarship Portal integrated with Aadhar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On
National Education Day, which is also the 124th birth anniversary of
Independent India’s first Education Minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, rich
tributes were paid to the great freedom fighter and eminent educationist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">President
Mukherjee recalled the great visionary and extolled his exemplary contribution
to nation –building, promoting secularism and particularly his indelible
imprints in the field of education and culture. Sh Mukherjee also appreciated
the launch of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and
Sustainable Development, which is the first Category-I Institute of India to be
set up in entire <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Crediting
Maulana Azad for laying the foundations of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s education system, Dr M M
Pallam Raju said The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act
(2009) is indeed a major step forward in concretizing Maulana’s vision of free
and compulsory education for all. He said we need to promote research and
innovation in our institutions and create the right educational eco-system
because in a knowledge economy, the wealth of a nation will not be measured in
terms of its natural resources but in terms of its human capital. The Minister
said even more important than development of job skills is the need to develop
appropriate values of tolerance, non-violence, secularism and humanism amongst
children and youth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Pointing
out that educational indicators for SC, ST, Minorities, Girls, OBCs and persons
with disabilities show much lower levels in comparison to the general population,
Sh Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for HRD said we need to understand the
importance of enhancing educational participation by all sections of our
society which is significant for achieving overall growth and development. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Drawing
attention to a world undergoing several unprecedented changes in almost every
sphere of human life, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for HRD said it is
all the more imperative that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>
brings about far-reaching educational reforms to cope with these dynamic challenges.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Dr.
Karan Singh, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
designated Representative to UNESCO, and Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General
UNESCO also spoke on the occasion. On the occasion, a brochure on Mahatma
Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development was also
released.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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President Unveils Aakash Version 2.0 Tablet on National Education Day Launches Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development

T he President, Pranab Mukherjee launching the Aakash Version 2.0 tablet, at the National Education Day 2012 function to co...

INDIA: Two Indians among Forbes' Top 15 Education Innovators List

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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW
YORK (NNN-Bernama) -- Indian-origin CEO of Datawind, the maker of India's
low-cost tablet Aakash, Suneet Singh Tuli and Massachusettes Institute of
Technology professor Anant Agarwal have been named by Forbes magazine among the
15 "classroom revolutionaries" who are using innovative technologies
to reinvent education for students and teachers globally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
Forbes list names 15 education innovators who are "harnessing a slew of
disruptive technologies to change everything from the way we teach grade school
math to how we train the next generation of teachers", reports Press Trust
of India (PTI). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
publication said Tuli, 44, is the "mastermind" behind the world's
cheapest tablet computer Aakash, "which has the potential to revolutionise
educational access in the developing world." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Datawind
has a backlog of "millions" of orders for the US$35 Aakash tablet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
publication quoted Tuli as saying that "I don't care about creating the
iPad killer. I care about the three billion people who can afford this
device." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Agarwal,
53, a professor of computer science at MIT is also the President of edX, the
new combined online offerings of Harvard, MIT, the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename> at <st1:city w:st="on">Berkeley</st1:city>
and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>
 of <st1:placename w:st="on">Texas</st1:placename></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Over
400,000 are currently enrolled in the education programme. "We've created
dramatic access to learning for students worldwide. By reinventing online learning,
we can dramatically improve what we do on campus," Agarwal, who took over
as head of edX in May this year, said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"EdX
continues to up the ante by increasing partners, classes (seven to dozens for
spring 2013) and innovations, such as virtual laboratories," Forbes added.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Datawind
had won the tender in 2010 to supply one lakh (100,000) Aakash tablets for a
price of around US$49 per unit. A new version of the tablet PC, featuring one
Ghz processor, four-hour battery time, capacitive screen and Android 4.0
operating system, is expected to be launched in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> on Nov 11. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Among
the other education innovators on the list is Salman Khan, the
Bangladeshi-American founder of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Khan</st1:placename>
 <st1:placetype w:st="on">Academy</st1:placetype></st1:place>, the
revolutionary online education platform. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The
36-year old M.I.T. and Harvard alumnus has so far created 3,400 videos, mostly
science and math tutorials, that have been watched by more than 200 million
people. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Khan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Academy</st1:placetype></st1:place>'s YouTube channel has more than
400,000 subscribers.  -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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INDIA: Two Indians among Forbes' Top 15 Education Innovators List

NEW YORK (NNN-Bernama) -- Indian-origin CEO of Datawind, the maker of India's low-cost tablet Aakash, Suneet Singh Tuli and Massach...

INDIA: President Underlines the Need to Improve Quality of Education

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">National Award to Teachers 2011 and National ICT Award for School Teachers 2010 & 2011 given away by President<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGZjlTKcRwM-d0ayAzOEk807a0UH7ZSxhDonyzJbxWRkJIxAhY0L9eCAGCIsuxRJ3xbE2Qt5fe_i-zv1cSI3tfd-iFW_1Y_e84H9S-vzUaCBY8DZMThwVKmbhVcpJlqFvleICp1rmiak/s1600/l2012090542096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGZjlTKcRwM-d0ayAzOEk807a0UH7ZSxhDonyzJbxWRkJIxAhY0L9eCAGCIsuxRJ3xbE2Qt5fe_i-zv1cSI3tfd-iFW_1Y_e84H9S-vzUaCBY8DZMThwVKmbhVcpJlqFvleICp1rmiak/s400/l2012090542096.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The President, Pranab Mukherjee addressing at the presentation <o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">of the National Awards 2011 to Teachers, on the occasion of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Teacher’s Day, in New Delhi on September 05, 2012. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Photo © PIB</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">NEW DELHI (PIB) --- The President Pranab Mukherjee has underlined the need to improve the quality of education in the country, stating that this is the first and foremost task before us towards building the India of our dreams. Addressing teachers while giving away the National Award to Teachers 2011, here today, he said, “Your sacred duty is to enable your pupils to construct knowledge, to discover their own talents, and to develop their physical and interpersonal skills, cognitive abilities and subject-matter expertise. Education must enrich their minds, broaden their horizons and give them ever lasting hunger for exploring new ideas and vistas of opportunity.” The National Award to Teachers, 2011 were given away to 310 teachers from across the country. For the first time 20 additional awards were given away under the category of National ICT Award for School Teachers (for the years 2010 & 2011). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The President pointed out that now educational activities and learning processes are no longer confined to classroom-based curriculum. He stated, “It is necessary to design appropriate learning experiences for the students. Development of a scientific temperament is essential. Adaptation to and application of new technology has to be an integral part of the curriculum development for all stages of education. New methods and teaching aids must equip the younger generations to learn more, explore more and contribute more to the society.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The President called upon teachers to give themselves a new orientation and evolve an enhanced institutional capacity. He said, “Qualified and competent teachers, continuously renewing their capabilities and excellence through research, experimentation and innovation would be the nation`s strength. We must work for the long term goal of setting performance standards and creating top class institutional facilities for innovative training and professional development of teachers. I expect that the Government of India`s National Mission on Teachers and Training will address all these urgent priorities and the related issues in a holistic manner.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Kapil Sibal said that the role of the teacher is undergoing seminal transformation, as also are the expectations of parents, students and society from the education system. He said, “Teachers still occupy the pivotal role in shaping minds and characters, but teachers today are not the sole medium for transfer of knowledge. The interactions in the classroom are supplemented by various other sources of information and competing thoughts. Recognising the changing role of the teacher and to orient the education system towards this change, we propose to launch the National Mission on Teachers & Teaching in the Twelfth Plan.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sibal said that education will help foster a learning society that will create for others a path out of poverty and want. He said, “Education is thus an investment in the genius of the human mind – unlike investment in land, capital, finance or technology. If education has the power to transform lives, then at the core of the transformation is the teacher.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Scheme of National Award to Teachers was introduced in 1958 with the object of raising the prestige of teachers and giving public recognition to teachers of outstanding merit. Under the scheme, school teachers are selected for the award on the basis of their academic efficiency, desire for improvement in education, genuine interest in and love for children, involvement in social life and reputation enjoyed in the local community. The names of the teachers for these awards are recommended in the first instance, by the District Education Officer etc. on the basis of teacher’s record of work. It is further vetted by the District Committee. The recommendations of the Committee are scrutinized examined by the State Selection Committee which forwards its recommendations, in order to merit, to the State Government. The State Government in turn sends the same to the Union Government along with Character Certificate of faultless antecedents and absolute integrity duly signed by the State Education Secretary. The final selection is made by the Union Government. Each award consists of a Certificate of Merit, a Silver Medal and a Cash Prize of Rs. 25,000/- . <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Also present on the occasion were E Ahamed, Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Secretaries in the Ministry of HRD, Smt. Anshu Vaish and Ashok Thakur.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: President Underlines the Need to Improve Quality of Education

National Award to Teachers 2011 and National ICT Award for School Teachers 2010 & 2011 given away by President The President, Pra...

Falling Birth Rates Blamed for Poor School Enrollment in Indian State

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BANGALORE, India (NNN-Bernama) -- The number of children enrolling in schools has shown a downward trend in the south Indian state of Karnataka due to falling birth rates, a recent report says.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report from the state commission on structural upgradation and reorganisation of school education said that some 693 government schools received five or fewer enrollments and another 2,510 had 10 enrollments and below.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report said that falling birth rates in the state have contributed to poor enrollment of pupils in schools, Press Trust of India reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"More than 13,000 out of 45,200 elementary schools under the Department of Education (standard 1 to 5) are located in small habitations and have fewer than 30 children enrolled during the 2011-2012 period," the Commission said in its report.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The draft report of the Commission has been made public to seek feedback from stakeholders by Aug 31.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Dwindling enrollments at the lower primary school stage affect numbers in higher primary schools, which in turn contribute to smaller sized high schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Demographic variables are a significant factor in planning exercises in secondary education," the Commission said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report also finds a declining growth rate in the 15 to 18 age category.-- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Falling Birth Rates Blamed for Poor School Enrollment in Indian State

BANGALORE, India (NNN-Bernama) -- The number of children enrolling in schools has shown a downward trend in the south Indian state of Karn...

INDIA: Databank of Teachers

INDIA: Databank of Teachers

NEW DELHI (PIB) --- The Government of India has told the lower house of Indian parliament that, a ccording to the Statistics of School E...

UK New Visa System Sees Decline in Indian Students

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LONDON (NNN-Bernama) -- The new student visa system introduced in Britain to prevent abuse has led to a decline in the number of Indian students although the overall number of international students has not changed</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I accept there has been a decline in the number of students coming from India. The increase in the number of students coming from other parts of South-east Asia easily compensates for the decline from India," Home Office minister of state Lord Henley said during a debate in the House of Lords on Friday</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Labour peer Lord Judd had asked Lord Henley if he had looked at the evidence of what had happened to the number of students coming from India</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We are not seeing a decline in the overall number of students coming to universities. What we are seeing is a decline in the numbers of those who were coming here allegedly to study but using that as a way of getting round the immigration system," Lord Henley said</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saying that the controversial changes made to the student visa system were "quite right", the minister said: "I am proud of it and there has been no damage to United Kingdom universities as a result</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span dir="RTL"></span>." </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lord Henley said that the changes were intended to "reform the student visa route". -- NNN-BERNAMA</span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

UK New Visa System Sees Decline in Indian Students

LONDON (NNN-Bernama) -- The new student visa system introduced in Britain to prevent abuse has led to a decline in the number of Indian st...

Minister: Australia Should Engage More with India in Education Sector

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span dir="LTR"></span>  </span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MELBOURNE (NNN-Bernama) -- Asian countries like India are hungry for skilled workers and Australia needs to engage more actively in providing vocational and educational training services in these nations, a minister said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking at the Australia India Skills Conference in Perth recently, Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans said Australia needed to do more to impart know-how and training to Asian nations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Evans said vocational education had been "very much on the agenda" at last week's East Asia Summit in Indonesia, Press Trust of India reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"[There was] very much a focus for developing partnerships that went to things like qualification recognition, a focus on standards, quality assurance and labour mobility," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Evans also admitted the federal government had been slow to see the opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span dir="LTR"></span>"But it is the case that VET (Vocational and educational training services) is going to be a key area of engagement between Australia and various Asian countries, particularly India."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Evans also pinpointed that India required to upskill 500 million people which presented a huge challenge.  --NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Minister: Australia Should Engage More with India in Education Sector

MELBOURNE (NNN-Bernama) -- Asian countries like India are hungry for skilled workers and Australia needs to engage more actively in prov...

India and UNESCO Sign Agreement to Establish a UNESCO Category-1 Institute in Delhi

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology,  Kapil Sibal and the DG, UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova exchanging the signed documents of an agreement for setting up Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, in Paris on July 09, 2012.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Photo © PIB<o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Paris (PIB) --- INDIA and UNESCO have signed the agreement to establish the Mahatma Gandhi Institute Of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development on 9th July 2012 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The challenges of the 21st century are qualitatively different from the challenges of the 20th century. Global understanding and education would assist in appreciating the impact of these challenges on peace and its relation to sustainable development. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development comes at the right time – a time when the world is debating the contours of the century ahead." This was stated by the Union Minister of HRD, Communications and IT,  Kapil Sibal, at UNESCO following the signing of an agreement for establishing the MGIEP as a UNESCO Category-I Institute in New Delhi, the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The signing of the agreement is the culmination of a process of three years commencing with the decision by UNESCO’s 35th General Conference in 2009. The Institute to be located in India is the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ms. Irina Bokova, the Director General of UNESCO said, “The Mahatma Gandhi Institute comes at the right time - a time when the world is debating the contours of the century ahead, when UNESCO is preparing its next strategy to advance peace and promote sustainable development,”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Institute’s core activity will lie in research and capacity building. It will encourage knowledge exchange, regional networking and catalyse innovation by helping to design and test new approaches to education. The Institute would be greatly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of peace and sustainability.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Both Sibal and the DG UNESCO paid tributes to Gandhi’s universal legacy and his vision of peace and the defense of human dignity.  Sibal paid tributes to Gandhi’s vision of education, highlighting its relevance for confronting challenges such as the overuse of natural resources and learning to live together. He said, “Gandhi said that we have enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed. This is the source of conflict. The crises the global community faces needs to be addressed through the inspirational wisdom of Gandhi, who said that for a person to be truly educated, you had to have a united approach, by training the mind to think, the hands to acquire skills and the heart for human values and ethics.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">An Expert Advisory Group would soon be set up by UNESCO to develop an agenda for the Institute.  Kapil Sibal also extended a formal invitation to DG UNESCO for visiting India later this year for launching the Institute.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div></div>

India and UNESCO Sign Agreement to Establish a UNESCO Category-1 Institute in Delhi

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal and the DG, UNESCO, Ms. Irin...

West Bengal is Open for Private Universities: Mamata

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">KOLKATA (NNN-PTI): With the passage of a bill to set up three new universities, including a private one, in the state assembly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the education sector has now been thrown open to private universities.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The road is now open for private sector universities to impart education," she wrote on her Facebook page while describing the day as "historic" as the legislative assembly has passed bills for setting up of three new universities in the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Under the bill, a private university, Techno India University, will be set up with campus at Salt Lake and Joka on the outskirts of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The three new universities will provide ample opportunities for the young generation to avail management, engineering and professional education in the state, instead of migrating to other states," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The state-aided universities include one at Cooch Behar district while another has been named Kazi Nazrul University which would come up at Asansol, close to the birth place of the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the passage of another bill to provide 17 per cent reservation for Backward Classes and SC/ST, she said "it would bring a new era in the development and upliftment of Muslim brothers and sisters".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"A policy decision has also been taken to provide similar facilities for them in education," she added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pointing out that the assembly has also cleared the West Bengal Panchayat Election Bill, 2012, which provides 50 per cent reservation for women, in elections, she said "we salute the women and stand for our solidarity with the mothers and sisters of Bengal". -NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

West Bengal is Open for Private Universities: Mamata

KOLKATA (NNN-PTI): With the passage of a bill to set up three new universities, including a private one, in the state assembly, West Benga...

INDIA: Govt. Invites Bar Associations for Talks

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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): The government has invited bar associations for deliberations in wake of threat by lawyers to go on strike from July 11 to protest against the proposed higher education bill and said the legislation will not in any way interfere with legal education.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a letter to bar associations, Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal said that the Bar Council of India is free to prescribe minimum standards of education for grant of degrees leading to professional practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Terming the proposed Higher Education and Research Bill as ”draconian, unconstitutional and undemocratic” and one that infringes on its powers, the BCI had last month threatened that lawyers across the country would abstain from work on July 11 and 12 if legal education is not removed from the purview of the bill.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“There is an impression that the proposed legislation seeks to interfere with disciplinary powers of the Bar Councils over the conduct of members of the legal profession,” Sibal said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I wish to clarify that the proposed bill does not contain any provision, which seeks to interfere with the powers of BCI or the State Bar Councils in the matter of regulation of the practice of law or with respect to exercise of disciplinary powers qua members of the legal profession,” Sibal said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He reasoned that the meeting will give, each side, an "opportunity to express their views and enable me to explain issues relating to the proposed legislation”, as it is intended solely to strengthen the higher education system.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to the minister, BCI, which currently inspects institutions awarding an LL.B degree for maintaining standards, will continue to exercise these powers under the proposed legislation. -NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

INDIA: Govt. Invites Bar Associations for Talks

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI): The government has invited bar associations for deliberations in wake of threat by lawyers to go on strike from Jul...

KENYA: Vanishing Fish Income Forces Livelihood Switch

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jfdK9eN2oOKbG0iqTwavqxHPa2PI48JrVNaP0YGNXXPsqx72i_MHwrmjfRbq-VI0tPq4UiXZm1nLKgT_WrdlsMuySBmlumuQBtbGNjNfESb7n2Yhjt8RPa4esynugZ5iWi4pxnCWTMg/s1600/201206050744140398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jfdK9eN2oOKbG0iqTwavqxHPa2PI48JrVNaP0YGNXXPsqx72i_MHwrmjfRbq-VI0tPq4UiXZm1nLKgT_WrdlsMuySBmlumuQBtbGNjNfESb7n2Yhjt8RPa4esynugZ5iWi4pxnCWTMg/s320/201206050744140398.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Overpopulation and overfishing have forced fishing<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">communities to look elsewhere for their income (file photo)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>Photo:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.irinnews.org/photo/"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Kenneth Odiwuor/IRIN</span></a><o:p></o:p></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">KISUMU  (IRIN) - Joseph Obiero, a 35-year-old father of seven, has been a fisherman on Lake Victoria since he was a teenager, but a decline in earnings in recent years means his family can no longer depend solely on fishing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"When I was a boy helping my father in the lake, he could get five baskets full of fish in a night; now I struggle to get even one basket. I get very little money from fishing these days - there is no fish," he told IRIN. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"These days… I go to Kisumu town [the largest town in western Kenya's Nyanza Province] where I use my 'tuk tuk' [three-wheeled motorcycle taxi] to ferry people for money. If I don’t do that, I can't even take my children to school… I used to save money in the bank, but now it is not easy to feed or clothe my family. It is a struggle to make ends meet," he said. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When the fishermen return with boats almost empty after a night of fishing on the lake, fish trader Anastasia Magero has to supplement her income by selling vegetables. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Selling vegetables doesn't bring enough money. I used stay at the nearby market centre where I used to pay rent, but I can't do that anymore - I have to walk to the beach from my rural home," she said. "With reduction in fish, I am getting to know what poverty means."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">An estimated 65,000 people have already lost some income due to reduced earnings from fishing, and another 100,000 could be affected in the next two years, according to Nyanza's provincial planning office. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Ministry of Fisheries Development says the fisheries sector supports about 80,000 people directly and about 800,000 indirectly. An estimated 60 percent of households in western Kenya rely on fish for food and as a source of income. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Our statistics show that many people who used to sell their goods to fishermen can't do so because they have quickly lost their purchasing power... As fishermen lose jobs, others who depend on them to buy their stuff also do the same," Dickson Mutwi, senior planning officer in Nyanza, told IRIN. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Lake under pressure </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Experts say rising population and overfishing are deepening poverty for millions of residents around Lake Victoria, the world's second largest fresh water lake. "Population explosion around the lake means many people turn to the lake and also destroy the environment around it, and in just a matter of years these people will experience poverty and hunger on a large scale," warned Charles Mboya, a fisheries lecturer at Western Kenya's Maseno University. "International and local demand for fish and its products is on the increase against a backdrop of reducing fish stocks, which might lead to a vicious struggle for it. We might witness fish wars soon," he said. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The ministry notes that cross-border fish and trade conflict is one of the industry's challenges; an estimated 3.5 million people depend on the lake for their livelihood, either directly or indirectly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the three countries that share the lake (Kenya’s share of the shoreline is 6 percent). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In 2009 a diplomatic row broke out between Kenya and Uganda over fishing rights on the tiny disputed island of Migingo, which is near a rich breeding ground for Nile perch. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In addition to overfishing, the effects of climate change - including prolonged droughts and increased lake salinity - are also contributing to the reduction in fish stocks. "Reducing fish catch is not just a matter of overfishing but also climate change... There is increased salinity and acidification of water and this destroys the natural habitats of fish," Paul Obade, a researcher at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, told IRIN. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The biggest threat to Lake Victoria is the unsustainable use of its waters and the resources in it; excessive fishing devoid of any measures to replenish what is being used has seen fish diminish very fast, and particularly Nile perch," said Mboya.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Support for fish farming </span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"It is important to have alternative ways to ensure that not all our fish resources come from the lakes, and for that reason the government is promoting fish farming as an alternative sources of food and income," said Okumu Makogola, an official at the Fisheries Ministry. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The government has started a number of measures to boost fish production and provide employment to fishing communities; to date, 48,000 fish ponds have been constructed in160 constituencies across the country, creating 120,000 jobs, according to government officials. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At Dunga Fishermen Cooperative Society in Kisumu, local fishermen working on an International Labour Organization project are breeding thousands of fish which they later release into the lake. The cooperative is also discouraging fishermen from using nets that trawl smaller fish and deplete species. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Through aquaculture, we have cages where we raise fish inside the lake, where they breed. Today we have some 20 cages each carrying 2,000 fish. We will breed more, and we will spread this initiative to other 285 fish landing beaches," said Maurice Ochieng, head of the cooperative. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The cooperative is also discouraging fishermen from using nets that trawl smaller fish and deplete species. "The use of chemicals to catch fish is also increasing but we have started to help the police arrest such people," said Ochieng. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>

KENYA: Vanishing Fish Income Forces Livelihood Switch

Overpopulation and overfishing have forced fishing communities to look elsewhere for their income (file photo) Photo: Kenneth Odiwuor/IR...

Research, Higher Studies Gaining Popularity among Indians

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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">  </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">NEW DELHI, India </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">(</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">NNN-Bernama) - The pursuit of research and higher studies is gaining popularity among Indians as an increasing number of students are enrolling for doctorate programmes, Press Trust of India reported. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">The number of students pursuing research (MPhil and PhD combined) over the last three years is increasing," Minister of state in Human Resource Development <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">Ministry D Purandeswari said on Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">The University Grants Commission reported that </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">95,872</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;"> students were pursuing research in </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2008-09</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">, with the number increasing to </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">117,999</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;"> in </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2009-10</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;"> and </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">137,668</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;"> in </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2010-11</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">, Purandeswari said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 20%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">A study commissioned by the Ministry of Human Resource Development estimated that the number of children aged </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">6 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">to </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">13 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">who did not attend school has decreased from </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">13.5 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">million in </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">2005 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">to </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">8.2 </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">million. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Research, Higher Studies Gaining Popularity among Indians

NEW DELHI, India ( NNN-Bernama) - The pursuit of research and higher studies is gaining popularity among Indians as an increasing number...

India: Uproar over Scam Charges in Grant of Medical College Licences

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">NEW DELHI <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(NNN-PTI) -- Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha on Monday with BJP member Maneka Gandhi having heated exchanges with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad alleging massive corruption in granting licences to medical colleges, a charge strongly refuted by the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"You can't level wild allegations without any evidence," a visibly angry Azad shouted back when Gandhi alleged that crores of rupees were being demanded as bribes by members of the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The BJP member made a scathing attack on the government for turning the MCI into a "cash cow" and indulging in "rampant corruption" and violation of its own rules and even Supreme Court orders.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The House was discussing the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2012, seeking to extend the tenure of the MCI Board of Governors till May 2013 as its current tenure was coming to end on May 14.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Bill was later passed with 100 votes in favour and 57 against after BJD member Tathagata Satpathy sought a division. The Left and BJD MPs staged a walkout.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Maintaining that the Board was "making a mockery of all rules," Gandhi said the CBI had conducted inspections of ten institutions and found "gross irregularities" like submission of fake or forged certificates by faculty members, fudging of record on clinical materials and deficiency of infrastructure.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">While such findings by CBI should have led to cancellation of their permits, the colleges were allowed to admit fresh batches of students, she claimed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When she alleged that crores of rupees were being sought as bribes, Azad asserted that no bribe or even gifts have been taken either by him or the Ministry or the Board. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As BJP members protested, Fransisco Sardinha who was in the Chair, ruled "there should be no allegations without substantiation".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Besides Mukherjee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi was present during the heated exchanges between Maneka Gandhi and Azad. However, Sonia was not present when voting took place.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Adhir Chowdhury (Cong), while supporting the bill, countered opposition charges on corruption but his remarks were expunged by the Chair.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He said "a mountain was sought to be made out of a molehill" as the legislation was only meant to extend the tenure of the MCI Board by a year and added "there is nothing to show that the government was hiding anything."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Replying to the debate, Azad said the decision to set up an overarching body - National Commission for Human Resources for Health - was announced in the Presidential Address and a bill was pending with the Standing Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It necessitated the Government to seek an extension to the tenure of the MCI Board of Governors till May next year, he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"I have no other option," the Minister said and assured the House that the moment the Standing Committee report is tabled; the Government would push its policy decision and take steps to constitute a democratically elected body.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He also said that MCI will not be dissolved and autonomous institutions like MCI, Nursing Council of India and Dental Council of India will be subsumed under the umbrella NCHRH.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When the Minister moved the Bill for passage, the opposition sought division.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Apprehending defeat of the bill on the floor of the House, government managers including Home Minister P Chidambaram, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, and Azad were seen talking to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. -- NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Uproar over Scam Charges in Grant of Medical College Licences

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI) -- Uproarious scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha on Monday with BJP member Maneka Gandhi having heated exchanges wi...

Foreign Universities and Educational Institutions in India

Foreign Universities and Educational Institutions in India

New Delhi (PIB) --- Dr. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource informed the Rajya Sabha (upper house) that, the Government ...

Student Visa Applications Down After Attacks on Indians in Australia

Student Visa Applications Down After Attacks on Indians in Australia

NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) - Visa request from Indian students registered a sharp decline following attack incidents in Australia, A...