Education Community

According to revised norms proposed by the University Grants Commission, holders of four-year undergraduate degrees with a minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 7.5 will be eligible for admission to PhD programmes. In its recent draft of amendments to the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of Ph.D Degree) Regulations, 2016, the UGC also proposed that 60 percent of available seats in all higher education institutions be reserved for National Eligibility Test (NET)/ Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) qualified candidates. During the 556th commission meeting on March 10, the draft UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2022, were approved. The changes are in line with the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP 2020). According to UGC officials familiar with the situation, the proposed regulations will be released for public comment on Thursday. While the admissions procedure would remain same, the draft guidelines revised the eligibility criteria following the discontinuation of the MPhil degree under NEP 2020 and the introduction of four-year undergraduate programmes (FYUP), according to the document. Universities and colleges will now be able to provide 4-year undergraduate degrees with several exit and entry options under the NEP 2020. Several universities, notably Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University, have already made the decision to implement similar programmes beginning this year. Students will receive honours with a research undergraduate degree after finishing a four-year degree programme. Candidates with a four-year bachelor’s degree in research with a minimum 7.5 CGPA, as well as first and second-year postgraduate students (after completing a four-year programme), will be eligible for admission to PhD programmes under the new proposed rules. “The four-year undergraduate programme is beneficial to students in several ways,” UGC chairperson Jagadesh Kumar confirmed the development. Those interested in research in their final year have the option of doing multidisciplinary research or focusing on a single discipline. Those who excel in the four-year undergraduate degree are entitled to apply for a PhD programme. This, I believe, will enhance our country’s research ecosystem.” Candidates who have completed their M.Phil with at least a 55 percent aggregate will also be eligible. “The MPhil degree shall be de-specified from the Academic year 2022-23 onwards. MPhil degree awarded till the date of notification of these regulations shall remain valid,” the document stated. The document also stated that NET/JRF qualified students would fill 60% of the total unfilled seats for the academic year. “The remaining 40% qualified students on the basis of interviews conducted by the concerned institute through the university/common entrance test,” it stated. The minimum duration for completing a PhD has been reduced from three to two years under the new regulations, while the maximum duration has stayed fixed at six years. The UGC has also allowed research researchers to take time off to participate in research expeditions, research missions, and exchange programmes. The proposed laws also grant the financially deprived groups a 5% waiver in eligibility standards (EWS). The document went on to underline the need of research topics that are “socially relevant, locally need-based, and nationally essential” in terms of delivering value to society. Several amendments to the role and obligations of research supervisors and co-supervisors have been proposed, the most significant of which is that they will be able to supervise two overseas students on a supernumerary basis. Furthermore, under the modified regulations, higher education institutions will be responsible for assessing the quality of PhD degrees, and they will be permitted to develop guidelines in this regard.  

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed bridge course modules for out-of-school children, which include various activities that are helpful in bridging learning gaps, in order to address issues related to shortfalls or loss of learning among students during and after the lockdown. The various states were also asked to create and implement the School Readiness Module Bridge Course in classrooms for the initial one or two months for each grade. Minister of State for Education Annpurna Devi provided the information in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday. NCERT has also prepared an ‘Alternative Academic Calendar,’ which is a week-by-week learning plan for grades 1 to 12. “The spread of Covid-19 pandemic has impacted school education across the world. Schools in States and Union Territories were closed as a precautionary measure to protect the students fromthe coronavirus,” she said. COVID-19, she says, has disrupted pupils’ learning from pre-school to grade 12. Education is on the Constitution’s concurrent list, and the majority of schools are under the jurisdiction of state and local governments. She noted that the Ministry of Education held multiple consultations with states and UTs during the pandemic to analyse the various components of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Alternative Academic Calendar is a collection of fun activities and challenges based on the syllabus’s topics and themes. It connects topics and themes to learning outcomes, making it easier for teachers and parents to measure students’ progress in a variety of ways. Also, links for e-resources have been provided for those learners who have access to the internet. The Ministry of Education (MoE) will also start a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy called ‘National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat)’ on July 5, 2021, under the aegis of Samagra Shiksha, according to the minister. The National Mission establishes goals and action plans for states to meet the goal of every child being proficient in foundational literacy and numeracy by third grade. For pupils in class 1, the Vidya Pravesh module has been launched. This play is based on a three-month school readiness programme for children entering Class I. In addition, the ministry of education has launched PM eVIDYA, a comprehensive initiative that unites all activities connected to digital, online, and on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education. Source: IANS

According to an official, the University Grants Commission (UGC) aims to develop a system in which industry specialists can teach as full-time or part-time faculty members in central universities. It has also been advocated that specialists without a Ph.D. or NET qualification be permitted to teach in institutions. Special posts — professor of practise and associate professor of practise — will be created, according to the official. As per the proposal, experts who are willing to teach can be hired as full-time or part-time faculty members, depending on the needs of the university, according to the official, who also added that those who have retired at the age of 60 will be eligible for these positions and will be able to work until the age of 65. This was discussed at the UGC chairman’s meeting with the vice-chancellors of central universities on Thursday. According to the source, the UGC will organise a committee to investigate how this might be accomplished and will present its findings. There are also plans to create a portal that would serve as a single point of entry for those interested in applying to universities. Professor Abha Dev Habib of Delhi University slammed the action, claiming that the government is “freeing itself from the pressure of providing permanent posts to qualified teachers.” “Teachers who have been teaching for several years are not “experts,” and so cannot be hired on a permanent basis or even be considered for permanent interviews” (as is the case in many Delhi University departments). “However, those labelled “experts” by the BJP-RSS may be inserted into any system,” she wrote on Facebook. “A step towards dismantling higher education,” tweeted Aishe Ghosh, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union. A Ph.D. is required to get into a university as a professor or associate professor, according to the UGC minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academics. Source: PTI

Prof. Ram Kumar Kakani took over charge as Director of the Indian Institute of Management Raipur from Prof. Bharat Bhasker. During his tenure, Prof. Bharat Bhasker was influential in the growth of IIM Raipur, which ascended to 15th place in the NIRF ranking of B-schools in India. Prof. Kakani was previously the Head of the Center for Governance at IIM Kozhikode, and he was contacted by India’s premier public administration institution, LBSNAA Mussoorie, for an assessment of IAS officials’ training needs. Prof. Kakani taught at XLRI Jamshedpur and has worked as a professor in Denmark, Nigeria, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Prof. Kakani has also served as the Director of the National Center for Leadership Development and Competency Assessment of the Indian government. Prof. Kakani provided the following thoughts on the future expansion and developments in management education: Enhance the quality of management education, elevating it and delivering it as a premium model, Enhance international linkages, attracting highly talented faculty of international standing and administrative colleagues to the Institute, Work closely with the Government towards strengthening its governance efficiency as well as effectiveness and also its various development as well as welfare programmes, Work closely with the Small and Medium Enterprises in Chhattisgarh towards turning them around and their reengineering; Launch new programmes on hitherto unexplored areas such as Mining Management, as Chhattisgarh is a mineral rich state and accounts for a large share in country’s mineral production. Prof. Kakani began his professional career as a corporate technocrat before transitioning to higher education, where he specialised in Finance-Performance-Strategy. With publishers such as Cambridge, Sage, Routledge, and McGraw-Hill, he has co-authored a number of works in the fields of finance and public administration. He is an active case writer and researcher.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Symbiosis International (Deemed University) (SIU) students on their Golden Jubilee on Sunday, saying that they had earned a name for themselves through academic research and the creation of national and international diversity on campus. “Congratulations to Symbiosis International (Deemed University) on marking their Golden Jubilee. They have made a mark with their academic research, and national as well as international diversity on campus. My best wishes to the staff, students, and alumni for their future endeavors,” tweeted PM Modi on Sunday. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officiated at the Golden Jubilee of Symbiosis University in Pune. Symbiosis Arogya Dham was also inaugurated by him. The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, was among those in attendance. The Prime Minister congratulated Symbiosis students, teachers, and alumni on the occasion, noting the institute’s slogan, ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam,’ and stating that this modern institution is expressing India’s historic tradition in the shape of students from many countries. “Knowledge should spread far and wide, knowledge should become a medium to connect the whole world as one family, this has been our culture. I am glad that this tradition is still alive in our country,” he added.  

Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang on Thursday informed that the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) will now be taught in India’s mother tongue, that is, Hindi language, in the state.  He said that Bhopal’s Gandhi Medical College will start offering MBBS courses in the Hindi language from this April. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Vishwas Sarang said, “MBBS will be taught in Hindi medium. Bhopal’s Gandhi Medical College to start offering MBBS course in Hindi from April.”  “Various researches have also shown that learning in mother tongue is beneficial and has better results,” the Minister added. Source: ANI

Several students from Gujarat who are studying in Ukraine have made a desperate appeal that they be evacuated, as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in the east European country on Thursday. While the Gujarat government has not specified the exact number of students from the state still stuck in Ukraine, Gujarat Education Minister Jitu Vaghani gave an assurance on Thursday that the Centre as well as the Indian Embassy in Ukraine were doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the students. “All Indian citizens, including these students, were already given emergency contact numbers. The students must remain in touch with the Embassy in Ukraine,” Vaghani, who is also the state government’s spokesperson, told reporters. Recently, several stranded Indians, including Gujarati students, were brought back in a flight, he said. “But, some Gujaratis could not board the flight at that time. Now, the situation is worsening there,” the minister noted. “I want to assure the students that their safety is the priority of the Indian government. Our government had evacuated stranded Indians in the past and we will do it this time too,” he said. The parents of four such students contacted Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt and sought her help. “Four students from Vadodara were supposed to board a flight from Ukraine to Turkey. But, the flight got cancelled at the last moment and the airport was also sealed. These students were also asked to leave the airport. I have contacted the External Affairs Ministry and given details about these stranded students,” Bhatt said. Two other students – Bhavesh Vanzara, hailing from Arvalli district, and Harsh Soni, from Rajkot – are also stuck in Ukraine and they sent video messages seeking immediate help. Soni in the video message said, “I am in the final year of a medical course. The situation is worsening with every passing hour. There are some others also like me who are stranded. I appeal to the government to do something and help us to get back home as soon as possible.” Source: This report is auto-generated from PTI news service

While addressing a webinar on education sector-related announcements made in the Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said ‘Empowering today’s ‘gen next’ means empowerment of India’s future.’ The Union Budget was presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. Elaborating this statement, he said this is because youngsters are the future leaders of the country, as well ones who will build its future. PM Modi also listed five areas within the education sector on which emphasis was laid in the Union Budget. He said, “The first is universalisation of quality education. This means that major decision have been taken for the expansion of the education system, to improve its quality and capability,” The second and third, he said, are skill development, and urban planning & design. “In the Budget, we focused on creating a digital ecosystem. We will also ensure that skills are developed in accordance with needs of the industry,” PM Modi added. There’s a need to integrate India’s ancient experience and knowledge in our education system, he said, explaining urban planning & design. “Internationalisation is the fourth major area, and this means bringing world-class universities to our country. The fifth is ‘AVGC’ or animation visual effects gaming comic,” PM Modi remarked. He concluded by saying that all these areas have immense opportunities for employment as well as huge global market. Source: Hindustan Times

The new Director of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, Professor Karanam Umamheshwar Rao, assumed office on February 19, 2022. He succeeded Prof Simanchalo Panigrahi, who was appointed as the interim director in October 2021. Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao was previously serving as the Director of the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), also called NIT Surathkal. Before joining here, he was a faculty for nearly three decades at IIT Kharagpur. A number of his important portfolios include Chairman (Estate), and Vice Chairman of Joint entrance examination (JEE). He was also the head of the Mining Engineering Department during 2006-08 and 2010-14. Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao’s field of specialization is experimental rock mechanics and he has been working in this area since 1989. He has guided six Ph.D. candidates with another 12 research scholars in the advanced stage of research under his supervision for their doctoral degrees. He has published as many as 30 research papers in international journals and presented an equal number of papers in international seminars and conferences. The milestone in his research is the publication of the book on the Principles of Rock Drilling, published by A.A.Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1999. Later this book was also published by India Book House, New Delhi. This book had given Prof. Rao international acclaim in the field of Mining Engineering. The newly appointed Director aims to enhance research and innovation infrastructure with the assistance of faculty and students to form NIT Rourkela a campus of first choice. He would also work towards increasing multidisciplinary quotients in curriculum with special emphasis given to environmental and value-based education.  

Ed-tech giant Byju’s has entered the offline tuition space through the launch of ‘Byju’s Tuition Centre’ a comprehensive programme for students that blends offline and online learning experiences. It’ll invest $200 million to line up 500 tuition centres across 200 cities within the country. It aims to enrol 1 million students for the programme within the next two years. Byju’s, the most-valued ed-tech unicorn in the country, currently has over 115 million registered learners online. The corporate had earlier launched 80 offline centres as a part of a pilot programme with plans to open a minimum of 500 new centres across 200 cities this year alone. Available for students in Classes 4-10, Byju’s Tuition Centres will offer tech-enabled physical tuition centres with a focus on engagement and better outcomes through a two-teacher model. “This new offering will redefine the next phase of learning. Byju’s Tuition Centres address the needs of a large segment of parents and students who want a physical element in addition to online teaching support. These tech-enabled physical centres are designed to offer world class learning and personalised education to unlock a student’s full potential with attention on engagement and better outcomes,” said Byju’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrinal Mohit. Byju’s will leverage the technology infrastructure of the various companies that it has acquired so far, according to Mohit. It acquired 10 companies since 2020, including Aakash Educational Services in April last year for nearly $1 billion. This is its biggest acquisition till date. Byju’s was last valued at $21 billion. It’s looking to onboard near to 3,000-4,000 new teachers for its tuition centres over the course of this year. Including teaching staff, Byju’s is additionally aiming to add 10,000 individuals to run these 500 centres. Source: Financial Express and with inputs from Agencies