ArdorComm Media Group

Contact Us
logo
Menu
logo
ArdorComm ArdorComm ArdorComm

Vice Chancellor

Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 Enters Into Force, Promising Major Higher Education Reforms

Leave a Comment / / Education Community

The Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 officially came into effect across the state on April 12, following the assent of Governor Dr. Haribabu Kambhampati. The Act, passed in the Odisha Assembly on April 2 after thorough deliberations, marks a turning point in the state’s higher education landscape. Odisha’s Minister of Higher Education, Suryabanshi Suraj, hailed the Act as a “new dawn” for universities in the state. He highlighted its potential to address long-standing issues, ensure academic autonomy, and uplift educational standards across institutions. One of the most significant changes introduced is the decentralization of faculty recruitment. Universities will now form their own expert committees to handle hiring, moving away from reliance on the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC). This is expected to expedite the process and ensure subject-specific teacher appointments. The process of appointing Vice-Chancellors has also been revised. A three-member committee of renowned educationists will now oversee selections, with the eligible age extended to 70 years—enabling experienced leaders to helm academic institutions. Additionally, the Act revives the university Senate, a crucial advisory body comprising 68 members representing faculty, students, staff, and experts. Each university must hold at least two Senate meetings annually, fostering inclusive governance. To further strengthen the system, the government plans to improve the teacher-student ratio, introduce distance learning across all universities, and boost the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER). For financial oversight, each university will establish Finance and Construction Committees. All financial activities will be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, with reports presented to the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 is expected to transform the educational ecosystem, making it more autonomous, efficient, and inclusive. Source: TOI

Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 Enters Into Force, Promising Major Higher Education Reforms Read More »

Prof. (Dr.) Raj Singh, Vice Chancellor, JAIN (Deemed to be University), Discusses the Future of Education at the New Normal Education Leadership Summit

Leave a Comment / / Interviews

“Through normal traditional teaching and learning methods, we cannot attain higher-order learning outcomes, and that doesn’t serve the purpose of the industry,” says Prof. (Dr.) Raj Singh, Vice Chancellor, JAIN (Deemed to be University), in an interview with Pratik Ghosh, Content Writer, ArdorComm Media at the ‘New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2023’ #ELSABengaluru #ELSAKarnataka How are you feeling to witness the New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards in Bengaluru? It’s a great initiative, one that not only brings the industry and academia on the same platform but also enables interaction of multiple institutions, exchange of ideas, and benefits from the best practices which every other institution is following. The topic of today’s discussion was very relevant, particularly in the post-National Education Policy scenario, which is also coinciding with the post-COVID scenario, as we call it. To my mind, there’s nothing like the “new normal” because the new normal keeps on changing every day. This new normal is very dynamic. I think it is safe to guess that, to my mind, the environment which is evolving would say that one-third of the education will be delivered through online content, which could be synchronous or asynchronous. One-third of it will be through face-to-face education on campuses, where certain projects and certain lab sessions need to be conducted on the campus to interact with professors. The remaining one-third will be shifted outside the campus, where students have to be in touch with the industry, community, and society. They will meet and talk to them, identify the issues they’re facing, come back to the campus, undertake research projects, and try to find solutions to those problems. All the panel discussions were relevant, emphasizing research-based teaching and learning and a multi-disciplinary environment. These are ways to expand learning opportunities and enable students to attain higher-order learning outcomes, which is the need of the hour. Through normal traditional teaching and learning methods, we cannot attain higher-order learning outcomes, and that doesn’t serve the purpose of the industry. It is because of this reason we have been labelled to a large extent unfairly, that we don’t produce employable graduates. But yes, there are some issues which I think these kinds of platforms enable us to learn and tell others through the exchange of ideas. I’m sure we collectively will benefit and be able to transform our education system, where we not only serve the industry but also serve the community and society at large. I thank ArdorComm Media for having me here. Any message for ArdorComm Media Group for completing two years of its existence? Heartiest congratulations on completing two years. You have been doing great work. I’ve attended many events organized by you. Keep on doing this good work, and maybe we can interact on bringing new formats of this kind of conference and discussions where we can involve more people, not only speakers but more people who can contribute. Sometimes the best ideas come from youngsters, not only from senior people like us. If you can have a discussion format where multiple sub-topics could be distributed and they could talk on each of them after having intense discussions.

Prof. (Dr.) Raj Singh, Vice Chancellor, JAIN (Deemed to be University), Discusses the Future of Education at the New Normal Education Leadership Summit Read More »

Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Raina, Vice Chancellor, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, tells how they transformed during pandemic

Leave a Comment / / Interviews

“One of the important and significant features of Ramaiah University is that we are truly multidisciplinary and if we look at in the context of the new education policy, I think it fulfils most of the objectives that are laid down there,” says Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Raina, Vice Chancellor, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm – Higher Education and Edtech Conclave & Awards 2022’ #HEETbengaluru If I use the three words, physical then digital and phygital what weightage would you like to give and why? So, frankly it is 30 30 30 because both are interdependent on each other as on date but I know that in the days ahead it is going to be more towards the digital era. The dream of our honourable prime minister is to make India digital and that Digital Drive I think there is going to be more and more people aligning towards the digital learning tools. I see there is a hope for the nation, hope for the next generation and when we look at the aspiration of the people I think they want to go more in the digital mode but we cannot compromise on the face-to-face learning tools as well. Any case study or keynotes which you want to share about how Ramaiah University transformed which could be helpful or useful for others who will be listening? Yeah, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences as we all know has been there for the last six decades catering to the needs of Education. One of the important and significant features of Ramaiah University is that we are truly multidisciplinary and if we look at in the context of the new education policy I think it fulfils most of the objectives that are laid down there. Pandemic was certainly a breakthrough in shifting our thought process from the face-to-face learning online. I think with lot many specializations that we offer nearly 75 specializations in medical in Health Sciences in engineering and Technology, social science it was not an easy path for us to adopt anyone so the Blended was the solution. So, what we did in the first place we used all our ERP tool systems to reach the larger diversity of the students and thereafter we give opportunity to students to come to the lab and work on the experiments wherever they had certain doubts I think I would say that during the pandemic Ramaiah University was in the Forefront of providing all possible tools and the services for the stakeholders and students. I would like to understand how does such kind of forums where we have a connect of government academia and industry helps overall the education community or a society at large? It is the need of the hour Mr Anand because you know people have aspirations from the government and government used to serve the society. This embedding system government the private players academics the corporates there has to be a wonderful tie up and the way you are creating this synergy is really wonderful fantastic indeed. I’m happy and glad to share with you that today we are proudly celebrating our first anniversary, any message would you like to share for ArdorComm Media? My compliments to you, this year have been I’m sure great learning for you but I know that you know you have to go a long way in making people satisfied with the process and the procedures that you adopt. The beginning is wonderful I compliment you and I through you appealed all people follow the practices what this great company is going to have for the society for the students of this country. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, let us grow together.

Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Raina, Vice Chancellor, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, tells how they transformed during pandemic Read More »

Dr. Balakrishna P Shetty, Vice-Chancellor, Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education speaks on the importance of skilling

Leave a Comment / / Interviews

“The skilling can happen only by including the students in each and every platform,” says Dr. Balakrishna P Shetty, Vice-Chancellor, Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm – Higher Education and Edtech Conclave & Awards 2022’ #HEETbengaluru During this last few years of struggling times how have your university under your leadership sailed off and have made the teaching learning process quite feasible for everybody? We had two problems one is we had a technical college as well as a medical college. As well the technical college doing online program, online education was very easy like technology students are so much enthusiastic they could learn online but as far as the medical college is considered we had a tough time because a doctor has to see the patient it cannot be done online and also surgeries also cannot be done online so talking to the patient interacting with the patient and examining the patient all those things was a very tough time for our students during this covid time but some how we managed by getting all those software where we can see the patient, we can see various diseases online and also we can see something like artificial intelligence and augmented reality, virtual reality. Although some of the software which really helped especially our students so our students could get virtual exposure to the patients. Of course, virtual exposure is not comparable to actual exposure, actual exposure is mandatory interacting with the patient looking at his eyes talking to him feeling him touching him makes a great difference but because of the digital innovations, digital advances our students could get some sort of exposure. The last two years that is 2019 and today we are in 2022 still we are not sure whether another wave is going to come or not but our students and faculty members lived up to that challenge and we could produce best of the students the best of the doctors from our university. Would like to understand what is the focus of the university on skilling rather than the regular academics, regular process? It is easy to talk about skilling, from the President of India to even a student and everybody talks about skilling, re-skilling, up skilling this is the buzzword going on everywhere. The skilling can happen only by including the students in each and every platform, let us say today you have a program we’ll call our students and ask them to do the program now let’s say we had one program on drug abuse and we asked the students to speak about it not the vice chancellor speak about it not the faculty will speak about, the students will speak about. So, skilling is I feel only one methodology involve the student in each and every program of the university program of the institution. I heard that there was one great innovative where one chief minister made one-person chief minister for one day, similarly you should make student a faculty for a day, HoD for a day a Principal for a day or a Vice Chancellor for a day that will be a great thing in skilling not just by talking. How does such kind of forums where you can see the amalgamation of government, academia and industry how does it help the society at large? it helps a lot because we keep speaking because we are experts in giving suggestions and recommendations but we are very poor in implementing. Implementations and sustainability is the biggest challenge for us for that there is involvement there is a commitment there is a moral responsibility for the teacher, faculty and students to do something then only I think something will happen otherwise we will again become the clericals the clerks which were produced in the British government. British wanted Indians to be only clerks, they never wanted a skill because they had the technology there, they never wanted a skill to develop in India. So, we need to have the inclusiveness that is very important. Today we are celebrating first anniversary of ArdorComm Media, any message would you like to give to ArdorComm Media? I’ve been attending so many higher education meetings but I would like to say ArdorComm Media is something unique. I’m not saying because you are asking this question but I’ve been experiencing the way the panels are conducted the way faculty members speak even sometimes I have seen today the student is speaking so these are something different as far as ArdorComm is doing so I request you to continue this, include as many students as possible, student representatives, the stakeholders as much as possible not only the vice chancellor so that involvement, inclusiveness innovations the three eyes is very important.

Dr. Balakrishna P Shetty, Vice-Chancellor, Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education speaks on the importance of skilling Read More »

Dr. P. V. Vijayaraghavan, Vice Chancellor, Sri Ramachandra Institute of HE and Research Institute emphasizes on the importance of experiential learning

Leave a Comment / / Interviews
Dr. P. V. Vijayaraghavan

“But to my mind I think that is where we have to put our thoughts together, how we can sort out this experiential learning for the students,” says Dr. P. V. Vijayaraghavan, Vice Chancellor, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research Institute in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm – Higher Education and Edtech Conclave & Awards 2022’ #HEETbengaluru We have seen the way we have evolved in last two and a half years and now we are meeting at this forum where we are inviting the government, academia and industry. What is the takeaway of such conclaves and forums? I think it’s an excellent initiative that you have taken because ultimately if you want any major national effort to take off and be implemented appropriately, all stakeholders must be involved. So, the government has already come out with the policy and they’ve already announced it and they’re also making a lot of programs in terms of sensitizing people towards this. The academic leaders and academic institutions, faculty members are the next stakeholders who have to be brought into such type of initiatives because they are probably to my mind the most difficult people to change so that is something which I think this type of conclaves, when you are inviting would be able to produce some sort of an effect. Then of course the industry that is a huge concept that you have brought in because many times in the past a lot of efforts have been done purely by the academicians with the government agencies but nothing to do with the industry at all right. So you have brought the industry also on and I was so amazed to find that with the panel discussions you had in between interspersed with quite a lot of industry information because a lot of places the industries are given only stalls and people are expected to go around and see for themselves but to have specific time allotted during the program and asking them to highlight and a lot of industries never talked in a marketing fashion and they did tell some of the basic concepts of why a particular e-learning or LMS system has been brought into account. So, I think overall it has been a wonderful experience. During the pandemic everybody has transformed a bit or more, under your leadership how has your institute, shoot off or how did you take over this difficult phase of journey? Actually, Ramachandra has been making innovative changes since 2005, 2006. We were the first ones to have started the integrated curriculum for MBBS and having crossed that we actually were pioneers enough to be consulted by the medical council in developing the competency-based medical education which was announced in 2019. So, adapting to change is nothing new for Ramachandra so when covid came there was always some resistance on the part of the faculty to sort of adapt to smart classrooms, their smart devices and things like that but covid actually helped us to overcome that in a very big way. We moved into the google classroom platform and a lot of our online classes used to be taken but as I was telling even in my panel, the health professions education requires quite a lot of experiential learning. Of course, the virtual reality and augmented reality with even Microsoft like companies have come forward is really helping us to give the students that set up on experience but actual hospital experience I think they missed out to an extent and some of the postgraduate residents did get the covid experience a lot of covid patients got treated and they got to and they also gave them a multi-disciplinary learning there. But to my mind I think that is where we have to put our thoughts together how we can sort out this experiential learning for the students. We are very happy and glad to tell that we are celebrating our one year of struggling existence and it has been very exciting journey we are celebrating our first anniversary of ArdorComm Media, any message would you like to give to this growing company? Let me congratulate you for actually starting this company under very difficult circumstances. Many people during covid may not have taken that decision but you did it and having completed one year with so many webinars and so many in-house programs conducted by you. I really think it’s a great initiative and you are contributing to the society and education in a big way and I wish that this will continue in the future as well, wish you all the best.  

Dr. P. V. Vijayaraghavan, Vice Chancellor, Sri Ramachandra Institute of HE and Research Institute emphasizes on the importance of experiential learning Read More »