This chronicle completes 3 years in this month. We have published FAQ about the magazine.

The issue carries news about our 3^rd year students of Mining dept (Phani Kumar V. V. and Sagar Geete), who are regional winners of Agilent Engineering and Technology Awards for 2008. There is also news about Infogile (headed by Puneet Bindlish, Mining 2002) being selected as one of the 8 finalists out of a total of over 200 companies participating in TiE competition. We congratulate the team for their achievement.

The news media is buzzed with govt. announcements for new IITs, all of which are expected to start from July 20 this year. The IIT-JEE results are declared and counseling will be done during June 17-21 and the seats will be allocated on June 30.

The issue carries interview of Satish Duggal (Mechanical 1970), founder of a successful hotel business in USA.

With this issue, we start a new section called “From the blogs.” It will carry noteworthy articles from blogs around the world.

We need more news. Please send us news, events, articles, information, etc, at: chronicle [AT] itbhuglobal.org. Please indicate your branch/year and college (if other than IT-BHU).

For specific information, contact Yogesh Upadhyaya at: Yogesh.Upadhyaya [AT] che77.itbhuglobal.org
Or Anshuman Singh at: anshuman.singh [AT] eee98.itbhuglobal.org

Thanking you,

The Chronicle Team

 We are pleased to state that our magazine has completed 3 years.

The first (May 2005) issue was published on June 10, 2005. It was a primitive issue (compared to today’s chronicle) with just providing links for the news or few lines of write-up for campus events. It did not carry any photographs.

 The link for this old issue is as follows:

http://www.itbhuglobal.org/chronicle/archives/2005/06/

 We have also published FAQ for our monthly magazine.

To view FAQ, please click here

 The current list of chronicle team is as follows. Besides chronicle, the team also looks after official site of our alumni organization, www.itbhuglobal.org.

 1) Praharsh Sharma (3^rd year B. Tech. electronics student)

2) Vignesh Sunder (4^th yr Integrated M. Tech. Material Science student)

3) Rahul Hari (CSE 2006)

4) Arun Tangri (CSE 2006)

5) Rajat Harlalka (Electrical 2005)

6) Pankaj Yadav (CSE 2005)

7) Keerty Nath (CSE 2004)

8) Animesh Pathak (CSE 2003)

9) Puneet Bindlish (Mining 2002)

10) Anshuman Singh (Electrical 1998)

11) Anand Maharana (Metallurgy 1992)

12) Yogesh Upadhyaya (Chemical 1977)

 (Prepared by: Yogesh K. Upadhyaya)

Below is the list of existing as well as new IITs. It is compiled from the recent govt. announcements which appeared in news media. Please note that some of the details (marked *) are yet to be confirmed.

Table 1: Existing IITs

Table 2: New IITs

Notes:

1. N/A = Not Available or Not Applicable

2. Year shown is the year when undergraduate classes started, which may be different than the year the institute was established.

3. (*) = To be confirmed.

Mayur Toshniwal is a CEO North India Future Group.

 Vandana Ramnani, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, May 19, 2008

Last Updated: 02:11 IST(21/5/2008)

 “My business vision is centred on the youth which is an important component of the retail sector’s growth story.” That's Mayur Toshniwal for you, the young Chief Executive Officer, North India of retail brand Future Group.

By his own admission, Toshniwal was a good student throughout though never an outstanding one. He says, “One subject in which I failed miserably was Biology. It never made sense to me.” So engineering it was for Toshniwal and as he puts it, in a few years time he became yet another mechanical engineer from IT-BHU, Varanasi. “I was always a business person at heart and was looking at an opportunity to move back to business. Three years ago retail was being widely talked about. So, when I got to meet up with the group's owner and was offered an opportunity to join him (a decision he took in just about 15 minutes), I simply grabbed it. I’ve never regretted it though."

After he finished engineering he had three options — get into a routine engineering job, pursue a masters degree or take the next flight to the US. As luck could have it, he received a call from IIM, Ahmedabad, since then there has been no looking back.

After a summer training at Hindustan Levers Toshniwal joined Asian Paints He spent the initial seven years of his career in the company based in different parts of the country in various capacities, and eventually became Purchase Manager.

He says, “I started with my first posting in Chennai and then spent three years in Kolkata, six-seven months in Jaipur and three years in Mumbai. After spending seven years in sales, an opportunity in the purchase segment came my way. I finally took the plunge after tremendous pressure from the top management.

Very soon I saw myself sitting on the other opposite side of the table. After selling, it was now my turn to purchase raw material.”

In February 2005, he decided to move to the Retail Industry and joined Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, as Head-Operations for North Zone. In his current capacity as CEO-North Zone for Future Group, he is responsible for strategic decisions, operations, and business development for the Group’s various business ventures in North India. He also acts as Director on Board for a few joint ventures.

“I was always a business person at heart and was looking at an opportunity to move back to business. Three years ago retail was being widely talked about. So, when I got to meet up with the group's owner and was offered an opportunity to join him (a decision he took in just about 15 minutes), I simply grabbed it. I’ve never regretted it though” he says, adding “This is the best that could have happen.”

For Indian Tech Entrepreneurs, Downturn Still Offers Opportunities

http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/careers/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801709

 The head of The Indus Entrepreneurs, a tech networking group that mentors immigrant talent, says now is a good time to start new companies.

By Charles Babcock
InformationWeek
May 22, 2008 08:50 AM

 "I started as a hands-on entrepreneur," said Mishra, who came to the U.S. with a degree in electrical engineering from the Institute of Technology at Banaras Hindu University in India. He got a master's degree in engineering from North Dakota State University, founded Telera, a networking firm sold toAlcatel (NYSE: ALU), and was co-founder with Kanwal Rekhi of Excelan, a networking company acquired by Novell (NSDQ: NOVL) in 1989 for more than $100 million.

Both Rekhi and Mishra, along with other successful Indian entrepreneurs, enjoyed good fortune and wanted to give back to the community. Together they helped found The Indus Entrepreneurs, the group that stages TiECon each year to bring would-be entrepreneurs into contact with potential staff and financiers and to coach members on how to succeed as an embryonic Silicon Valley firm. Rekhi, for example, has invested $17 million of his money in 53 startups.

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, was the lead-off speaker at TieCon 2008 on May 16.

TiE members help newcomers find executive jobs, move from one job to another, and lay plans for their own companies. TiECon 2008 was held May 16 and 17, with about 3,500 of Indian, Malaysian, Singaporean, and others of South Asian descent gathering at the Santa Clara Convention Center to talk about starting their own companies.

Saxenian concluded in studies several years ago that TiE functioned as much as a social integrator of foreign talent into the Silicon Valley startup culture as it did as an economic force. It cuts across corporate boundaries and keeps talent moving around, including maintaining ties with firms and talent back home.

TiE's inital purpose 16 years ago was to circumvent venture capitalists' bias against technically-skilled Indians starting and running their own companies. Indians were considered good at following instructions and writing software, Mishra explained. Now their talents are frequently sought in management roles in start-ups.

Now is a good time to pursue a startup role, despite a shaky stock market and possible recession. "People don't become super smart just because the economy is good," he said. Likewise, "they don't become stupid when the economy is bad." By getting to work on a new product today, it will be ready when the upturn comes, he predicted.

"If you have the talent and skills and good attitude, this country will reward you," he said in an interview just published in The Indian American, a Highland Park, N.J., magazine addressing U.S. residents of Indian descent.

TiE keeps establishing new chapters around the world and casting a wider net. It now has 50 chapters in 11 countries, including India, Australia, Malaysia, and the U.K., instead of being just Silicon Valley based. It's established two chapters in Pakistan. Anyone who pays $100 in dues can join, Mishra said.

But there's no question that the unique opportunities of the Silicon Valley are going to be hard to duplicate elsewhere, he said. "[The valley] is not just about place. It's about state of mind and ability to take risks. It's the most innovative place on the face of the earth," he said.

 Additional link:

http://www.tie.org/

TiE-The Indus Entrepreneurs

 http://www.indiaenews.com/pressrelease/20080522/119854.htm

Intertek appoints country manager for India

From correspondents in Delhi, India, 09:15 PM IST

Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world announced appointment of Harsh Chopra as Country Manager for India.

Mark Loughead, Chief Operating Officer, Intertek Group plc, commented:

“India is an important and fast expanding economy and a priority country in the global market for Intertek.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Harsh Chopra as Country Manager for India.

Harsh, a Chemical Engineer from ITBHU, has a diverse background in consumer goods, health care, fashion and luxury and functional experience spanning Technical, Quality, Supply Chain and Sales & Marketing. Harsh will drive growth through acquisitions and accelerated organic growth by leveraging synergies across divisions.

Harsh was most recently the Managing Director of RayBan Sun Optics India and prior to that worked for Bausch & Lomb and Hindustan Unilever.

Anil Kumar, Non-Executive Chairman of Intertek India commented “I welcome Harsh to this important role in the Group in India and we believe that with the focus on leveraging synergies across divisions we will be able to provide seamless service to our customers across business divisions”.

Intertek has 4 Divisions in India – Consumer Goods lead by Dilip Gianchandani, Oil, Chemicals & Agri by Rajaram Kalpathi, Commercial & Electrical and Systems Certification by Rajesh Saigal and Government Services by Sridhar Raghavan.

 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Others/Lost_beauty_celebrated_in_Lucknow/articleshow/3077484.cms

 Lost beauty celebrated in Lucknow
28 May 2008, 0000 hrs IST,JYOTI NISHA

Among the colonial monuments of Lucknow, Residency deserves a special mention for its grandeur, beauty, rich historicity and the ambience of a bygone era.

This beautiful edifice again came to the life on the celebration of International museum day organised by the Archeological Survey of India, Lucknow circle.

Basking under the light of this pleasant afternoon, we saw many bigwigs of the city speaking highly on the conservation of historical monuments and enlightening youth about our rich cultural heritage.

Sheo Narain Singh Anived, commissioner of custom, central excise and service inaugurated the event.
We also saw students participating in various competitions like painting, quiz, essay writing, etc. These competitions served as a great source of knowledge to all the students.

Also spotted were Dr PK Mishra, I D Dewedi, head of the circle, ASI, NK Pathak, MC Joshi, Jagdish Gandhi, Arimardan Singh (Dir PIB).

Additional link:

(Forwarded by: Alok Chopra, Mechanical 1985)

 http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14682522

Vajpayee's 'uncle' turns film producer IANS  

| Wednesday, 28 May, 2008, 10:35

A distant uncle of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is all set to foray into Bollywood.

A chemical engineer by profession, Trinetra Bajpai returned from Britain, where he had lived for over 18 years, to India two years ago.

Now he has diversified, venturing into the entertainment sector with a company called Kanika Multiscope Pvt Ltd that aims to make films and serials.

"I have diversified into entertainment because of my wife Kanika, who was involved in TV serials and theatre. I have already made a serial Bikhri Aas Nikhri Preet for DD1. It is based on my mother's novel Vyavdhaan. It's a tribute to my mother who was a professor of Hindi in Banaras Hindu University," Bajpai said.

Ask him about his relationship with the former prime minister, who turned 83 in December last year, and Bajpai says: "We are distantly related. I am related to him from my father's side. I am just 58 and still he is my nephew!"

Bajpai is now set to produce five films.

"The films are at the scripting stage. Our first is going to be a historical. It will be about the golden period of Indian history. And the budget will be between Rs 500 million and Rs 1 billion. The rest of the details we will finalise after the scripting is over," he said.

His film is expected to go on the floors after his television serial completes 52 episodes in April next year.

"I'm planning it to make it on an international scale. By international, I mean I will rope in financiers from abroad to invest money in the film."

Tell him Indian production houses like Adlabs, Big Entertainment and UTV are investing big money in Hollywood projects, he says: "I am new here and secondly it is better to work with known people."

Bajpai's daughter Anshula is the creative head of Kanika Multiscope Pvt Ltd.

"My daughter has written the dialogues and screenplay of Bikhri Aas Nikhri Preet and now she is writing the script of the historical."

For the serial, he teamed up with some of the stalwarts of the industry. He roped in Lekh Tandon who directed films like Professor, Jhuk Gaya Asmaan and Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaye to direct the series, Khayyam to score the music and Naqsh Llyallpuri to pen the lyrics

 http://www.tienewdelhi.org/canaan/bnr.htm

Infogile has been short listed as among the 8 finalists for TiE Canaan Entrepreneurial Challenge 2008. More details on: http://www.infogile.com/pressReleases31.htm

Infogile embarks on an exciting journey to create 10,000 direct & indirect jobs every year and create business value for all the stake holders: Employed people, Investors, Partners.

Infogile selected for TiE Canaan Entreprenurial Challenge 2008 Finals
New Delhi – June 06, 2008

Infogile has been selected as one of the eight finalists at the TiE Entreprenurial Challenge 2008. This is second of the national level business plan competition organized by Canaan Partners and TiE Delhi. The 8 teams were shortlisted based on their potential scale of the business, the strength of the team and sustainable differentiation in the business model.

Of the 140 business plans that the team received, maximum entries were in "Enterprise Software" category. These shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in the final round which will see them presenting their plans and ideas in detail to an eminent jury of the country's leading entrepreneurs and corporate heads (which includes Pramod Bhasin (CEO & President, Genpact), Raman Roy (Chairman, Quatrro BPO Solutions), Saurabh Srivastava (President, TIE Delhi), Sanjeev Bikhchandani (co-founder and CEO of Naukri.com), Mahesh Murthy (Partner, Seedfund) and Alok Mittal (Managing Director, Canaan Partners India). This event is also co-sponsored by CNBC-TV18, Business Today, Microsoft, ISB and NASSCOM.

Download Event Details

About Canaan Partners

For two decades, Canaan Partners has invested in innovative, early stage technology companies with the mission to catalyze next generation market leaders.

About TiE Delhi

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) is a global not-for-profit organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship. TiE helps budding entrepreneurs by way of advice, guidance and assistance from successful & experienced entrepreneurs and professionals.

About Infogile

Infogile is a fast paced mobile solutions company with their delivery center in Hyderabad and sales presence in New Delhi. Their flagship product moGile enables content and services over mobile device. In a very short span of time, the company has enabled 2500+ retailers (Infogile's Retailer Network) across 11 states in India to sell prepaid coupons & collect bill payments of all leading Telcos, content from leading VAS providers, coupons from Gaming & mobile entertainment providers. In next phase, the company intends to add banking services, distribution of insurance products, railway ticketing and mobile advertisements to its portfolio. Retailer has a zero setup fee, as the transaction application is available over low cost options like GPRS, WAP, SMS or Web. The project envisages creating 10,000 employment opportunities every year.

About TiE Entrepreneurial Challenge 2008

One of the most prestigious and challenging business plan competitions in India is back! TiE Entrepreneurial Challenge 2008, a national level business plan competition for early stage entrepreneurs in India beckons the best and the brightest with an opportunity to interact with the top VC's and get mentored by some of the most successful entrepreneurs & professionals. But more importantly, it is an excellent platform to showcase your venture and get a real experience of selling it to real investors.

Benefits to the Participants

1. Microsoft Award: At least one finalist will be invited to join the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program where they will get access, guidance and support on the Microsoft Platform as well as market development support from Microsoft
2. ISB Programs : A representative from each of the winning teams will be invited to attend a course pro bono at the Center for Executive Education at the Indian School of Business (ISB). Typical value of this course is greater than Rs 300,000. More details regarding the coursekul would be made available soon.
3. Mentoring: All finalists will be mentored by TiE-ENP (Entrepreneurship Nurturing Program) to refine their business plans for the presentation to the jury. The Winners would be mentored by NASSCOM, Canaan Partners, and Jury Members for three months after the event
4. Access to Investors: All finalists will have access to investors from TiE, Indian Angel Network and other early stage investors
5. Profiling in Media: Winners will be featured in CNBC TV18 & Business Today, enabling them to build awareness about their companies & products.

 http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20080610040349&Page=Q&Title=Orissa&Topic=0

Light passenger flight on scientist’s ‘runway’

Tuesday June 10 2008 14:25 IST

Express News Service

BERHAMPUR: Kota Harinarayana, the chief designer of the light combat aircraft, has now mooted the idea of manufacturing a light passenger aircraft.

Now working at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), a Government- run institute at Bangalore as Raja Ramanna Fellow, Harinarayana was here to receive Doctor of Science (D.Sc) at Berhampur University convocation.

In an informal address to the mediapersons after the function, he spoke about his ideas on the proposed aircraft.

The aircraft would be light weight, accommodates 50 to 70 passengers, fuel efficient and able to land in shorter runways without much infrastructure, said the former vice-chancellor of University of Hyderabad.

Such an aircraft is needed in the country to make air-connectivity across districts which would help in the economic development besides putting the unutilised airstrips to use, he said.

There are about 450 small airstrips across the country but most are unutilised, with only 66 airports operating at present, he said.

Although small aircraft operate in other countries, the proposed aircraft would be different from others and cost and fuel efficient.

"The concept for manufacturing this kind of new aircraft by utilising new technology has already been established and now we are trying to make its design," Harinarayana, Padmashree awardee and former DRDO scientist, said.

If the work for this type of passenger aircraft starts this year, India would be able to manufacture a full-fledged aircraft in 2013-14, he said adding the project cost would be around Rs 2,000 crore.

Several private companies, including Mahindra and Mahindra, Satyam and UK-based Swraj Paul’s company are among several others which have shown interest to invest with an aim enter the aviation sector, he said.

"We, however, want the proposed project in public-private partnership (PP) mode involving the government," said the scientist who was born in Berhampur and graduated in mechanical engineering from Benaras Hindu University. The Centre has also shown interest in the concept, he added.

Email: hnkota@yahoo.com

__________________________________________________________________________

Additional links:

1) Bio-data of D. Kota

http://www.uohyd.ernet.in/academic/specialized_centres/UCESS/KotaHarinarayana.html

2) Scientist moots idea of manufacturing passenger aircraft

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200806081861.htm

3) ADA website (views on LCA aircraft by Dr. Kota)

http://www.ada.gov.in/others/news/events/dr_kota/dr_kota.html

4) Dr. Kota in Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota_Harinarayana

Two of our students, Phani Kumar V. V. and Sagar Geete (both Mining 2010) have won the regional competition for Agilent Engineering and Technology Awards (AETA) 2008. Their project was Speech Interaction System. A PDF file of their project is also attached here

To view Speech Interaction System Project document click here

Here is the more detail about AETA competition, as provided by Phani Kumar:

Details about the event:

Agilent is the world's premier test and measurement company. To encourage the spirit of innovation, and spread it across the community, Agilent Technologies had instituted the All India Best B. Tech Project Award for Indian Engineers. Inspired by the phenomenal success of Best B Tech Awards, they are now organizing the Agilent Engineering and Technology Awards 2008. Inspired by the exceptional talent pool in the country they included both B. Tech and M. Tech students in this competition for this year also. They are also inviting two project entries per Participant College: one from the Life Sciences/ Bio Analytical instrumentation fields and the other from the Electronics & Communications Engineering.

The award aims to encourage and recognize hands-on engineering talent in India. A practical engineering talent is critical to the growth as a base for cutting-edge R&D and innovation across industries. 

The winning team will be given an opportunity to visit and interact with world class scientists at Agilent's Best in Class R&D facility in San Francisco for a week.

There are two segments for participating:

 1.)  1 project from the field of Electronics which includes:

·       Electrical and Electronics

·       Computer Science

·       Telecommunications

 2.)  1 project from the field of Life Sciences/ Bio Analytical instrumentation which includes:

·       Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering

·       Chemical Engineering

-------------------------------------

Contact Phani Kumar at: dreamhunter.itbhu@gmail.com

       and Geete Sagar at: geetesag@gmail.com

__________________________________________________________________________

AETA in news

http://www.efytimes.com/efytimes/26927/news.htm

Agilent Announces Regional Winners of AETA 2008

Friday, June 06, 2008:  Agilent Technologies has announced the regional winners for Agilent Engineering and Technology Awards (AETA) 2008. Harpreet Singh and Hari Singhal from IIT Guwahati, Ashwani Gaur from IIT Kanpur, Prathamesh Dhole and Sumeet Nayak from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Durgapur, Debashis Senapati and Vikas Gujral from NIT Rourkela, Phani Kumar from IT Banaras Hindu University, Pradeep Kumar Subudhi and Manabesh Ray from NIT Hamirpur, Pawan Kumar and Nirmalya Sanyal from BIT Mesra and Pavan Pattanada from SJCE Mysore are the regional winners who would compete with each other during the finals to be held on 10 July 2008 at IIT Delhi.

The regional finalists would be presenting live demonstration of their projects to the national jury comprising of scientists, engineers and technocrats of national and international repute. They will be evaluated on their potential for research productivity and originality, as judged by their presentation, their research plans and results from their independent research programme.

Speaking at the occasion, Venkatesh Valluri, president and country general manager, Agilent Technologies, said, "Practical engineering talent is critical to the growth of India as a base for cutting-edge R&D and innovation across industries. Agilent is the world's premier test and measurement company, working in the areas of electronics, nano technologies, life sciences and chemical analysis. Being a technology leader, we aim to promote science education and innovations in such future technologies in India. AETA is a highly competitive programme which helps us to discover new talent and increase research capacity in the colleges."

The national winners of AETA 2008 will get an opportunity to visit and interact with scientists at Agilent’s R&D facility in San Francisco.

B.Tech and M.Tech engineering students from over 50 engineering colleges in the country participated in AETA with their project based in the field of electronics and communications engineering and life sciences/chemical engineering. Agilent Engineering and Technology Awards recognise and encourage hands-on-engineering talent in the country and reward talent in the field of engineering.

---------------------------------------------

http://www.aetaindia.com/

http://www.aetaindia.com/regionalwinners.asp

http://www.mdppl.com/books/the-mind-and-the-invisible-quest.html

Human is the most wonderful and advanced creation of God, who has been given superpower in the form of "Mind"with enormous hidden power with capability of governing this whole world,calmly and peacefully even in streeful moments. As contentment is nessary for happiness, but whether a finacially sound person is satisfied or not?Is such person happy?Is such person contended?Such question suddenly come in our mind and we become very busy and serious to get the solution of such doubtful questions using our intellect and spiritual planes of "Brain". Thus "The Mind and The Invisible Quest" is the journey through different levels of minds, intellect and spiritual planes which explains the significance with strength and weakness of each plane. Very briefly author has touched upon spiritual level which he says is the highest state of mind. Any person viewing the world from different state such as mind, intellect or spiritual level will have a very different view with a very different understanding as well.As all the scientific inventions start from hypothesis from some element of philosophy.The Mind and the Invisible Quest similarly generates certain hypothesis on the "behaviour of mind"with simple mathematic models that keep working in the evaluation process.The subject can also help in generating some awareness and help in bringing harmony in life.This book is useful for philosophers,researchers,students and common person who have an ever lasting quest.

---------------------------------
The author states:

“The book ‘The Mind and The Invisible Quest’ is about a thorough research on mind made by me in last 20 years, which I am sure many would like. Like-minded people can view the book by contacting the publisher below.”

In the description of mind author has generated a concept with a difference that help one to understand better the negative and positive in a self and thus awareness to improve. Some qualitative measure given in the chapters have the capacity for the researchers to modify and generate quantitative measures which could be revolutionary in a scientific study.   

He can be contacted at: pavan_raina@yahoo.com

For more details, please visit publisher’s website www.mdppl.com.

---------------------------

 MD Publications Pvt. Ltd
"MD House", 11 Darya Ganj, New Delhi - 110002
Ph : +91-11-41562846, 41563325, Fax : +91-1123275542
E-mail : info@mdppl.com, order@mdppl. com , Website: www.mdppl.com

ABOUT MDPPL

MD Publications was founded as an academic and educational publisher in 1990, and stands committed to enhance its growing relationship with the academic and scholar community. All the MDPPL Journals and Books publications will be readily available to the clients, for readership and subscription, both in India and in overseas as well. These Books and Journals serve the needs of scholars and general readers by providing the best of professional research, findings and writings to the widest possible audience.

http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/fullstory.php?id=14692422

Mohanlal goes to Kasi

By Moviebuzz  | Wednesday, 11 June , 2008, 11:49

Mohanlal wants to keep away from the present crisis in MACTA. As an AMMA office bearer his sympathies are with his favourite directors who have resigned.

Remember that many years ago when Vinayan did not get his dates, he had made a film "Superstar" with a look alike of Mohanlal. Since then they are not in the best of terms.

Mohanlal wanted to get away from all this tension. So he has taken off to Varanasi, the Hindu holy place known as Kasi for the shoot of his new film K.A Devarajan's Swapnamalika. Remember the actor himself has written the story of the film!

The other actors who accompanied Mohanlal to Kasi are Innocent, heroine Ileana from Israel, Babu Namboodiri, Geetha Salam and others.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/US-style_4-yr_BS_course_to_replace_BSc_by_2009/articleshow/3034329.cms

US-style 4-yr BS course to replace B. Sc. by 2009
13 May 2008, 0305 hrs IST, Hemali Chhapia,TNN

MUMBAI: The three-year BSc course will soon be phased out across the country and replaced by a four-year BS course based on the American model.

In the new course, students in the first year will get a grounding in the core science streams, after which they will specialize and choose their electives. The thrust will be on encouraging a richer, inter-disciplinary approach instead of the text-oriented, uni-dimensional BSc that is now followed.

The Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institutes of Technology are likely to introduce the four-year programme in 2009 and other universities across India will follow suit, sources said.

Although it is not clear whether students will be admitted on the basis of a common entrance exam as is the case in the US, sources say that this could well be the case to ensure that quality students make it. In March this year, the Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS) wrote to the National Academy of Sciences, India, and the Indian National Science Academy stating that the five-year-old American model should be looked at seriously. The three academies together decide on science education in the country.

"Several academics have been talking about a four-year undergraduate science course. On an individual level not much can be done so it was considered time for the academies to officially take up the issue," said N Mukunda, chairman of the science education panel at the IAS.

The three academies and vice-chancellors of several universities are meeting soon to discuss the new concept. "We are thinking of introducing it first in the top institutes, and then extending it to other colleges," Mukunda added.

NASI president Ashok Misra said most of his faculty liked the new system, which with its emphasis on practical and project work would be more professional and closer to an engineering degree, a BTech.

"Our engineers are lapped up by industry, why shouldn't it be the same with our science graduates? Also, a quality programme will allow bright students to take up a PhD immediately after they graduate, thus saving them a year," he said.

According to professors, the first year or so will be devoted to the study of the core subjects — physics, chemistry, the life sciences, mathematics, earth sciences — after which the student will choose an area of specialisation and an elective.

"Currently, if a student takes up life sciences, he is cut off from maths," said Mukunda. "But the new system will allow him to pursue a mix of life science and maths or physics and life sciences. The idea is to encourage cross-disciplinary studies."

IAS said that the current BSc programme involves a good deal of repetition of what a student has already learnt at the high-school level. This will be remedied. The syllabus will be so structured that an engineering graduate who drops out could easily join this four-year science programme or vice versa. And, as is the practice in the IITs, said NASI president Misra, the humanities will be included as elec