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http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20090624/1281767.html
Mirzapur | Wednesday, Jun 24 2009 IST
The world renowned Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will provide training to the youth of the Naxal-affected areas to connect them with the mainstream and contribute towards development.
The varsity has decided to train and teach the youth at its Barkhacha situated Rajiv Gandhi south campus premises. BHU vice-chancellor Prof D P Singh today said efforts to teach and benefit the local youth through Skill Training Centre and evening classes were on. It would assist them in getting connected to the main stream, get employment and add to the development, he informed.
At least 25 courses related to employment were currently underway and as many as 2,000 youth were being taught under this programme, Prof Singh added. He also said the university was planning the plantation of saplings in the premises under another programme.
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http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=49140
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Adventure is just another way of life for Indian Air Force air warriors. Savouring a slice of the unique experience, cadets of Air Squadron NCC at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) were introduced to ‘para-sailing’ conducted by IAF’s adventure cell at BHU campus. The para-sailing camp was inaugurated by BHU Rector, Professor BD Singh in the presence of Varanasi NCC Group Commanders, Group Captain PK Sharma and Colonel Harjeet Singh respectively.
The thrilling activity coincides with the ongoing ‘combined annual training camp’ (CATC) of BHU-based Air Squadron NCC, being held from June 8-17. The other attraction - air experience in ‘Zen Air’ piston-engine microlite aircraft for cadets is also proving to be an unforgettable thrill for the eclectic mix of students most of whom dream to join IAF someday. Graduates holding NCC ‘C’ certificates are eligible to apply directly for interview at IAF service selection boards (SSB) to train as a pilot at Air Force Academy. Adventure is just another way of life for Indian Air Force air warriors. Savouring a slice of the unique experience,
Giving an added impetus to the aspirations of the youth, IAF for the first time deputed a four-member team to undertake para-sailing activities at BHU. “The experience will be remembered by the cadets all their life and motivate them to be a part of the great IAF family”, admits Wing Commander Vimal Prakash Agrawal, Commanding Officer of No. 7 (UP) Air Squadron, a former NCC cadet himself and Camp Commandant of the CATC.
The month of June nationwide is normally a period for camps for all the three wings of NCC – Army, Navy and Air Force. BHU, an embodiment of higher education in the country, has the highest density of NCC Units – six, in any single University campus. “With its own airfield BHU offers the best that any Air Squadron NCC cadet can hope in-so-far-as flying experience is concerned”, states Group Captain PK Sharma, a helicopter pilot and Group Commander of the Air Squadron.
“We aim to provide all-round development to the cadets. Apart from flying experience, drill, firing and exposure to a cross-cultural youth brigade, the cadets also enjoy aero-modelling”, Group Captain Sharma explained BHU Professors who witnessed an enthralling air show comprising para-sailing, microlite flying and remote-controlled aero model flights at BHU aerodrome.
Professor Singh lauded the initiatives of IAF that had supported NCC to make the experience for the cadets so unique. He also assured consistent support of BHU to NCC activites as the youth benefitted from such experience. He later gave away awards to the Flight Cadets who excelled in NCC activities, both at State and National level.
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BHU NCC Wing
http://www.bhu.ac.in/ncc/history.html
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9 Jun 2009, 1857 hrs IST, Naveen Kumar, TNN
http://www.bhu.ac.in/ims/index.html
If the reports of office of controller of examination and pre-medical test (PMT) cell in the university are to be believed, the admissions to MBBS course is going to witness a relatively easier contest this year, an indication of declining interest of candidates for the programme.
The records of these offices suggest that the fight for each seat under the MBBS programme has become easier as compared to last year due to increase of additional eight seats under the other backward class (OBC) quota. The report also indicates that ratio of candidates for each seat has gone down from 653 per seat last year to 611 per seat this year, though the BHU PMT screening test has attracted around 2,500 more applicants this year.
It may be mentioned that the number of seats in MBBS programme at IMS, BHU have gone up from 55 seats in 2008 to 63 seats this year under the increased quota of OBC category. In addition, the seats are likely to increase further next year completing the overall increase of 27 per cent under the OBC quota.
As per reports of the office of controller of examination in the university, the BHU-PMT screening test is going to attract 38,496 candidates at as many as four different cities including
Interestingly, the recent reports of Medical Council of India (MCI) has also suggested that the country is facing a shortage of around six lakh doctors and declining interest in the MBBS programme is being witnessed through out the country.
Even, the director, IMS, BHU, Prof Gajendra Singh has recently indicated that most of the MBBS students have shown lack of interest towards core disciplines including anatomy, that forms the basis of medical education.
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a) 1,100 quota seats in IITs not filled this year
b) Plan panel favours IIT, IIM offshore campuses
c) Sibal opposes faculty quota for IITs, IIMs
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090623/jsp/frontpage/story_11146757.jsp
d)
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090628/jsp/nation/story_11168830.jsp
e) Cream of the crop: 69 of top 100 JEE rankers pick IIT-Bombay
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12 Jun 2009, 0250 hrs IST, TNN
JAIPUR/JODHPUR: Some 22 km from
The state-constituted Vyas committee has not only recommended cities for the four upcoming premier institutes in Rajasthan but has also identified suitable plots for the proposed institutes. The committee, headed by Prof Vijay Shankar Vyas, had on Wednesday submitted its report to the CM. It has recommended the IIT at
"We have submitted the report which refers to the land we saw and have suggested a few of them keeping in mind things like connectivity, adequate land availability, etc," Vyas told TOI.
The state owns adequate land where the committee has proposed the IIT to be set up. Commissioner, Jodhpur Development Authority, Gaurav Goyal, said, "We showed the committee four plots of land ranging from 400 acres to 600 acres near Karwad, Jhipasni and Ghadav villages and the committee members appeared quite satisfied with them."
He said 250 acres of land in the area is state-owned and the rest will have to be acquired to meet the requirement of IIT-R. A portion of the land has been earmarked for the proposed science city at Karwad village adjacent to the proposed land for IIT. "We showed the land there to promote the area as an education corridor," Goyal added. It will hardly take 10 days to hand over this land to IIT after carrying out necessary formalities and the rest will be arranged, depending upon IIT's land requirement, in three to six months.
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/We-want-IIT-CM-writes-to-Sibal/articleshow/4664164.cms
17 Jun 2009, 0228 hrs IST, TNN
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday shot off a letter to HRD minister Kapil Sibal urging him to take a re-look.
Justifying his demands, Yeddyurappa, in his letter, said Karnataka has a large number of research and development institutions of international repute, and is considered the country's technological capital. It was also the first state to set up a Knowledge Commission.
Further,
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090605/jsp/frontpage/story_11066664.jsp
CHARU
(HRD Minister-Mr. Kapil Sibal)
Sibal today ordered the University Grants Commission to probe the functioning of each existing deemed university within three months, and said all pending proposals for the status would be held in abeyance for this period.
In a terse letter to the UGC, the minister also questioned the commission’s implementation of repeated plans to make government accreditation mandatory for institutions, including deemed universities. The Telegraph has a copy of the letter.
Sibal’s move follows intervention from the PMO, which asked the HRD ministry for details of all deemed universities granted the status under Arjun, reported by this newspaper on May 24.
The paper had on April 28 revealed how Arjun, in his last days in office, allowed deemed universities to drop the prefix and claim to be varsities in all public pronouncements.
Indira Gandhi National Open University professor Kapil Kumar had on May 20 filed a petition in Delhi High Court against the decision.
Kumar argued that the government’s move would confuse ordinary students into believing deemed varsities were full-fledged universities.
“The high court petition, coupled with the pressure from the PMO, made it almost impossible for the HRD ministry not to take action against deemed universities,” a senior HRD ministry official said.
To ensure accountability, universities — public or private — can only be set up in
Under Section 3 of the UGC Act, however, the commission enjoys the right to grant institutions deemed-to-be-university status.
In 2004, when the UPA first came to power,
Under Arjun, the number witnessed an explosion from 20 to 125, including some hurriedly granted the status during the last days of his term.
Brand new institutions were granted deemed university status in at least two dozen cases.
The sharp rise in the number of deemed universities — many of which secretly or openly charge capitation fees and violate other laws and Supreme Court orders — triggered questions on the policy.
At the start of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, UGC chairman Sukhdeo Thorat had promised to make it mandatory for all institutions, including deemed universities, to get government accreditation.
The National Accreditation and Assessment Council, the UGC’s accreditation wing, would scrutinise all institutions and rate and rank them to help students pick a choice, Thorat said.
But Sibal, in his letter today, questioned the implementation of the UGC promise, and ordered that the commission “specifically report on what is the status on accreditation” of each deemed university.
Sibal has also asked for details on whether deficiencies in institutions pointed out during UGC inspections had been rectified.
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090603/jsp/nation/story_11056602.jsp
Speech tussle over reform in education
CHARU
 |
Singh: For reform? |
Recommendations of two key panels on reforming higher education could find mention in the address despite opposition from the ministry, officials involved in drafting the speech have revealed.
The National Knowledge Commission and the Yash Pal Committee on reforming higher education have suggested an overhaul of existing regulatory mechanisms that monitor institutions and courses.
If the panels find mention in the government’s agenda outlined by President Pratibha Patil, it would suggest determination by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to genuinely reform the regulators, often accused of fostering mediocrity and stifling quality.
The agenda will form the blueprint for the government’s functioning over the next five years.
But the ministry, the sources said, is still attempting to scuttle the inclusion of the two panels’ suggestions in the President’s address. “A frenetic tussle is on between those who want the Pal panel and the knowledge commission included, and those who believe they should be ignored in the President’s speech,” a source said.
“The outcome (of the tussle) could determine who sets the education agenda over the next five years,” the source added.
The ministry under Arjun Singh had steadfastly rejected most recommendations of the knowledge commission, set up by the Prime Minister under technocrat Sam Pitroda, who transformed the telecom sector in the late 1980s.
Days before Kapil Sibal took over, higher education secretary R.P. Agrawal questioned Pal’s interim recommendations in a note to the panel. The final recommendations are expected by July 31.
Agrawal as secretary is a member of the Pal panel which, many bureaucrats in the ministry argue, has recommended lofty, ideal mechanisms almost impossible to establish in reality.
The ministry steered clear of the knowledge commission and the Pal panel while sending its inputs for the President’s address, the sources said.
But the Prime Minister’s Office intervened and asked ministry officials to send details of the recommendations of both panels, suggesting Manmohan was keen to incorporate these in the speech.
Both the knowledge commission and the Pal panel have recommended a new, all-encompassing regulator for higher education that will replace the slew of existing bodies governing different streams of study.
Existing regulators like the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education wield complete control over universities and technical education respectively, a grip they are reluctant to relax.
Accepting the recommendation of the two panels may mean winding up the decades-old regulators, a decision that will hurt beneficiaries of the existing set-up.
The Pal panel has criticised the ministry for interference in the appointments of vice-chancellors, and called for independent selection of candidates. The panel has also recommended transforming Indian Institutes of Technology into full-fledged universities rather than focusing on technical education, a proposal the IITs are uncomfortable with.
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Additional link
YashPal Committee Report on Higher Education in
Report of ‘The Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education’
http://news.oneindia.in/common/documents/yashpal-committee-report-higher-education-2009.pdf
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Mr. Amaresh Prasad has published a Civil Engineering handbook titled “Hand Book of Project Management and Safety for Civil Engineers”
http://pothi.com/pothi/book/amaresh-prasad-hand-book-project-management-and-safety-civil-engineers
Hand Book of Project Management and Safety for Civil Engineers
by Amaresh Prasad (2 reviews, add another)
Genre: Engineering
Language: English
Details: 88 pages, 5.5 inch x 8.5 inch size Price: Rs.175.00 + shipping
Preview the book: http://pothi.com/pothi/files/Preview150amaresh.pdf
___________________________________________
(Amaresh Prasad)
Amaresh Prasad can be contacted at: amareshprasad2007@rediffmail.com
B. Tech. (Civil), MIE (India), CE (India)
Amaresh Prasad is Civil 1986 pass out from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He has more than 22 yrs Experience in Civil Infrastructures and Real Estate Projects. Currently he works as General Manager-Projects at Inspira Infrastructure Limited, Mumbai.
His bio-data is attached here Amaresh Prasad.pdf
He is currently located in Mumbai, Maharashtra (India) and works as General Manager-Projects for Real Estate, Infrastructures and SEZs (Special Economic Zones) with Inspira Infrastructure Ltd (IIL), Mumbai
About Hand Book of Project Management and Safety for Civil Engineers
Background:
* In view of globalization, it has now become unavoidable to re-structure the existing Project Management Practices to meet the challenges of world class standards for Construction Industry from Concept to Commissioning under Indian Circumstances.
* At the time of planning itself, it has to be ensured that the plans are implementable and easy for operation and maintenance meaning thereby user friendly.
* The difficulty anticipated during Implementation need be captured at the stage of Planning, so that it does not come as shock and surprise during Implementation and Schedule of the Project is also not affected adversely.
*Construction Industry involves use of large number of skilled and unskilled workers under the direct control of Construction Supervisors who are either Engineers or Non-Engineers with or without any structured on-job training.
* The skilled and Un-skilled workers are drawn from different regions with varying working capabilities and competence factors.
* The Workers frequently change the sector or field of working making it extremely difficult to extract required output from them.
* Construction Supervisors are the front liners who control and guide the workers, who use their hands to create wonders in Real Estate and Infrastructures.
* It is regretted to note that construction industry in our country had been an unorganized sector for years together without much focus on training and development needs of bottom level managers i. e. Construction Supervisors and Field Engineers on whose shoulders the Projects rest.
* Safety and Quality of structures depend largely on the skill and competence of Supervisors who are directly in contact with workers to guide and control them.
* Construction Supervision is generally done by Supervisors or Junior Engineers and overseers acting as Level-1 or Level-2 Supervisors depending upon the nature of task.
* Supervisors (both general and technical) involved in Construction Supervision are generally deprived off structured job training on quality, safety and schedule compliance. They are generally under pressure to give high priority to Schedules and other factors like Safety and Quality come subsequently in many cases.
Note:
* In view of above factors the systems designed for the Project should be understandable to bottom level Managers i. e. Supervisors who directly control the Workers.
* There is an urgent need to provide a set of handy tools to Civil Engineers and Project Professionals to enable them to refer in day to day activities of Project.
* All the necessary tools for Project have been compiled in the shape of Check List and being presented as Hand Book of Project Management and Safety for Civil Engineers.
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Book Review:
The Development of Construction Industry in India has witnessed many fold growth in the last decade, but the bottom level human resources involved in Construction Supervision and Project Management, have not been updated with requisite degree of structured job-training for skill development on Quality, Safety and Schedule Compliance.
Large pool of Bottom Level Managers has been in place in the Process of Project Management to cope up with the demand and there is no sufficient time left out for any knowledge updating, except for the recession in the last one year.
Attending professional courses in the institutions is also not practicable for majority of Project Professionals due to many unavoidable circumstances associated with Construction Industry including physical and commercial factors.
The Hand Book is the easiest and handy tool for them to refer and it has been created with sole purpose to improve the sense of technical vigilance.
* This Hand Book is a set of handy tools, which can be easily carried and used as a Diary by Civil Engineers and Project Professionals for their daily reference and guidance in Project Management.
* The contents of the Book are based upon practical experience in the construction field, which are generally encountered in day to day working but left out at the time of planning.
* The purpose of Hand Book is to create awareness among the Project Professionals who spend most of their time for Planning and Implementation at site.
* The book will help them refresh the activities and keep them mentally involved in the process of construction and they will be able to provide vital inputs in Planning and Engineering including Scheduling and Tendering.
* The Hand Book will also help knowledge sharing and preparedness within the Project Team and enable them to take right decisions in case of any urgent tasks or in case of Emergency.
* This Book will also help to maintain high standard of Quality and Safety at site which is not up to mark and requires a lot of efforts under present circumstances.
* The Hand Bank with set of Check Lists, is very much essential not only for successful planning and implementation of Project but also for smooth operation and maintenance of facilities after commissioning of the Project. Operation and Maintenance of Civil Engineering products is a challenging task in our country as being experienced on Public Road and ,therefore need to be addressed from the concept Stage of the Project.
* It involves active participation of team members at all levels, as it develops the sense of ownership for one and all involved in the process of Project Management.
* It helps taking appropriate action in advance so that there is no adverse impact on Cost and Schedule of the Project.
* It also helps to improve the mental horizon of people involved in planning and implementation process at a very early stage.
______________________________________
Availability of the Book
The Book is available on http://pothi.com on Print on Demand (POD) basis for any number of copies by making payment as per details available on the portal.
Following is the Postal Address:
Mudranik Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
#202, Scion Avenue
4th Cross, Kaggadaspura
Bangalore – 560093
Karnataka (India)
Ph: +91-80-41683215
Email: Pothi.com <writer@pothi.com>
_____________________________________________________________________________
About Pothi.com (http://pothi.com/pothi//about)
Pothi.com is owned and operated by Mudranik Technologies Pvt. Ltd. - a Bangalore based start-up. It is founded by Mr. Abhaya Agarwal and Ms. Jaya Jha, both graduates from IIT-Kanpur. The company offers self-publishing services to new and established authors.
It has following message on Home Page:
Self publishing in India was never so easy. With our easy to use online tools, you can publish your book in minutes. What more?
* No upfront cost
* Get real, physical book with Print on Demand technology
* Sell it in our online marketplace
It has very rich and useful FAQ section: http://pothi.com/pothi/faq
Self Publishing
Self publishing, as we said, is the publishing of a book by the author himself. In the traditional publishing, a publishing house or a publisher, often not related to the author, takes the responsibility of publishing and all the tasks involved in it. A typical publication process involves:
1. Selection of manuscripts from the vast number of submissions based on good writing, market demand, author salability among other things.
2. Pre-publication work e.g. deciding on the design of the book, proof-reading and editing the content etc.
3. Production of the book including printing and binding
4. Marketing, promotion and distribution
Since a publisher has to look through a mountain of manuscripts every day, there are chances of rejection based on various reasons – and bad writing is not the only reason, as is the general perception. Many books have gone on to win critical and mass acclaim after having been rejected several times by multiple publishers. Bias, content not conforming to publisher’s belief, market-size being small, or simply the inability to go through the content in sufficient details owing to lack of time are some of the many other reasons. Self publishing provides an alternative avenue in such cases.
Print on Demand
As the name suggests, Print on Demand is a system in which the manuscript is stored digitally and copies are printed and dispatched only when there is an order. In this case, the cost of production per copy is usually higher as compared to off-set printing, but it is feasible to print even a single copy with this. And by eliminating some of the overheads of traditional distribution system for books, the book can reach in the reader’s hands at a reasonable price. While pod providers have been around in the west for few years, now similar technology is available for authors in India also.
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http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=5343&sid=1
Friday, June 26, 2009, 15:00 Hrs [IST]
By HBI Staff | Mumbai
According to The Times of India, there is a rise in the number of lodges, private hostels and paying guest houses near Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith (MGKV), Sampurnanand Sanskrit University (SSU) and other institutes in
There are nearly 500 hostel seats in MGKV campus, while the number of students who have enrolled are more than 3000. Less than 20 per cent students get hostel accommodation in SSU. The affiliated colleges of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) including
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12 Jun 2009, 1457 hrs IST, PTI
KOLKATA: A cruise up the river Ganges from Kolkata to Varanasi and touching Buddhist religious sites in Bihar would soon set sail attracting foreign tourists, mainly from the East and Far East.
Ganga River, Varanasi
(Photo:http://grant.robinson.name/photos/india/india-Pages/Image10.html)
"We are working hard to initiate the service within three to four months," Union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed said while inaugurating a tourism exposition here on Friday.
Ahmed said that the cruise service would start from Kolkata and wind its way up the Ganges touching various Buddhist sites in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
He said that the metropolis would serve as the gateway for the Buddhist tourist circuit in East India.
Various sites of Buddhist interest like Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda in Bihar and Sarnath and Vikramshila in Uttar Pradesh attract lakhs of tourists from China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and other eastern and far-eastern countries.
Ahmed, however, lamented that India has only a miniscule share of just 1.8% of international tourist travelling to different countries.
The minister said that West Bengal has great potential in tourism business as it has great beaches in Digha on the Bay of Bengal and the Himalayas in Darjeeling apart from the Dooars region in the Terai but there is a lack of proper marketing.
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Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP