Data Loading...
BFHE Plus July Flipbook PDF
BFHE Plus July
127 Views
12 Downloads
FLIP PDF 2.63MB
Brainfeed
` 100 | July 2020 | Volume III | Issue 3
Medical ms Entrance Exa
Engin Entra eering nce E xams MBA/ Mana Hotel Entra gement nce E xams
Law Entrance Exams
When is the exam?
q
They’ve said it!
uotable quotes
Delhi Schools to stay closed till
July 31
- State Education Minister
Manish Sisodia
No school fees from
April to July
- Manipur education minister
Dr Th Radheshyam
MHT CET 2020
remains postponed till further notice - Higher and Technical Education Minister
Uday Samant
Students to be promoted on the basis of five
internal tests - Andhra Education Minister
Audimulapu Suresh
‘human tragedy’ unfolding in global education Potential
- Former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown
2
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
Letter from the Editor
System. In the end, that is what we are all bound to. By this time, all examinations should have been done and dusted but then this is the year of the coronavirus. Examinations of almost all educational institutions have been put on hold. The cover story this time is on this very uncertainty. We have for you a round view of the present scenario and what the future is likely to hold. We have interviews with the men who know a thing or two on dealing with difficult times. Read the interview with Prof Dr Dishan Kamdar, vice chancellor of Flame University to know how to cope with hard times. Then there is another interview with Ashley Fernandez on why a digital savvy MBA has an edge over others and how students need to equip themselves with the latest tools. What the Covid-19 pandemic has done to the world is to make people rethink on almost every business and the way we go about our duties. While going digital seems to be the norm, the industry is still apprehensive to rope in young talent who graduate from distance education mode. Prof Nagaraj Shenoy argues that this needs to change in a big way.
Developing multi-disciplinary skills is now a necessity. This is a learning from the covid crisis. A student can no longer confine himself or herself with a degree but arm thy self with tools that industry runs on. Taking up internship, bracing up with technology, understanding various streams and developments will go a long way. This is the time to learn new skills. Luck favours those who are prepared and ready. There are no jobs now but there would be for those who are equipped to take on jobs that need specific skills. We have pieced together a lot of stories for you. Do read them and write back. Do write to us. [email protected]
Brahmam K V Chief Editor, Higher Education Plus
July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
3
Contents
July 2020
When is the exam?
10
4
I nte r v ie w
I nte r v ie w
Take up job even if it doesn’t pay high.................................................16
MBA Programs are facing rapid changes today......................................18
Prof Dr Dishan Kamdar, VC, Flame University
Ashley Fernandes, Country Head of India, emylon Business School
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
O pinionate d
OPINIONATED
I nfo r mation
Brainfeed
July 2020 | Volume III | Issue 3
www.highereducationplus.com
Science News
20
14
Customizing online learning for different students
82% colleges suffer in campus hiring
Dr M S Ganesha Prasad, Dean, New Horizon College of Engineering
Editor-in-Chief Brahmam KV Executive Editor: Harish Kakani Sub Editors: D Tejaswi
Swoyan Satyendu, COO, ODM Educational Group Insta News
Special Consultant: Ahsanul Haq Art & Design: Chebrolu Vengala Rao Circulation Hemachander S +91 84487 37157 +91 91777 74851 Printed Published and Owned by Kakani Veera Brahmam
22 Time to honour the ekalavyas
Prof Nagaraj Shenoy, Principal, Dayanand Sagar College for Arts, Science and Commerce
17
Get Inspired
Published and Registered at 8-3-191/565/K, Vengal Rao Nagar SR Nagar Post, Hyderabad-500038 Telangana, India Contact No. 040 - 4262 2024 +91 84487 37157 +91 7207015151
17 6 platforms supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat
Word World
Scholarships
Email [email protected] [email protected] RNI NO. TELENG/2018/76430
Book Review
24 Unfortunately, education in India is exam-driven
Prof Pushpendra Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs, IIIT - Delhi
25
© All Rights Reserved by BRAINFEED HIGHER EDUCATION PLUS for all material published in Brainfeed Higher Education Plus Magazine. Brainfeed Higher Education Plus is a monthly magazine. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Ask Higher Education Plus July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
5
Science
NEWS Scientists discover how the brain senses smell Smell is something that is very close to human-being. A very moment we get a smell something bad, we react immediately. So is the case with good smells. But how does the brain understand and decode the smell, is a question scientist were always interested to know. Recently, NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers created experiments in mice that gave a lot of insights about the brain decoding the smell. The scientists, for the first time, created an electrical signature that is perceived as an odour in the brain’s
smell-processing center, the olfactory bulb, even though the odour does not exist. Because the odour-simulating signal was humanmade, researchers could manipulate the timing and order of related nerve signalling and identify which changes were most important to the ability of mice to accurately identify the “synthetic smell.”
Viruses can steal our genetic code to create new humanvirus genes A new researcher has shown that a large group of viruses, including the influenza viruses and other serious pathogens, can steal genetic signals from their hosts to expand their own genomes. This new information is presented in a study published online today and in print June 25 in Cell. The crossdisciplinary collaborative study was led by researchers at the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at Icahn 6
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
First dinosaur eggs were soft like a turtle’s New research suggests that the first dinosaurs laid soft-shelled eggs. This latest study contradicts the previously established thought. In order to find this out, the study analyzed the eggs of two vastly different non-avian dinosaurs and found that they resembled those of turtles in their microstructure, composition, and mechanical properties. The research also suggests that hardshelled eggs evolved at least three times independently in the dinosaur family tree.
School of Medicine, and at the MRCUniversity of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in the UK. The cross-disciplinary team of virologists studied a large group of viruses known as segmented negativestrand RNA viruses (sNSVs). They showed that, by stealing genetic signals from their hosts, viruses can produce a wealth of previously undetected proteins.
“Lead author Mark Norell, chair and Macaulay Curator in the Museum’s Division of Paleontology said “Over the last 20 years, we’ve found dinosaur eggs around the world. But for the most part, they only represent three groups -- theropod dinosaurs, , advanced hadrosaurs , and advanced sauropods. At the same time, we’ve found thousands of skeletal remains of ceratopsian dinosaurs, but almost none of their eggs. “Why” was the question? Why no one could preserve the eggs? There, I ended proving through a study that the eggs were soft-shelled.”
Get Inspired
R Umadevi
Bunker Roy
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jb_qa0tVLJE
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6qqqVwM6bMM
R Umadevi is the World Ladies Billiards Champion 2012 , the third Indian woman after Anuja Thakur and Chitra Magimairaj to win this title. The 47-yearold Bengaluru resident started her career in her 30s, with a regular job of senior typist with Karnataka State Horticulture department and despite of all financial failures, she became the world champion in 2012. One day, while waiting for a long time for her turn for table tennis, she decided to move on to the Billiards table next to the table tennis room and gradually started loving the game. Post that, Umadevi was mentored by prominent billiards players and coaches such as Shri. Arvind Savur, S. Jairaj, and M. G Jayaram. In 2012, Umadevi bagged the title of World Billiards Champion.
Sanjit “Bunker” Roy is an Indian social activist and educator who founded the Barefoot College. He was selected as one of Time 100 most influential personalities in 2010 for his work in educating illiterate and semi literate rural Indians. Roy was awarded the Padma Shri by in 1986. His programs focus on siting water pumps near villages and training the local population to maintain them without dependence on outside mechanics, providing training as paramedics for local medical treatment, and on solar power to decrease dependence and time spent on kerosene lighting. It is estimated that he might have trained more than 3 million people in skills including solar engineers, teachers, midwives, weavers, architects and doctors.
Manik Sarkar
Sunita Krishnan
Billiards Champion
Leader of Opposition in Tripura Legislative Assembly
Indian Social Activist
Indian Social Activist
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=85FfgWQvVtc
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1KXw7om01xA
Manik Sarkar was the only Chief Minister in India who had no house or a car on his name. He donated his mere salary of Rs 5000/ month to his party. Sarkar’s cash in hand and bank deposits totalled Rs. 16,120 during the last election and he even donated an inherited property passed on by his mother to him. He is often called the “cleanest and the poorest Chief Minister in the country”. He had a long tenure as a Chief Minister where served as the Chief Minister of Tripura from March 1998 to March 2018. Currently, he serves as the Leader of Opposition in Tripura Legislative Assembly.
Sunitha Krishnan is an Indian social activist and co-founder of Prajwala, a non-governmental organization that rescues, rehabilitates and reintegrates sex-trafficked victims into society. Her organization, Prajwala shelters rescued women and children and set up one of the largest rehabilitation homes in the country. She is making it possible for NGOs organizations to manage jointly a range of protective and rehabilitative services for women and children who have been trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. She was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2016 July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
7
Insta
NEWS
SRM University, Andhra Pradesh appoints new VC
FLAME University launches Leadership Talk Series “Vimarśha”
FLAME University has launched the Leadership Talk Series, “Vimarśha”, an initiative of the student led VAJR group at FLAME University. The inaugural webinar kick started with “Reimagining India: Reshaping the Decade” by Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament. Vimarśha is a series of digital webinars delving into a range of topics like ‘New Growth Frontiers’ and ‘Swift Action for Development’. Vimarśha’s objective is to seek the wisdom of business and public leaders on how India can leapfrog out of the conundrum of socio-economic, geo-
political, and environmental realities. While addressing the gathering via webinar, Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament said, “Through the process of good deliberation, we need to articulate a vision. A decade maybe short, but we need to do it. Individuals, industries and institutions need to be working together, more so now, to make this a real possibility. The three I’s are the strong pillars of a growing economy.”
Suresh Prabhu joins Rishihood University as the Founding Chancellor Rishihood University announced the on-boarding of Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha as Founding Chancellor. The university gave out a statement, “With his extensive experience across the vast spectrum of politics and nation-building, he will offer his profound leadership and guidance to the future success of Rishihood University.” Credited with achievements in diplomacy and governance, Suresh Prabhu, has formerly served the Union Power, Railway, Commerce & Industry, and Civil Aviation Ministries. He is 8
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
currently India’s Respected Emissary to the G20 Summits. Shri Suresh Prabhu, newly appointed Founding Chancellor, Rishihood University, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to offer my experience to lead and nurture a future-ready wave of talented youth in India, with the unparalleled potential to usher a newage of development. We are currently navigating an unprecedented turning point in human history which will require all of us to innovate and collaborate like never before”
SRM University, AP, has appointed Prof V S Rao as new VC. The VC is joining the University from July 1st 2020. Prof V. S. Rao is an eminent academician who has been the vanguard of leading excellence in higher technical education in India. An alumnus of BITS, Pilani and the University of Bielefeld, Germany, Prof V. S. Rao previously served as the President of NIIT University and Acting Vice-Chancellor and Director at BITS, Pilani. Dr P. Satyanarayanan, the President of the SRM University-AP, shares in his welcome note, “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor V. S. Rao as the new Vice-Chancellor of SRM University-AP. Dr VS Rao is a renowned academician with over four decades of experience in Academics and Administration. I am optimistic that his strategic and operational skills combined with his deep knowledge in academic research, will help SRM AP scale greater heights in its pursuit to be a truly global research-intensive educational institution.”
CLAT 2020 law entrance exam to be held on Aug 22
TS EAMCET postponed The Telangana government announced the postponement of all the Common Entrance Examinations (CETs) for admission to various professional courses in the state. The decision to postpone the TS EAMCET came in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, and after the CBSE Board and the ICSE Board announced the cancellation of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. However, uncertainty over the postponement of JEE Main and NEET 2020 still continues. To look at the previous dates, the CETs, including the Telangana State Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (TS EAMCET) 2020 were scheduled to begin from July 1st. PG Engineering Common Entrance Test was scheduled from July 1 to July
3, while the Engineering Common Entrance Test was to be held on July 4. The decision came out as a major relief for many students as quoted by several reports.
After much await, the Consortium of National Law Universities has announced the new date for law entrance CLAT 2020 exam. The exam will be held on August 22, 2020. Students who have not applied can apply by July 10, 2020. The application process for CLAT 2020 will remain open until July 10, 2020. The candidates would first have to register themselves at official website. To look at the past, the law Entrance Exam was postponed thrice due to Pandemic. It is to be also noted that Candidate who does not wish to appear for CLAT 2020 entrance exam can withdraw their applications by July 10, 2020. Refund of fees will happen by July 18, 2020.
HRD proposes digital devices to 4 Cr students in higher-ed in 5 years The ministry of HRD is coming up with a new proposal of providing digital services to 4 Cr students in HigherEducation in 5 years. For the same, HRD Ministry has projected an expenditure of Rs 60,000 crore. This projection was made in a presentation to the 15th Finance Commission. The Commission was put together to discuss education “in the time of Covid-19”.
In a detailed proposal, the department of higher education has suggested to provide devices such as laptop and tablet computers, mobile phones and television sets to almost 40% of the students enrolled in colleges and universities by 2025-26. It is to be noted that currently there are 3.75 Cr studnts enrolled in Higher-Education.
Searches for ‘Remote Work’ increased by 380 per cent : Indeed Report
According to the major job site Indeed job seekers are ncreasingly searching for terms like ‘remote’, ‘work from home’, and related phrases. Searches for remote work have also increased by over 380 per cent. The report says that a newer type of work has evolved in COVID-19. Report also says that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted hiring in India lesser as compared to several other economies. Hiring activity in India has fallen to a lesser degree than in other global markets, such as the United Kingdom (-60 per cent), Mexico (-61 per cent), and a few countries in Europe, the Indian hiring platform claims. July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
9
Cover Story
When is the exam? This is the question uppermost in every student’s mind. Barring a few states, all exams are postponed By D Tejaswi
C
OVID-19 has brought the entrance theatrics to a grinding halt. Entrance and graduation exams have been postponed. Many universities have issued notification of revised dates. What next? How to proceed? Are two questions that students and parents are caught up with.
The system is so devised that all events are connected. There is dissemination of knowledge which is followed by assessment. It is like the coaches of a train that are attached, when one moves ahead the other follows. This trail now has been disrupted, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
10
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
SSC, HSC and entrance exams have not been conducted. CBSE and ICSE have cancelled their SSC as well ‘as’ HSC examinations. There are several questions that need answers but no one seems to get them. How will my SSC grades be defined? If my semester or internal grades are considered, then what if I have performed differently in those? Will I be able to write my exam? Should I be preparing for the exam? What format should I be preparing for? Students took to twitter in a big way venting their feelings.
Shipla Gupta, a student of class said, “There has been enough anxiety over the proper schedule of entrance exams. I am just waiting for one final decision.” Risabh Kumar, a candidate preparing for JEE entrance said, “We have been asking the NTA and MHRD over twitter to cancel the exams but there has been no response so far.” Students on twitter are raising opposition against exams with #PostponeNEETandJEE. Furthermore, the entrance exams and the recruitment tests have also been postponed for many colleges and government jobs. Given the competitiveness of these exams and low seat to candidate ratio, any ratification or averaging out based on other examinations would not be acceptable by student community. Even more, as the entrance exams, especially for graduate courses, as a pre-cursor to the actual course, postponing of exams would mean lesser time for students to get accustomed to the first year of the courses. It is a known fact almost all the universities have either postponed the exams or promoted the students to next year based on the earlier credits. Barring a few states, all states have postponed the state level exams and the national examinations also stand postponed.
Name of the Exam
Revised Date
Engineering Entrance Exams JEE Main April 2020
July 18, 29, 21, 22 & 23, 2020
JEE Advanced 2020
August 23, 2020
BITSAT 2020
To be Notified
MHT CET 2020
July 04 to August 05, 2020
KCET 2020
July 30 & 31, 2020
GUJCET 2020
July 30, 2020
VITEEE 2020
July 29 to August 02, 2020
AP EAMCET 2020
July 27 to 31, 2020
TS EAMCET 2020
July 06 to 09, 2020
SRMJEEE 2020
July 30 to August 04, 2020
KLEEE 2020
Online Exam from Home conducted from April 27 to 29, 2020
Vignan VSAT 2020
Online Exam from Home conducted from April 27 to May 05, 2020
Even more, as the entrance exams, especially for graduate courses, as a pre-cursor to the actual course, postponing of exams would mean lesser time for students to get accustomed to the first year of the courses.
TS PGECET 2020
August 01 to 03, 2020
UPSEE 2020
August 02, 2020
JEECUP 2020
July 05 & 06, 2020
AP POLYCET 2020
To be Notified
TS POLYCET 2020
July 01, 2020
Goa CET 2020
To be Notified
AEEE 2020
July 23 to 27, 2020
MP PPT 2020
June 20 & 21, 2020
KEAM 2020
July 16, 2020
NATA 2020
August 01 (Phase 1) and August 29 (Phase 2)
COMEDK UGET 2020
First Week of July 2020
Haryana DET (L)
To be Notified
Haryana LEET 2020
To be Notified
Delhi CET 2020
To be Notified
Assam PPT 2020
To be Notified
Assam CEE 2020
June 28, 2020
Medical Entrance Exams NEET 2020
July 26, 2020
OJEE 2020 (For Pharmacy)
To be Notified
AIAPGET 2020
To be Notified
MBA/Hotel Management Entrance Exams AP ICET 2020
July 25, 2020
TS ICET 2020
To be Notified
MAT 2020
June 14 & 21, 2020 June 7, 2020
AP ECET 2020
July 24, 2020
NCHMCT JEE 2020
TS ECET 2020
July 04, 2020
MAH BHMCT CET 2020 To be notified
AP PGECET 2020
August 02 to 04, 2020
MAH MHMCT 2020
May 20, 2020 July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
11
Cover Story
One thing is for sure, education will not be the same anymore Law Entrance Exams AP LAWCET 2020
August 06, 2020
TS LAWCET 2020
July 10, 2020
MH CET Law 2020
To be Notified
Kerala LLB Entrance Exam 2020
To be Notified
RULET 2020
To be Notified
Similarly, the new dates of the SSC and HSC exams are also provided for quick reference.
Name of the Exam
Revised Date
CBSE Class 12 Board Exams 2020
First Half of July
CBSE Class 10 Board Exams 2020
Suspended
ISCE Class 10 and ISC Class 12 Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
HBSE Class 10 and Class 12 Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
West Bengal Class 10 and 12 Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
Tripura Class 10 and 12 Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
Telangana SSC (Class 10) Board Exams 2020
From June 08, 2020
Andhra Pradesh (SSC) Class 10 Board Exams 2020
July 10 to 15, 2020
Punjab Board (PSEB) Class 10 and 12 Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
Meghalaya HSC (Class 12) Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
Mizoram Class 12 Board Exams 2020
To be Notified
(It is to be noted that due to dynamic situation, the dates and the associated modalities of the exams can change any moment. It is advised to have a look at the convenor website of the particular exam for latest information.) 12
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
(A screenshot from Twitter)
Parents too are not able to give a clear direction to their children’s career. An online petition which was raised to postpone the entrance exams received over 40,000 signnatures as of June 30. Another group of parents have written to National Testing Agency with a request to conduct the exams as per schedule. As per the letter, some students are under high pressure and parents want the pressure to get over once the exams are conducted. The parents mentioned that the examinations can be conducted with due precautions like social distancing and gloves, masks, and sanitisation. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has its task cut out as its facing an unprecedented situation.
The Road Ahead Experts of Higher Education say that a multi-pronged strategy is necessary at this point to build a resilient Higher-Ed system in the long term. Some possible changes for the highereducation could be in the areas below: 1. A new model for college admissions may have to be devised. 2. Inclusive Learning Solutions, open-sourced digital learning solutions and increasing effectiveness of online classes look like the next big changes. 3. A mix of online plus classroom teaching looks probable. 4. The classes at university on a shift basis with limited strength and proper precautions seems a viable option. 5. While some industries like hospitality may take a backseat, the other areas related to digital learning could see a new light with lot more course in-takers. Post Indian independence, this is the first time that the education world is witnessing such a situation. One thing is for sure, education will not be the same anymore.
WORD World 3. Vigilant (a) Laxative (b) Miser (c) Careless (d) Bookish 4. Lethal (a) Long (b) Edible (c) Pricey (d) Rental 5. Teetotaler (a) Dentist (b) Plumber (c) Obese (d) Drunkard
7. a
6. b
2. b
A. 1. b
8. c 3. c
9. c 4. d
5. d 10. a 5. b
ANSWERS
2. Capricious (a) Stable (b) Fickle (c) Master (d) Cold
4. b
6. Haughty (a) Adamant (b) Arrogant (c) Effervescent (d) Intelligent
3. c
1. Bespoke (a) Royal (b) Common (c) Modern (d) Costly
2. a
5. Elicit (a) Illegal (b) Evoke (c) Illicit (d) Draw
B. 1. b
B. Choose the correct antonym for the words below
10. Runt (a) Titan (b) Slow (c) Educated (d) Amorous
10. a
4. Quote (a) Sight (b) Sigh (c) Sue (d) Cite
10. Timorous (a) Apprehensive (b) Dimwitted (c) Medicinal (d) Nocturnal
9. Beatific (a) Ugly (b) Maximum (c) Smooth (d) Evil
9. d
3. Abject (a) Admonish (b) Agrrevate (c) Miserable (d) Mischief
9. Bombastic (a) Dangerous (b) Dead (c) Inflated (d) Useful
8. Gullible (a) Citizen (b) Fruitful (c) Incredulous (d) Incredible
8. c
2. Advice (a) Council (b) Counsel (c) Consil (d) Cognize
8. Verbose (a) Vindictive (b) Direct (c) Talkative (d) Introvert
7. Intrepid (a) Audacious (b) Timid (c) Intermediate (d) Isolate
7. b
1. Hubris (a) Heavy (b) Pride (c) Ignorance (d) Innocence
7. Impervious (a) Unpenetrable (b) Important (c) Obivious (d) Past
6. a
A. Choose the correct synonym for the words below
Check your English
6. Bequest (a) Disinherit (b) Speak (c) Dine (d) Begin
July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
13
Update
82% Colleges Suffer Setback in Campus Hiring due to COVID-19 : Survey By D Tejaswi
J
• A majority of students are fast switching to online job portals to hunt for a job while another 17% are taking the referral route with their college alumni
A survey was carried out for students of all batches (2020 to 2023). The survey respondents that were over 1300 in number revealed noteworthy insights. Of survey respondents, 80% were in BE/B Tech courses.
• The pandemic has also impacted internship offers of 74 per cent prefinal year students
Highlights of the Survey • Only one-third of the students confirmed that they have a job offer at hand • Out of those who have job offers, close to 44% reported that their joining dates have been delayed • Another 9% of candidates who had job offers confirmed that their offers have been rolled back • Close to 33% said that the employers 14
are not responding on job status
ob is an indicator of flourishing economy. Job is a student’s dream. Job-guaranteed education is any colleges’s traction. This important role of job is seeing depressing times today. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit campus hiring across 82% colleges in India states Firstnaukri.com survey.
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
• About 70% of college students have enrolled for a reskilling course online
• Freelancing as a viable career option has evolved The online portals are seeing rise in number of job seekers. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri.com says “We are witnessing a huge traction from jobseekers on the Step-Up initiative that helps job seekers advance their careers in pandemic. Close to 4 lakh unique jobseekers are leveraging our initiative.” Other online job portals like MonsterIndia.com has a dedicated section ‘Jobs affected by COVID-19’ that offers career advice and support.
In a similar way, professional networking platform LinkedIn is also helping professionals with guidance and network support. According to a report, the number of views on an average LinkedIn job post have almost doubled since late March. While, the jobs in travel, tourism and hospitality industry marked drops, new opportunities in Ed-Tech, Consumer Tech and Online Gaming saw surge.
Finding a Job With millions out of work and fewer openings, it is important to target the right industry and positions when looking for a job. According to Monster, the sectors having jobs are Business Software, Financial Services, Education Tech, Consumer Tech, IT Infrastructure, Consulting & Services. Job locations in COVID-19 are mostly based out of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, Chennai and Noida. Also, companies at these places are offering ‘work from home’ opportunities. Proper planning and focus can help land in right job.
The Education Network Overseas Education Consultancy
Medical PG B.Tech., MS BBA, MBA B.Sc., M.Sc. NURSING Don’t “lockdown” your Higher Education Plans..!! STUDY MBBS IN
Poland | Ukraine | Russia | Bangladesh Philippines | China | Mauritius 070401010 | 9615543210 www.tenoverseas.com
Guest Interview
Take up a job even if it doesn’t pay high
The landscape of higher education has become murky with the on-set of COVID-19. Board exams, entrance exams, regular classrooms, group student activities are on halt. While questions are many, answers must be few and insightful. Prof Dr Dishan Kamdar, Vice Chancellor, FLAME University guides the students on what can be done in hard times By D Tejaswi Q. How might the Coronavirus change the career choices of youth? Students have been keenly watching the way the world has been disrupted due to the pandemic. Their aspirations will not change, but they will realize that the future may not look like what they had envisaged. They will also be more aware of the importance of developing multidisciplinary skills that will allow them to widen their choice of careers. In this scenario, I see an increasingly important role of liberal education which grooms students for multiple jobs given the transferable skills they have acquired such as critical thinking, effective problem solving, written and verbal communication, ability to work in teams and accept diverse viewpoints, sensitive to people, resources, environment, and cultures.
16
possible, putting large events on hold, having quarantine facilities, safe transport, etc. are some areas that they need to focus on. Institutions must conduct regular online training sessions. Holding mock safety drills will help people to be more aware and mindful of the following safety measures.
Q. What are some challenges in Blended Learning, and how can they be solved? Blended learning has been a great tool that offers the best solution combining classroom learning with online learning making education accessible and possible at all times. To make blended learning more effective, we need to ensure it is more interactive, more practice-oriented and makes use of simple technological tools.
Q. How do you see managing safety training in universities after COVID-19?
To make blended learning truly impactful, the following three components are important
Maintaining social distancing norms, access to medical facilities, staggered timings for classes and use of common facilities, using technology wherever
Training the trainer – the faculty must be skilled in using digital tools and use them effectively to keep students engaged
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
Adapting Content: Online content must be crisp, simple, interactive, and once again engaging. Technology: The technology that is used must be again simple, low cost, and easily accessible to all.
Q. How do you suggest students coping with mental health struggles in these uncertain times? Students are anxious and worried about their academics, examinations, financial aid and career prospects. Studying at home combined with contributing to their responsibilities at home, lack of proper space and time to study are also issues faced by many students. Some students may not have access to the prescribed technology tools. All these are indicative of the need for a strong support system for students from their educational institutions coupled with an equally strong support system at home. I believe that this is the time for parents and teachers to work cohesively in mentoring and allaying student’s fears and handhold them through these trying times.
Q. How freshers can withstand the effect on the job market? I think freshers should take this opportunity to learn new skills. They must be ready to take up internship opportunities as well. The learning and experience that they will gain during such adverse times will be invaluable. I would advise them to take up a job even if it does not give them a high salary. But, when things start improving, they will see themselves at a competitive advantage.
Trend
6 Platforms supporting PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat
I
n the midst of the pandemic disarray, India’s economy is anticipating a significant dynamic move. In May 2020, the PM announced an Rs. 20 Lakh crore financial package so as to make India aatma-nirbhar. The nation needs to make items that are made in India and are made for the world. This is a period for India and Indian organizations to change and take a positive turn towards being Aatma Nirbhar i.e self-reliant. The PM has pitched for advancing local businesses. This has given a boost to various small and medium businesses in the country that are helping the nation in stabilizing the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Atmanirbhar Bharat centers around Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography, and Demand. The Hon’ble PM has called on the citizens to use these adverse times for the resurgence of the Indian economy. In order to support our Prime Minister’s vision, various platforms have come up to brace this change and help our nation to grow and escalate by becoming selfsustaining. Here is a list of platforms facilitating India to become Armanirbhar:
Tradeindia TradeIndia is strengthening the agenda by providing a reliable platform to local buyers and sellers for identifying trustworthy business partners. The platform has also upgraded their mobile app in 6 vernacular languages; Hindi,
Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu,Marathi and Oriya .The app also comes equipped with additional features including the chat option that allows the buyer to connect with the seller directly with each listing.
Crofarm Crofarm has recently launched its social commerce venture Otipy to revolutionise the supply chain of fresh produce in India. Otipy works closely with women reseller partners to fulfill the demand of end consumers and facilitates the contactless doorstep delivery of fresh produce. The company is working with 500+ partner resellers mainly women across Delhi-NCR and is already serving over 50,000 consumers. It helps the farm products to reach consumers in less than 12 hours.
Vistaprint India Vistaprint is part of a global company but its target is small Indian businesses, individuals and corporations, who manufacture all their products locally with the help of local workers and employees. The company provides customised visiting cards, Posters, flyers and other marketing materials.
Burgeon Law Burgeon Law is on a mission to guide the distressed stakeholders of the startup investment ecosystem. It is proactively guiding promoters and entrepreneurs on the legalities of managing the uncertainty and extension of the runway in order to tackle various issues rising up with the lock-down and its impact on the industry.
Biosup Healthcare Biosup Healthcare has launched cost-effective premium face masks, hand sanitizers and hand rubs, and manufactures all its products in India using optimum quality raw material and in sync with international standards. Biosup is helping people across India through offline stores as well as online channels.
Xpay.Life Xpay.Life – A Bangalore based company helping rural Indians to make their utility bill payments via its payment kiosks, mobile vans and POS machines, but when the lockdown started, the movement of mobile vans has come to a standstill, the company went extra mile and showcase how they can actually make their bill payment easily on its platform – enabled by BBPS and NPCI. The company has witnessed 142% growth on its platform from rural Indians, the start-up which caters to 50000+ pin codes across India, helping people pay their bills like electricity, landline, DTH etc, by using digital means. July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
17
Guest Interview
MBA Programs are facing rapid changes today’ In conversation with Ashley Fernandes, Country Head for India, emlyon business school By D Tejaswi
Q: The coronavirus pandemic has hit the jobs market hard. How an MBA could help you stand out once the economy restarts? The coronavirus pandemic has led to lay-offs, cost-cutting as businesses are hit immensely. As the lockdowns continue, business models will evolve and professional skills will come handy in a highly selective workplace. An MBA could be the right degree when the economies reboot. As you would be aware, MBA programs are facing constant and rapid changes and ROI is paramount in the participant’s decision process. Research, quality delivery of fundamental 18
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
and practical knowledge, helping the participant’s leverage their hard and soft skills are important; but what is essential today is closing the knowing doing gap. Rapidly evolving technology, increasing data, climate change, environmental issues, pandemics, mounting inequality lead to volatile, uncertain political and social environments, create complex and ambiguous situations that leaders need to anticipate, and managers need to navigate. Knowing how and having the confidence to take on these challenges will determine the personal and professional success of the next generation of students. Prospective MBA students may be worried about the impact
of COVID 19 on the future job market. Yet, even in dire times, this is scope for opportunities. MBAs need to be flexible, diligent, and disciplined in their approach. We have launched a special webinar series in India, CareShareDare Talks through which we have challenged students to look at the constraints and turn them into opportunities. We believe future employers will appreciate their willingness to be proactive and think ahead of the curve. Let’s not forget that MBAs are usually hired to strengthen the corporate leadership talent pipelines. Crafting an unconventional story in times of uncertainty such as now, as the pandemic rages on, will undoubtedly show a sense of grit, and resilience; true signature of leaders.
Q: Why Digital savvy MBA graduates will be in high demand in a post-pandemic world? The pandemic has crystalized the shortfalls of previous models and been an acceleration of the digital transformation that was already in motion; in play, digital and data are now centerpiece in many business models and strategies. As businesses recover from the virus shock and reinvent themselves, disruptive ideas, digital-savvy MBA grads from top schools of the world would be the winners. For instance the program at emlyon business school’s offers an extensive range of electives to advance the technical skills of participants. At the school, digitization, hybridization, and internationalization are essential components of a strong eco-system, and each student has the opportunity to create a unique learning path toward his/her professional goal. What is at the crux of emlyon business school’s value proposition is experiential learning. Bringing knowledge along with a change in mindset and working on real projects are part of the “early maker” journey, which is the school’s pedagogy. The makers’ approach is very important. Teamwork, prototyping, testing, gaming, exposure to diverse and multicultural environments, immersion in corporate projects are all impactful ways and means to force participants out of their comfort zone and combine knowledge and emotions. Managing the unknown, and finding assurance in uncertainty, trigger confidence and help they develop critical and impactful thoughts and actions, now and most importantly in the future. In a nutshell, not only are they ready to accept, lead and manage change, they are the change. Another important tangible benefit from working on real company projects is that problem solving is put in the broader
Covid19 will never kill plans, self-doubt certainly will
Managing the unknown, and finding assurance in uncertainty, triggers confidence
perspective of stakeholder relationship, societal and inclusive impact. It’s another way of saying that management is about solving people’s problems. One size fits all is something of the past. Moving industries, shifting gears and/or climbing the corporate ladder, relocating to another part of the global village, whatever the motivation, the MBA team provides each participant with an approach focused on individualized outputs and the optimum ROI.
Q: How COVID-19 is Impacting Prospective International Students? Needless to mention, this is a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) situation. However, latest studies show that the global health crisis notwithstanding, majority of students who had planned higher education abroad want to continue because international universities have been expeditious in enhancing healthy safety frameworks for students while putting in place stronger support systems and incentives at the same time. It is important to explain to students that a crisis is a decisive moment. Covid19 will never kill plans, self-doubt certainly will. The individual response to this blanket challenge is therefore paramount. Through our #CareShareDare Talks, we have dared students to think ahead of the curve, with a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. This crisis has impacted the lives and livelihood of many but has also opened up opportunities. This pandemic is a very unique time in history that calls for unique and focused behaviors. With our regular interactions, we try and help our students segregate the signal from the noise and dare them to focus and believe. What better time now, to increase their knowledge base, their soft and hard skills; learn a new language, dive into a different culture, meet mentors and take advantage of serendipity? The very same economists that forecast an economic downturn are the very same ones to forecast a recovery in 2021. There is a future. And, now with France lifting non-Schengen travel restrictions from July 1st and students’ visa being processed on priority, we are more than happy that we helped many of our students take the right decision. We are ready to welcome them on campus from September, although, initially the focus would be on the physical delivery model. July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
19
Guest Article
How to customize online learning for different kinds of students? Dr M S Ganesha Prasad, Dean, Professor & Head of Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, New Horizon College of Engineering says there is considerable difference between learning styles of students in offline mode and online mode. He delves deep into how can teachers customize their classes to improve learning curve. By D Tejaswi
T
eachers have a great mission to ignite the minds of the young said Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, Former President, Govt. of India. Inspiring young minds may be possible if one can synchronise with the learning frequency/ understanding frequency of Young minds. Younger generations can be inspired either through online or offline teaching / engaging them with reasonable time. One of the studies says that to build strong knowledgeable society students are to be engaged either through online or offline at least thirty three percent per week time. Learning management system (LMS) is a system which allows teachers and students to connect either asynchronously or synchronously with interaction between teacher and students occurring intermittently with a time. An online classroom is an environment created through use of any LMS system either in real time or with offline chat/messaging services.
20
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
During this pandemic period, across India all the higher education institutions engage students only through online mode of teaching. With this method of getting connected to student’s community, faculty members must know how best they can transfer their knowledge to student’s community. Learning efficiency of a student will increase only if faculty member synchronise with his / her teaching style with students frequency. If we take any course particularly for engineering programs, normally the course will be completed around 55 Hrs. This may be applicable during offline teaching. But during online teaching, either experienced or inexperienced faculty may complete the same course with little more time. This is mainly to understand the learning progress of the students. As faculty members need to take good number of quizzes or need to collect good number of online assignments for understanding students learning ability. Depending on the surprize quizzes faculty can take a call, whether they can slowdown or maintain standard teaching time in LMS. There is good number of surveys conducted by reputed agencies in understanding different types of students. These categories are done on the basis of their learning styles. There is considerable difference between learning styles of students in offline mode and online mode. During offline mode, the learning can happen from Faculty to – student, student – to – student (peer learning that is either through peer support groups, peer teaching, peer tutoring, or peer-assisted learning). For an average student learning through Faculty will happen at least 80 percent and learning from student – to – student will be of 20 percent.
But for online learning procedures, experts understandings are totally different, that is, if learning frequency matches with faculty teaching students learning will be more than 80 percent and student – to – student (peer learning) maybe less than 20 percent.
are not much inclined towards their course and curriculum. Their aim is to understand the content of the curriculum from examinations point of view. With this link faculty can attract such students by mentioning what are the important questions from the content of that class.
The general classifications of students during online classes is as follows
LIS - moderately interactive with peers: They are students with little to moderate shyness for faculty and digital media. To make sure that these type of students are going to be part of class room sessions, faculty must call their names before or during the sessions. As their concentration levels are very low, to keep them engaging faculty must connect such students forcibly with students of HIS quality that is faculty must create community learning on the online platform, also faculty must directly take their feedback about his / her day to day sessions and also interact with HIS students about progress of LIS students.
Type -1: Highly interactive Students (HIS), these constitute about 10-15 percent of classroom. If percentage of these students is more, than it will be very easy for faculty to engage the classes. Also faculty can complete the course with in stipulated period of time. But normally you find these quality students very few. They are the contributors in taking the contents of the course to slow learning students of their class groups (peer learning). These students may lose concentration if faculty time is more than the students interaction time. To keep them busy, faculty need to prepare much e-learning information’s (Videos /PPTs/ assignments etc). To make the lecture more interesting, faculty should get information from these types of students, and faculty must appreciate them frequently for their knowledge. Type -2: Moderately Interactive Students (MIS) these types of students will be interested in the teaching of faculty only limited to their course. They are not really looking at other information faculty may be interested to share. Students of these qualities are normally maximum in the class, which ranges from 50 to 70 percent. As soon as class get over, their next duty is to save all the learning materials, which faculty shared. They normally limit sharing of information to their peers. These quality students are also enjoy the class with limited concentration. To keep them engaging faculty need to identify and call/ chat at least few of them about clarity in their explanations during lecture. During teaching with such students faculty members better maintain proper feedback procedures; this will definitely help teaching community in improving their teaching performance. Type -3: Low Interactive Students (LIS) The percentage of such students is normally well below ten to fifteen percent in the given online class, they are not much savvy to digital media. There may be around three more sub-category students under this heading. LIS - highly interactive with peers, LIS - moderately interactive with peers and LIS - very low interaction with peers, All these categories of students are struggling with regular classroom activities. Faculty community also must know that, they have to put extra effort for connecting online with these quality students. To motivate these types of students faculty must establish sense of comforts in the understanding level of learners. LIS - highly interactive with peers: They are concerned about their academic performance. Students coming under this category are normally savvy with digital media, but they
LIS - Very Low Interaction with Peers: one of the characteristics of such students are they never interact with anyone in the class. They open up only with repetitively addressing them and asking them about their assignments / quiz / test performance. They are least bother about their academic performance. In single sentence “They joined the degree program because of someone’s compulsion not by self-interest. So motivating such students is herculean task either in online classroom or in offline classroom. In such situation, faculty members need to be in touch with their guardians / parents and keep updating their digital classroom performance almost alternative days. After understanding the type of learning styles of learners, it is sole responsibility of the concerned faculty to identify such students through various means. Faculty can identify different types of students by frequently asking basic questions and answer them in the chat box and reward them. There are procedures adopted by the senior faculty members. To understand the learners level, a poll survey can be introduced before the class based on RBT level. By this faculty gets to know the percentage level of the students, who are aware of the course, if faculty understood the level of the class is above average then he / she can enhance their teaching level. As mentioned by Sri Sadhguruji In the Indian culture, we have always recognized a teacher as a very important part of one’s life to the extent we said: ‘Acharya Devo Bhava’ which means a teacher is like god. Generally, students spend more time with their teachers than with their parents. The idea of parents sending students to colleges is that somewhere they know that somebody else could be a better influence upon their children than themselves. So, it is the total responsibility of the faculty members for development of strong nation through young individual by making them confident and taking commitment from them for development of our society to be self-sustained. July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
21
Guest Article
Time to honour the Ekalavyas
Prof Nagaraj Shenoy, Principal, Dayananda Sagar College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bengaluru By D Tejaswi
A
long-time friend of mine attended a job interview in a reputed organization. I was very much aware of his capability and competence and hence was expecting a positive result. When he came back and narrated the experience, I was taken aback. He was rejected, and it was not uncommon in the selection process. But it was the reason; it was not because they found his competence unsatisfactory; it was because they had problems with his MBA degree. He had pursued his degree in distance education from IGNOU. He was told that as per their organization policy, they cannot accept distance education qualifications. Earlier he was through in all preliminary rounds based on his competence and experience and they were happy with it. In the final round, while document verification finding that his qualification is not from a regular university, they rejected his candidature. This incident made me think deeply about our education system and illusions our industry has about it. Industry, at least in our country, broadly believes that distance education is mainly pursued by those who couldn’t pursue the ‘regular’ degrees at the right time, for the right duration and at the right age. They, later in their life, just for promotion, career growth or for field change, in search of ‘some’ degree, find one institution or university offering distance education courses and grab one degree. So, it cannot be considered ‘equivalent’ to ‘regular’ course. As a result, there is a stigma attached to distance education courses. Industry, also many times the candidates themselves, feel it is ‘inferior’ to have a distance education qualification.
22
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
Let’s examine their arguments one by one. The first argument is broadly acceptable and a reality. Those who could not pursue a regular course in a day college for various constraints. But they had the desire to learn, fire in the belly and hence later in life pursue distance education. Their constraints may be financial problems, geographical problems like rural or semi-urban places where there are no institutions, or they developed an interest in upgrading their knowledge and skills at a later stage of life. So what? Finally, what should matter is the worthiness of a person for the job on a given date and not when he acquired it and from where.
The people who are pursuing their education through non-formal mode like distance education, digital learning, part-time study, etc., are not being regarded as equal as regular day scholars
Secondly, let’s compare both the modes of degrees objectively. Being in the education field for more than two decades, I know it for sure that the majority of the students who join our regular courses in colleges today, do so on the insistence and pressure of their parents, relatives or friends. The student who joins the college and who is supposed to pursue the course does have little or no knowledge of the course. Many times students join the course against their wishes to satisfy the ego of their parents. After all, it is papa’s money. The kid enjoys his time more outside the campus than inside. In such a scenario, learning the essence of the course by such students is anybody’s guess.
The industry, which eternally complains about the poor employability carries stigma about the people with nonformal education. They need to look at these Ekalavyas for better employable candidates
On the other hand, distance education pursuers invest their own hard-earned money. So they value every rupee spent on their own education and cannot afford to take it lightly. As they have put in some industry experience, they really ‘understand’ the subject, its importance and appreciate its value. Moreover, their pursuit, borne out of their own curiosity and urge within, they are self-driven. They pursue their courses without any teacher or guide. That is, their knowledge pursuit is without a Guru like that of Ekalavya. So, they need to be respected and considered, at least, in line with regular day scholars.
faculty and exposure to a far better learning environment. So, there is no valid rationale for India Inc. to dishonour the qualifications earned in non-formal modes like MOOC, distance education or digital environment. Above all, it is in the interest of the organisation to recruit candidates from all modes of education without carrying any stigma about distance education.
Finally, why our employers consider distance education as inferior? Some argue there are plenty of unscrupulous institutions offer correspondence degrees purely with a profit motive and they have the least concern for the ‘quality’ in the education. Fully agreeable. But let’s not fail to observe that we have many ‘similar’ institutions that offer regular courses as well. Only with a commercial interest in mind, such institutions treat students as customers and in an effort to ‘satisfy the customers’, they dilute all academic processes. The students are given full attendance irrespective of their presence in the classes. Students are granted maximum internal marks - which are the measures of continuous internal evaluation – without any regard to the guidelines of the university. Whereas the Ekalavyas - pursuing distance education in some reputed institutions like IGNOU - need to burn the midnight oil to get every mark on their marks card. They stand as epitomes of perseverance, as they need to balance their work, family life along with their pursuit of knowledge. Their mere pursuit shows their learning desire and their successful completion of a course demonstrates their learnability. Sadly, their effort, dedication and devotion are hardly being recognized. It is high time that they are regarded and respected. In the era of open education, it is ironical to snub someone with distance education. Moreover, informal modes of education are gaining acceptability of late with the advent of online MOOC courses. Some of the certificates of Coursera are given credit in a few American universities. Digital Learning has become the order of the day. Various courses offered on digital media can afford to offer the best of course materials, outstanding teaching
So, the guiding principle is, there are good, bad and ugly among institutions on both sides. Some distance education institutions like IGNOU, Institution of Engineers, are offering courses with higher standards than our many regular universities. Completion of degrees is far tougher in these institutions than our regular colleges. It is tested and proven that the majority of our regular college students cannot clear the examinations and evaluation system of these institutions. Hence, the evaluation of persons for the job (even otherwise!) needs to be done on the basis of their ability and experience in relation to the education qualification possessed rather than the mode they have earned it from. A person’s caliber should reflect in his own personality and that is his ‘real’ certificate. Finally, the candidates pursuing the degree through the nonformal mode are those who study under the constraints of ‘Learning and earning together’. They are not the royals but strugglers. They didn’t get a lift to reach the higher level during their studying time and they mountaineered to reach there. They demonstrate the spirit and self-driven energy of Ekalavya of Mahabharat. They are the ones who are fighting against all odds. Their fighting spirit and perseverance are beneficial to any organization. The industry, eternally complain about the poor employability of our day scholars, need to look at these Ekalavyas for better employable candidates not only for the reason that they already have work experience but also for the fact that they have a fire in the belly, urge to excel and humility to serve. It’s high time to regard them and reward them. If industry changes its mindset, it will open a new avenue for them to look for better employable candidates and it will grant millions who are waiting, the honour they highly deserve. July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
23
Guest Interview
Unfortunately, Education in India is Examdriven
In conversation with Prof Pushpendra Singh, Dean, Academic Affairs at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi By D Tejaswi Q. What could be the toughest challenge universities might face after COVID-19? - Universities cater to a wide variety of students coming from different demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. The Universities provide a uniform environment for learning. However, online learning tilts it in favor of the person who is more resourceful - better internet connection, good computing devices etc. How the universities would manage to deliver the similar quality of education to all of their students in online mode, would be the biggest challenge. When the campuses reopen and students come to the campus, there would be another challenge. The Indian Universities have been designed to optimize the cost, e.g. hostel rooms are shared, labs are shared, etc. Maintaining social distance would be another big challenge.
Q. Due to COVID-19 outbreak, a lot of popular exams have been cancelled at school, college and university level. There also is quite a lot of indecisiveness among higher-ed officials about final exam dates. How do you suggest students handle such situations? Unfortunately, in India, education has been exam-driven and aimed towards scoring high in the exams. This is a good time to reorient education towards its true goal - learning. When you start studying for the sake of learning and not for scoring high, the necessity of having a proctored exam goes away. My advice for students would be to reorient and concentrate on learning and self-improvement. 24
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus February 2020
Q. How can an average performing student try for placements amid this unpromising job scenario? Every crisis brings with itself an opportunity, and so would this one. The companies would prefer employees who are selfdriven, who can work without requiring monitoring, who can teach themselves and so on. Today, a lot of knowledge is available for free on the internet. The students should make use of the time available and skill themselves.
Q. A recent study states that India’s comp science graduates are high in quantity and low in quality. Your comments. Unfortunately, this is true. However, the problem is not limited to Computer Science graduates but to graduates from other streams as well. And the reason is the poor quality of education, low-skilled faculty, and studying for marks and instead of knowledge. The solution would be to establish some more world-class universities and maintain a high standard of teaching and learning.
Q. What problems do you foresee with students of 10th & 12th passing without exam conduction? Since in India, admissions to many Universities and Colleges depend upon the marks obtained in class 12th, a major challenge that authorities would face would be in deciding admission criteria. The students who worked hard would be demotivated if a general rule is applied to all.
Q. Talk about education infrastructure in the country? The major challenge that India will face is the lack of infrastructure. Our network infrastructure is poor and barring a few major cities, the network connectivity and speed are pathetic and cannot support online education or work in an efficient manner. Hopefully, this will work as a rising bell and spring the government into action.
Queries
Ask Higher Education Plus Brainfeed Higher Education Plus encourages the readers to ask their queries at info@highereducationplus. com
1. I need to know about careers in Economics. Can you help? – Shriyaan Chaturvedi, Nagpur To begin with, careers in economics are extremely wide ranging and diverse. An economics degree boosts your employability in many areas, regardless of the industry you work in. There is strong demand for highly numerate graduates throughout the global labour market. Whether you look for job in India or in world, you would be preferred for the following positions: • • • • • • • • •
Financial risk analyst Data analyst Financial planner Accountant Economic researcher Financial consultant Investment analyst Actuary Public sector roles
2. Can you suggest some best colleges in India to pursue Fine Arts? - Madhavi Nayar, Chennai A degree in fine arts has a great demand in 21st century. Students tend to develop strong observational, research and analytical skills; creative problem solving skills with this course. They also gain a valuable experience of entering exhibitions, competitions and building up a portfolio of work. When it comes to performing arts, these individuals use their training and skills to perform for audiences. Some of the best Art colleges in India are:
1. College of Art, New Delhi 2. Faculty of Visual Arts, BHUVaranasi 3. Sir J J College Of Applied Art, Mumbai 4. Faculty Of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University Of Baroda, Vadodara 5. College Of Fine Arts, Trivandrum 6. Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture And Fine Arts University, Hyderabad 7. Government College Of Fine Arts, Chennai 8. College Of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore
3. How will I know if I am good fit for Agriculture Degree? What are its entry requirements? – Kripal Singh, Kochi Mostly, a degree in agriculture, offered as a Bachelor of Science (BSc Agriculture), needs highly interdisciplinary skills, requiring students to have a good grasp of both natural sciences and social sciences, and drawing on areas such as biology, environmental sciences, chemistry, economics and business and management. During the course you will first build a strong scientific foundation in agriculture by studying biology, natural environments, agricultural production and agricultural science. As the course continues, you’ll usually be able to customise the degree with subjects of your choice. Entry requirements You need to clear your HSC/ Intermediate classes with at least 60% or equivalent to be admitted to a BSc Agriculture degree. You should have a science background with good hold on
it. Any intermediate projects related to agriculture will be a special add-on to your application.
4. I just finished my degree. I am interested to know some effective CV writing tips? – Aaryan.K, Warangal CV is the first point of reference of the interviewer to gain an understanding of the candidate. The first impression of resume can therefore have lot of influence on further rounds. Some effective tips for resume making are: 1. Look for keywords present in online job postings. 2. Understand some of the best resume samples in your sector of career. 3. Don’t just tell; show your work 4. Use easy, active tense 5. Make sure that you pull attention to important details 6. Proofread, edit, and give it for expert review before finally sharing the CV July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
25
Update
IIT-M launches world’s first-ever Online B.Sc. in Programming and Data Science
I
ndian Institute of Technology Madras has announced the launch of India’s first online B.Sc. degree in Programming and Data Science. The programme is open to anyone who has passed Class XII, with English and Maths at the Class X level, and enrolled in any oncampus UG course. Even the current batch of students who are completing their Class XII in 2020 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme. The program can be taken up by person of any age, discipline or geographic location and provides access to a worldclass curriculum in data science which is in huge demand for skilled professionals. The programme was launched in the presence of Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union Minister of HRD, Govt. of India and Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for HRD, Communications and Electronics and IT, Govt. of India along with Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman, Board of Governors, Director and the faculty of the Institute. Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of AICTE was also part of this historic launch. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Union HRD Minister, said, “Analysis reveals that every year 7 to 7.5 lakh Indian students go abroad in search of better education and our talent as well as our revenue goes outside the country. Institutions such as IIT Madras have the vision and mission to help the nation move forward on its path to self-reliance by bringing such quality education and
26
Brainfeed Higher Education Plus July 2020
Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme unique courses right here in India.” The program will have videos from the faculty, weekly assignments and inperson invigilated exams just like any other regular course. The program will hone students’ skills in managing data, visualizing patterns to gain managerial insights, model uncertainties and build models that assist in producing forecasts to make effective business decisions. This unique online offering will be offered in three different stages Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the program and receive a Certificate, Diploma or a Degree, respectively, from IIT Madras. Based on the eligibility, interested candidates will have to fill a form and pay a nominal fee of Rs. 3,000 for the qualifier exam. Learners will get access to the 4 weeks of course content of 4 subjects (Mathematics, English, Statistics and Computational Thinking). These students will go through the course lectures online, submit online assignments and write an in-person qualifier exam at the end of 4 weeks. In contrast to the typical admission processes of IITs which are constrained due to the limited number of in-campus
seats, in this programme all students who clear (with an overall score of 50%) the qualifier exam will be eligible to register for the foundational program.
Importance of Data Science and Programming Data Science is one of the fastest growing sectors that is predicted to create 11.5 million jobs by 2026. Also, the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2022, data analyst and scientist will be the number one emerging job role in the world. The program offers job prospects for students in data science field, provides opportunity for working professionals to switch careers and also provides learners an opportunity to get a degree from IIT Madras.
Student’s Corner
Apply for
Scholarships
Category
Merit Based
Scholarship
DRDO Research Associateship 2020
Description
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) invites applications for DRDO Research Associateship 2020 from PhD students in Ocean Sciences or relevant allied subjects preferably with experience in the field of Physical Oceanography.
Eligibility
The associateship is open for candidates who hold a PhD in Ocean Sciences or relevant allied subjects preferably with experience in the field of Physical Oceanography OR have 3 years of research or teaching experience after MTech (Ocean Technology)/ MS(Ocean Engineering) with at least one research paper in Science Citation Indexed (SCI) journal in the field of Physical Oceanography. They should not be more than 35 years of age as on the closing date.
Prizes & Rewards
Monthly stipend of INR 54,000 and other benefits
Last Date to apply
15-07-2020
Application
Submit the completed form along with all the documents to-The Director, NPOL, Thrikkakara PO, Kochi –682 021
Short URL
www.b4s.in/BFM/DRA3
Category Scholarship
Description
Toppr invites applications from Class 9 to 12 students (Science and Commerce stream) for its free online learning-cum-reward program - Toppr Asha. This program is supported by Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Toppr Asha is meant to provide free learning support to the meritorious students belonging to underserved and low-income families.
Eligibility
Category
Merit Based
Scholarship
STFC Meritorious Scholarship Programme
Description
Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited has announced this scholarship programme to provide financial assistance to students from underprivileged families of commercial transport drivers. Under this programme, selected students will receive multi-year scholarships for professional studies after Class 10 and Class 12.
Eligibility
Students currently enrolled in Diploma/ITI/Polytechnic courses, or Graduation/Engineering (3-4 year) programmes may apply for this scholarship, if they have scored at least 60% marks in Class 10 and Class 12. Applicants must come from the family of a commercial transport driver with an overall family income of less than INR 4 Lakhs per year.
Prizes & Rewards
Selected students will receive INR 15,000/- per year for ITI/Polytechnic/Diploma studies (max. 3 years), and up to INR 35,000/- per year (max. 4 years) for graduation/ engineering studies.
Last Date to apply
31-08-2020
Application
Apply online
Short URL
www.b4s.in/BFM/STFC1
Merit Based
Category
Merit Based
Toppr Asha Program
Scholarship
IDFC FIRST Bank MBA Scholarship 2020-22
Description
IDFC FIRST Bank is providing scholarships to students enrolled in 1st year of 2-year full-time MBA programmes across selected colleges in India. The scholarship programme is aimed at helping MBA students who need financial support in managing their tuition fees.
Eligibility
Indian students who are enrolled in the 1st year of full-time MBA programmes at selected educational institutions may apply for this scholarship. Students must have an annual family income not more than INR 6 Lakh to be eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Prizes & Rewards
Selected scholars will be provided with INR 1 Lakh per annum for 2 years of their full-time MBA/PGDM or equivalent programme.
Last Date to Apply
31-07-2020
Application
Online applications only
Short URL
www.b4s.in/BFM/IFMS2
The program is open for Class 9 to 12 (Science & Commerce stream) students. They must have a smartphone and must be comfortable giving assessment tests in English language. The annual income of the family should be equal to or less than INR 3 lakh per annum.
Prizes & Rewards
Free annual Toppr Advance Pack subscription and rewards worth up to INR 10,000 based on student’s performance in year-end assessment
Last Date to apply
15-07-2020
Application
Online applications only
Short URL
www.b4s.in/BFM/TOS1
Courtesy: www.buddy4study.com July 2020 Brainfeed Higher Education Plus
27
Books
Book Review
Upheaval How successful nations recover from crisis! The author shows the readers how seven countries have survived defining upheavals in the recent past from the forced opening up of Japan and the Soviet invasion of Finland to the Pinochet regime in Chile - through selective change, a process of painful self-appraisal and adaptation more commonly associated with personal trauma. Looking ahead to the future, he investigates whether the United States and the world, are squandering their natural advantages and are on a devastating path towards catastrophe. Is this fate inevitable? Or can we still learn from the lessons of the past? Upheaval
Author: Jared Diamond Publisher: Penguin Price: ` 730
Nine Pints
Author: Rose George Publisher: Metropolitan Books Price: ` 1598
Summary : Blood carries life, yet the sight of it makes people faint. It is a waste product and a commodity pricier than oil. It can save lives and transmit deadly infections. Each one of us has roughly nine pints of it, yet many don’t even know their own blood type. And for all its ubiquitousness, the few tablespoons of blood discharged by 800 million women are still regarded as taboo: menstruation is perhaps the single most demonized biological event. In Nine Pints, the author takes us from ancient practices of bloodletting to the breakthough of the “liquid biopsy,” which promises to diagnose cancer and other diseases with a simple blood test.
Presidents of War
Author: Michael Beschloss Publisher: Broadway Books Price: ` 795
The book is an intimate chronicle of the Chief Executives who took the United States into conflict and mobilized it for victory. From the War of 1812 to Vietnam, we see these leaders considering the difficult decision to send hundreds of thousands of Americans to their deaths; struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer. Through Beschloss’s interviews with surviving participants and findings in original letters and once-classified national security documents, we come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war— or were broken by them.
A Gentleman in Moscow Author: Amor Towles Publisher: Viking Price: ` 2,037
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
RNI NO. TELENG/2018/76430
Postal Regd. No: HCD/5012/2019-21
Posted at PC Secunderabad on July 9-10, 2020 Date of Publication: July 7, 2020