Education Briefs

The third Nike Junior Tour (NJT) World Team Tennis Cup tournament for under-12 and under-14 players staged in Pompadour, France between October 30-November 2 witnessed the emergence of Russia as the world’s premier junior tennis nation. This is the second time since the inception of NJT in 1996 that Russia has won the title. The Russian squad beat defending champions Spain, while in the consolation final Sweden defeated France.

The Indian contingent comprising Yuki Bhambhri, Akash Wagh, Shushruta Reddy, and Aishwarya Y.P. recorded a mixed performance. "One of our four boys, Yuki Bhambhri who lost in the singles quarter final, is among the four top ranked juniors. He eliminated the singles favourite in the first round but lost to the eventual finalist in the quarters in a close match. There is no doubt that given professional training and support Yuki is a potential world-class senior," says Krishna Bhupathi promoter-director of Nike Bhupathi Tennis Village (NBTV), Bangalore, who accompanied the Indian contingent to France.

Since it was promoted in 1996 by the globally famous sports shoes and apparel marketing major Nike Inc, USA, NJT has become the most prestigious transnational tennis tournament for children. The NJT World TeamTennis Cup forms part of the Nike Junior Tour International Masters tennis tournament and has been staged in over 25 countries during the past eight years, featuring the best talent in these age groups. "Participation in the Nike Junior Tour is very useful as it exposes participants to high pressure tournaments at an early age and gives them an opportunity to compete with the best players in the world in their own age groups," adds Bhupati who has developed Nike Bhupathi Tennis Village into a globally benchmarked academy to nurture tennis champions of the future.

The Delhi-based National Alliance for the Fundamental Right to Education (NAFRE) has initiated a national campaign for a common school system and constitutional right to work. The campaign began on November 28 (shiksha adhikar divas) and will continue until December 10 (Human Rights Day). November 28 is the anniversary of the day Parliament passed the 93rd Amendment Bill. NAFRE celebrates the day as Education Right Day (shiksha adhikar divas).

"NAFRE has been fighting for Education For All and equity in education since its foundation in 1998. Now once again we are pressing for a common school system; 6 percent of GDP for education; withdrawal of the anti-people Free and Compulsory Education Bill; withdrawal of the petrol and diesel price hike and constitutional right to work. The campaign will conclude on December 10. During the coming budget session more than 50,000 people are expected to march to Parliament to press the Union government on these issues," says Karan Tyagi, national convenor of NAFRE.

Ingersoll-Rand (India), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand Company, USA, inaugurated its first ever postgraduate course in road technology in Bangalore on November 3. An initiative of IR Rasta (the road institute of Ingersoll Rand) in association with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), this study programme has been designed to equip working civil engineers with road building and maintenance expertise.

Comments K.Ramanath dean of IR Rasta: "In accordance with the memorandum of understanding with VTU, IR Rasta will provide information about the latest road technologies to address the overall need of the infrastructure development sector in the current scenario. Apart from offering excellent training to students, the institute will assist them in acquiring work experience on road project sites and offices besides arranging campus recruitment for students seeking employment."

The study programme and diploma will be delivered by VTU. "Such courses will help in equipping students with knowledge and the soft skills urgently required by the infrastructure sector," adds Balaveera Reddy vice chancellor of VTU.

The Bangalore-based National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) concluded celebrations of its tenth anniversary on November 5 with a felicitation function addressed by a mix of high-profile politicians, bureaucrats and academics including President A.P.J Abdul Kalam, UGC chairman Arun Nigavekar, Sir John Daniel, president of the Commonwealth of Learning and V.S. Prasad, director of NAAC. NAAC was promoted as a subsidiary of the University Grants Commission in 1994 "to make quality the defining element of higher education in India through a combination of self and external quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance initiatives". Since then NAAC has assessed and rated more than 2,000 colleges and universities across the country.

"NAAC has successfully completed a decade of meaningful existence and has thus far accredited 111 out of 306 universities and 1,910 of over 15,000 colleges in the country. I believe that there is definitely a need to increase the pace of accreditation by creating professional agencies in the private sector," said President Kalam, delivering the keynote address.

The Dina Institute of Hotel and Business Management (DIHBM) Pune, one of the country’s most highly reputed hotel and hospitality training institutes, organised a colourful graduation-cum-induction ceremony on October 16 for its outgoing and incoming students.

Thirty-five graduating students were awarded postgraduate diplomas in hotel and business administration. Coterminously a fresh batch of 100 students — 60 for the two-and-half-year postgraduate diploma in hotel and business administration; 30 for the three-year degree course in hospitality and tourism management and ten for the 20-month diploma in food and beverages and rooms division management were enrolled.

"This year we received tremendous response due to our good placement record and consistent interface with the hotel industry and professionals in the field," says Ajit Kumar Oberoi, executive director of DIHBM.

"With a motivated faculty, the students from Dina are highly trained, well groomed in the nuances of the hospitality and service industry," says K.V Simon, India representative of the Educational Institute of American Hotels and Lodging Association.

Promoted in 1996 by experienced hotel professionals Mrs. Inderjot Kaur, managing director of DIHBM and her husband Ajit Kumar Oberoi, Dina is a pioneer autonomous hospitality education institute. Affiliated to the American Hotels and Lodging Association, it is also accredited by Middlesex University London, UK, and Sikkim Manipal University for a three-year degree course in hospitality and tourism management.