Assam
Microsoft teacher training initiative
The Assam state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd — a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US-based Microsoft Corp (annual revenue: $60 billion or Rs.342,000 crore) — to expedite adoption of new infor-mation and communications technology (ICT) in its schools. The year-long alliance will accelerate ICT usage in Assam’s school education system to improve learning outcomes by creating interactive classroom experiences.
The MoU was signed by the state’s SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) mission director L.S. Changsan, and Ranbir Singh, country head (government engagements) of Microsoft, on June 13. The partnership will focus on the professional development of 5,760 school teachers and equip them with skills required for integrating information technology in classroom teaching.
To improve students’ learning outcomes, teacher training workshops will be held at six state-run DIETS (District Institutes for Education and Training) under Microsoft’s Partners in Learning (PiL) programme. Introduced by Microsoft Corp in 2008, PiL is a global initiative designed to equip teachers with tools and know-how to integrate ICT into teaching and learning in a meaningful way.
Arunachal Pradesh
First private varsity gets going
The Indira Gandhi Technical and Medical Sciences University (IGTMSU) — Arunachal’s first private university sited in Ziro, Lower Subansiri district — will be inaugurated shortly by chief minister Nabam Tuki, according to official sources in Itanagar. A public-private partnership (PPP) initiative, IGTMSU was established by a special Act of the state legislative assembly enacted in March. A site measuring 150 hectares donated voluntarily by villagers of Hong in the picturesque Apatani valley, has also been acquired for establishment of the university.
Addressing the media in Itanagar on June 19, IGTMSU’s vice chancellor P.R. Trivedi said the university will immediately launch its bachelors and Masters degree programmes in the fields of medical laboratory technology, nursing, optometry, radiology, imaging technology, hospital and hotel manag-ement, IT, business administration and disaster management.
Chief minister Tuki expressed optimism that IGMTSU would fill the void in technical education in the state.
Punjab
Major vocational education drive
The Punjab government has approved a Rs.3,300-crore vocational education and training (VET) plan under which 43 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and 2,500 skills development centres will be established in the state. “With the promotion of 43 new ITIs, which will cost the state’s exchequer Rs.1,200 crore, the number of seats in technical institutes will increase from the current 50,000 to 400,000,” an official spokesman informed the media in Chandigarh on June 18.
Besides ITIs, 2,500 skills development centres will also be promoted with an aggregate expenditure of Rs.1,800 crore. The government has approved short-term courses in skills development and hospitality trades in the ITIs under a public-private partnership initiative.
Haryana
Rajiv Gandhi Education City progress
In a further boost to the ambitious Rajiv Gandhi Education City project, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda laid the foundations of ten educational institutions to be establ-ished on 167.74 acres in the Education City at Rai in Sonepat district, on the outskirts of Delhi, on June 10.
Among the institutions whose foundations were laid were Ashoka University, Asian Educational Society, Skyline Business School, Organisation Research and Education, Manav Rachna International University, N.C. College of Engineering and Research, Hindu School of Architecture, RIMT Technical Campus, Balwant Rai Institute of Technology, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune and S.R.M. Rajiv Gandhi Education City.
The foundation ceremony was inaugurated two days after Hooda cleared administrative bottlenecks in the construction of the 135 km Western Peripheral Expressway (KMP Express-way) which will connect Kundli, Rai and Sonepat with Delhi and integrate the National Capital Region.
Maharashtra
Unicef’s sports education programme
Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) has shortlisted three districts in Maharashtra — Yavatmal, Wardha and Jalna — to roll out its Sports for Development programme during the course of the academic year 2012-13. The programme’s objective is to raise awareness and acceptance of sport as an integral component of children’s education and holistic development.
The programme is being promoted jointly by Unicef and the International Sports Agency, UK, district sports officer Vijay Santhan said at a press conference in Yavatmal on June 19. “Zilla parishad (district) school students in classes I-VIII will greatly benefit from the scheme,” he added.
Jammu & Kashmir
Skills development mission
The jammu and Kashmir state govern-ment is set to operationalise 18 polyt-echnics shortly. “These polytechnics/colleges will become functional by August this year,” promised R.S. Chib, minister for medical and technical education, youth services and sports while addressing the media in Jammu on June 26.
Reviewing a progress report on the construction of these colleges, the minister exhorted the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corpo-ration (JKPCC) to meet the deadline through a determined effort. The colleges are estimated to cost Rs.14.5 crore each, he said.
Elaborating on the skills development mission of the state government, Chib said it has a target of training 4 million youth through vocational, modular and diploma courses by the year 2022 to reduce unemployment — a “huge initiative” which will change the economic landscape of the state.