Yogesh Avasthi

Gujarat Technological University has directed all affiliated engineering, MBA and MCA colleges not to drop lectures and announce holidays at will Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, January 31, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20110131201101310353261396ed3c54 ) Students and teachers of colleges affiliated to the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) are in for a hard toil this academic year that begins in June. The varsity has instructed all associated engineering, MBA and MCA colleges to give fewer holidays and conduct more classes. The edict — issued at a recent meeting — follows the realisation by GTU that some colleges conduct only 50 per cent of the lectures each semester, i.e. out of 90 days, they hold lectures on only 40 to 45 days. “We have asked all affiliated colleges to stick to the 90-day teaching schedule every semester. Cancellation of classes and announcement of holidays not grante...

Railway officials have asked the company to stop construction work at the project site in Thaltej, claiming the land belongs to the railways Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, January 25, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=201101252011012503023457156c7d9e7 ) A notice board erected by the railways at the hospital site states that no unauthorised entry or construction work will be tolerated on the plot Railway authorities have asked Zydus Cadila to freeze all construction work at the site of a 22-storey hospital proposed by it near Sola bridge in Thaltej. The demand, which could throw the project off the track, is a consequence of a land dispute between the railways and the state government. Rail officials claim the plot where the pharmaceutical company intends to build the multi-speciality hospital is part of a 16.13-hectare land owned by the railways. They allege the state government “illegally allo...

Education dept to recreate KBC set, rope in Amitabh Bachchan to host grand finale of Gujarat Quiz. If Big B fails to put up an appearance, Modi will don quizmaster’s cap Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, January 24, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=201101242011012403443228be8cb249 ) The final of the Gujarat Quiz is likely to be a grand affair with either Big B or Narendra Modi likely to host the event. The function will be held in the last week of April or the first week of May to coincide with the ending of Swarnim Gujarat year. The final will be held at Town Hall where the Education Department plans to create a set similar to the one on Kaun Banegi Crorepati. Highly placed sources said, “Amitabh Bachchan is Gujarat’s tourism ambassador. He is also the face of KBC. So, we are trying to rope him to be the quizmaster for our grand finale. The chief minister will be present at the event. If Big B d...

To boost operational efficiency, railway division decides to shift Ahd-Delhi daily train from platform 1 to platform 7 Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, January 22, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2011012220110122030608229aae428af ) The Ahmedabad-Delhi Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express will depart from platform 7 beginning February 1. As of now, the daily train leaves from platform 1 at 5.25 pm. Ahmedabad railway division has taken the decision to improve its operational efficiency. While passengers will have to walk a longer distance to board, the good news is that the train will be at the platform for 30 minutes. Right now, the train makes a brief 15-minute stopover at Ahmedabad junction. With more time on hand, passengers can escape the mad scramble that goes on to locate the seats and arrange the baggage. Four more coaches will be added to the train; this 300 more passengers can be accommod...

University Granthnirman Board has published books to help NET-SLET hopefuls Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, January 20, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20110120201101200253321962936b8c6 ) Aspiring college teachers who need to clear National Education Test (NET) or its State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) have a help on hand thanks to University Granthnirman Board (UGB). The nodal agency for university publications has come up with books with question banks and answers to help those writing the tests prepare better. “The qualifying percentage in NET and SLET is just about 2. One of the main reasons is the lack of useful literature for the candidates. Now, you can expect pass percentage to go up in the state. We have priced the book quite reasonably so that more students can benefit from the initiative,” said a UGB official. Books in two subjects are already out and those for 24 more subjects w...

Three IIMA graduates have started Edvantage India to bridge the gap between academia and the industry Yogesh Avasthi , Tanushree Bhatia Posted On Thursday, January 20, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=201101202011012002532794680e93a36 ) Money is not the only matter for at least these three IIMites who quit their top corporate jobs in just five months to train country’s nextgen for industry challenges. To bridge the gap between academia and the industry, Rahul Harkisanka, Ravi Subramanium and Rohan Choudhary, who grabbed the jobs on Day 0 of IIM placement, have started Edvantage India, their entrepreneurial venture which is first of its kind of initiative for college-goers in Ahmedabad. Industry-focused course for students Though the three do not belong to Ahmedabad, they preferred the city to start their company. “Ahmedabad is going to be a financial hub with GIFT city generating thousands of emplo...

With an aim to improve the standard of teaching and quality of students, 66 mentors chosen by Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat will conduct training sessions for teachers Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, January 19, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2011011920110119025610933179455a7 ) A unique Knowledge Management Programme, conceptualised by Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), will soon be introduced in over 900 colleges across the state to improve the quality of teaching. A two-day workshop has been organised for expert trainers at Maninagar Science College today. They will then mentor the college teachers. As many as 66 experts — 33 English professors and 33 information and communication technology professors — will participate along with 33 students who will provide their feedback on the effectiveness of the workshop. The aim of the programme is to add value to the teaching techniques a...

Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, January 18, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2011011820110118025600532a325562e ) The All India Counsil for Technical Education has announced new guidelines according to which students can get admission for diploma courses in Pharmacy. Optimistic This announcement has been received with great optimisim by the pharmacy colleges. The number of students opting for diploma pharmacy had gone down drastically in the state in past two-three years. But with the new guidelines it is expected that more students will opt for the corse. Eligibility According to sources the main reason for less students opting for diploma pharmacy was the eligibility criterion of being a class XII passout. “Students after completing their HSC preferred to go for a degree rather than a diploma course. So the diploma seats in the colleges stayed empty. Only students who couldn’t afford the fe...

All India School Education Survey, launched in Gujarat on Monday, will help central policy makers identify weak areas in the school system and develop new schemes Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, January 12, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=201101122011011202534314124e1893f ) National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) has started a massive survey of schools in Gujarat to gather a raft of data that can help policy makers to develop schemes, check effectiveness of existing ones and allocate funds. All schools — public and private; state board and CBSE — will be covered under this exercise called ‘All India School Education Survey’ (AISES). The importance of this survey, ordered by the human resource development ministry, can be seen from the fact that it is conducted once every eight to 10 years. Though it was announced in September 2009, it was launched in Gujarat only on Mo...

2 AMC-run schools have implemented an activity-based teaching method that enables kids to develop basic skills without depending on textbooks Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, January 11, 2011 Two public schools in the city do not ask their std I and II students to bring any textbooks to the classroom or do any homework. What is even more odd is that the schools, located in Amraiwadi and Sabarmati, don’t even conduct exams. Despite such a liberal policy, their students are brighter than some children studying in private schools. How? The schools have adopted an innovative technique known as activity-based learning, which enables children to gain knowledge and develop basic skills such as reading without depending on books and other conventional educational material. The method has not only helped the schools, run by AMC, make learning a fun activity, but also drastically bring down the rate of absenteeism in the said classes. A different approach “Children are a lot more cheer...

Univ to send SMSes to 3.5 lakh students to spread awareness Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Sunday, January 09, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20110109201101092356338153165e798 ) In an unique initiative, Gujarat University is going to start ‘Save birds’ campaign to spread awareness among the students about the danger to birds during Uttarayan. It will also sensitise students towards the need to refrain from flying kites from 6 am to 8 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm. Last week, State Principal Secretary S K Nanda had issued a directive to the police commissioners and deputy superintendents of police asking them to ensure kite-flying is banned from 6 am to 8 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm as the avian activity is at its peak during these hours. GU is the first university in the state to undertake such an initiative. GU Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “Very high number of youth celebrate Uttrayan. Most of th...

Institutes offering professional courses will no longer have the option of ignoring AICTE ‘appeal’ Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, January 08, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2011010820110108030314912f163a3e3 ) Engineering colleges offering degree and diploma programmes will have to offer at least 5 per cent of their seats to economically poor students from the new academic year, All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has said. The seats will be added to their sanctioned intake capacity. The latest AICTE directive is applicable to degree and diploma engineering and pharmacy, hotel management and architecture programmes. Deposit for management raised to Rs 90 lakh The national monitoring body has also said that trusts or organisations planning to start a professional college will have to make a deposit of Rs 90 lakh as against Rs 35 that they were required to deposit earlier. To det...

AICTE’s latest norms have scuttled govt’s plan to open colleges for professional courses under PPP model Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, January 06, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20110106201101060318381139508c13f ) The state government’s efforts to increase seats in professional courses by collaborating with the private sector have suffered a major setback, with the All India Council For Technical Education issuing new norms for setting up of colleges. The statutory body has stated that colleges under public-private partnership model (PPP) can come up only in those districts where there are no institutes of professional courses. It has identified 241 districts across the country where such colleges can come up. From Gujarat, only Banaskatha and Dang have made it to the list. This effectively scuttles the government’s plan to add thousands of seats in courses such as engineering and pharmacy...

Asks institutes that offer diploma & certificate management programmes to charge fees set by the state regulatory body and admit students on the basis of their CAT or GCET scores Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, January 05, 2011 ( Students keen to study management may now not have to cough up hefty fees. The All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE) has come up with a raft of guidelines to rein in private management colleges that admit students at will and demand fees ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 4 lakh. To start with, it has instructed colleges that offer post-graduate diploma and certificate courses in management to enrol students on the basis of their results in CAT or any other competitive test conducted by the state government. Fee decree The statutory body has made it clear that such colleges and institutes cannot set their own fee structures. They can only charge fees approved by a competent body, in this case, Gujarat Regulatory Fee Committee. In a bid t...

♦ Semester system to begin in June 2011 will have colleges conducting FY and SY exams ♦ GU to set question paper, colleges to assess answers ♦ University to conduct third year exams Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, January 04, 2011 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20110104201101040301175668c0c4e1b ) Gujarat University (GU) is all ready to introduce the semester system for its undergraduate courses beginning June 2011. In 2010, GU had asked the colleges to conduct first year (FY) and second year (SY) exams in a bid to cut down costs and deal with staff shortage. However, since the semester system was to be introduced in June 2011, colleges requested GU to conduct the FY, SY exams. This, to avoid any confusion when the examination system was switching from mark-based to grade-based system. Therefore, agreeing to the demands of the colleges, GU agreed to conduct the FY and SY exams in 2010. All this i...

Chefs from city hotels will be invited to teach 15-day cooking course in Mandal town of Viramgam; 45 women have enrolled for lessons Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, December 31, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20101231201012310016162513b9b672 ) After teaching them how to be beauticians and computer operators, the Directorate of Employment and Training will soon teach women in rurban areas how to cook tasty food. The 15-day course will be implemented in Mandal town in Viramgam taluka of Ahmedabad district. Forty-five women have already enrolled for the course which will begin in January. The idea came up during an interactive session with the townsfolk. Asked what courses should be implemented, women said they wanted to cook nutritious and tasty food. Savitaben said, “We watch television and try cooking various dishes but it does not turn out well. We want to cook food the way women in cities do....

Plans are on to construct hostels, staff quarters for B J Medical College; move to affect staff of govt offices Yogesh Avasthi and Vipul Rajput Posted On Thursday, December 30, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=201012302011010820285154463087e49 ) The Roads and Buildings (R &B) department has issued notices to government offices operating out of New Mental Hospital Campus asking them to vacate the place. The space, say sources, will be utilised to build hostels and quarters for B J Medical College staff and students. However, the move will inconvenience the employees of the offices that function here as well as people who frequent them. The campus is accessible to people from across the city since it is centrally located. It also has a huge parking space. Currently, offices of AIDS Control Society, Employment Exchange, CID Crime, Customs and Excise, Forest Department, Food and Drugs Department,...

New project undertaken by state govt will connect primary and community health centres, district hospitals and tertiary hospitals. This will ensure expert medical advice is always available during emergencies Yogesh Avasthi & Vipul Rajput Posted On Thursday, December 30, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2010123020101230032736542fd026275 ) In order to provide quality healthcare facilities to rural and remote areas of the state, Gujarat government is establishing a telemedicine network that connects 24 primary health centres (PHC) to community health centres (CHC) and district hospitals. Telemedicine is an application of clinical medicine where medical information is transferred through interactive audiovisual media for the purpose of consulting, and sometimes explaining remote medical procedures or examinations. Cost-effective system The new system, a cost-effective one, comes as a boon to peop...