Yogesh Avasthi

Scores of students travel to their school, just 50 km away from Gandhinagar, like this every day; ST officials deny the kids’ travails Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, September 27, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20120927201209270324072048af98e85/This-is-not-real.html) The photograph above is not from a remote area of a poor region. As the vehicle registration plate shows, it is very much from the industrialised and economically developed Gujarat. The spot is just about 50 km from the capital city of Gandhinagar and near Bahucharaji, which ironically is set to become a major automobile manufacturing centre of the country. Scores of students from 53 villages along and off this route travel to their schools and colleges in this manner, over the buses, and hanging by it, eager not to miss out on education. Children on the buses and hanging by them is a daily affair between 11 am and 12.30 pm, and 5 pm to 6.30 pm. Officials, however, claim this is...

Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, September 24, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012092420120924010428648c86ccc7a/UGC-flooded-with-Gujarat-teachers%E2%80%99-research-proposals.html) The efforts of Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), founded by Higher Education Department, has started bearing fruits as state teachers have submitted 2,100 research proposals to University Grant Commission under the scheme “Research Projects for Teachers: Major and Minor”. The proposals have come from varied disciplines like science, humanities, social science, arts, law, language and allied disciplines. “The research proposals if cleared by UGC will get funds in crores which will be utilised for quality education. The research will benefit teachers and students. And it will also bring gradual change and promote research at various levels. This is for the first time that Gujarat teachers’ have sent 2,100 enteries,” said a source in Higher Education Department. EFFORTS O...

ON BOARD AHMEDABAD-MUMBAI AC DOUBLE DECKER Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, September 20, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012092020120920023004258e3b750b6/%E2%80%A6it%E2%80%99s-double-trouble-not-double-delight.html) Ganesh Chaturthi and light showers made for the perfect inaugural run of Ahmedabad- Mumbai Double-decker AC train on Wednesday afternoon when Minister of State for Railways Bharat Solanki flagged it off. But the eagerly awaited superfast train on its maiden trip not only failed to generate overwhelming response but also flunked the on-board facilities test miserably. No food or water was available on board which left several passengers in a fix. Senior citizens Nishikant Purani and Rekha Purani said: “We didn’t bring food with us expecting a pantry car. But much to our dismay, even water is not available here. We tried to look for it but none gave us any satisfactory reply. We also faced problems in booking, too.” But the most common comp...

Hundreds of students face similar problems and new vice chancellor feels small steps could help all of them simultaneously; to be headed by a dean, the cell will have senior university officials as members. Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, September 18, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201209182012091802155284273548639/GU-students-to-get-%E2%80%98single-window%E2%80%99redressal-cell.html) Gujarat University is establishing a student grievances redressal cell to address the problems of the community which often has to agitate to get itself heard by officials even on genuine issues. Abrainchild of new Vice Chancellor Adesh Pal, the cell will be set up within a month and will work as a ‘single window’ system for the students who until now had to run from one office to the other for simple solutions to their simple problems. And often in the absence of proper response had to resort “Many good universities and institutes in the country have a cell or unit to deal...

Varsity had experimented with electronic assessment in 2009 for ME students; intends to use the system for BE students Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, September 11, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012091120120911005502677d525c1e/GTU-to-eassess-for-early-results.html) Gujarat Technological University (GTU) will implement a new e-assessment system this semester to cut down on the time required in evaluating answer books and declaring result. The pilot project will begin with students of two years and based on the learning, the system will be extended to all students, officials said. Currently, the university employs a manual system in which it takes up to four months to complete the process of declaring results after the end of an examination. The university expects to cut down on the duration by 80 per cent. “Apart from benefitting the students with early result, the system will ensure complete transparency in the evaluation process. New technology ...

In order to enable the passengers to locate ticket checking staff in case of need, it has been decided to print their names on the respective reservation charts Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, September 10, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20120910201209100045564114632f291/Reservation-charts-to-carry-names-of-TTEs.html) To ensure passengers’ a hasslefree journey, the Railway Board has issued a fresh direction, making the names of Train Ticket Examiners (TTE) in the reservation charts mandatory. The board has asked all chief commercial managers of zonal railways to implement the order soon.  The presence of ticket checking staff wearing proper uniform and identity badge has been made compulsory in coaches to provide guidance and assistance to the passengers on-board. “In order to enable passengers to locate ticket checking staff in case of need, it has been decided that the names of the TTE, conductors and other staff responsible for mannin...

Ban comes after the university finds its staff spending time on Facebook, Twitter and other networking sites during work hours   Yogesh Avasthi   Posted On Friday, September 07, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201209072012090702583522375f58632/Gujarat-University-blocks-social-sites.html) Taking a serious note of its staff spending significant time on social networking sites, Gujarat University has blocked all social websites, including Facebook and Twitter, to enhance the productivity of its employees. Barring educational websites, all other sites like sports, stock exchange and entertainment have been blocked. “When I was in-charge, it came to my notice that teaching and nonteaching staff surf net and kill their significant time on the social sites during work hours. The internet has been provided for educational purpose and other office related work. It’s not...

The college not only collects five to ten times more than prescribed fees for transfer certificate and other documents, it also collects Rs 500 from students who want them quickly; Xavier’s is the only college in city to charge its students parking fee Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, September 06, 2012 Students at St Xavier’s College are an agitated lot as the institution, though well-endowed and receiving grant from the state, is charging them fees for certificates several times more than what Gujarat University has prescribed and other colleges collect. Besides, the students who need these documents quickly have to pay up to Rs 500. Normally, a certificate is issued in three working days to a week. However, according to ‘token charges for transaction for documents’ that came into effect on July 1, certificates can be made available to students in two days if they pay an additional Rs 250, and in aday if they pay Rs 500. This is in addition to the college asking for R...