The spread of mobile phones in India is growing rapidly and the number subscribers had reached 261 million at the end of March 2008. By 2010 India will have 250 million people having mobiles with Internet capabilities & built-in cameras. 100 million people can watch video on their phones. 200 million can listen to music and 200 million can have radio capability in their Mobile phones.

In the same time the challenge of food shortage is being faced across the globe. Considering this, the role of productive and planned agriculture will play a critical role in bringing food to our tables. Since India’s economy is driven by agriculture, the focus should be on empowering rural agricultural community – that is struggling to effectively grow, and sell financially viable produce despite the incessant demand.

Simply meeting the communication and entertainment needs will not mean much unless we answer the vital question, Is there a social responsibility while extending mobile connectivity throughout the world? We need to focus on how mobile phone can help the overall socio-economic development. There is also a need to focus on the kind of mobile user experience that must be delivered for these new consumers? How can you harness the power of mobile telephony to enhance the livelihood and quality of life of the farming community of India?

Forum NOKIA – USID Design Challenge 2008 is an opportunity for the professionals and students to showcase their talent by designing an easy to use mobile application (Concept & the UI) that can help in the agriculture productivity & socio-economic development of the rural population.

3 winners in both students and professional category will be awarded products /gadgets of total prize money of Rs. 160,000. The registration for participating in the design challenge will be open till 31st July, 2008 and the entry submission will be accepted till 17th August 2008. The entries will be judged by a jury composed of members from NOKIA and eminent designers from industry & academia.

For more details on Forum NOKIA – USID Design Challenge 2008 visit www.usidfoundation.org/usid2008/designchallenge

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

USID Foundation (Usable Software Interface Design) is recently floated by community of Designers & Engineers who came together in May 2006 as HCI-Hyderabad to draw attention of the society and the industry specifically the Information Technology (IT) towards the Human Computer Interaction complexities, the Usability & usefulness of products & services and the benefits of the technological advancement to the society.

IIPM's rank as the No 1 in the B School with best global exposure category only justifies its unique and biggest such initiative it undertakes for its students not just in India but anywhere in the world! As part of its Global Outreach Program (GOP), professors from top Ivy League universities like Harvard, Yale, Wharton, Stanford, London School of Economics, Oxford etc visit IIPM to conduct joint workshops with IIPM faculty for Indian corporate fraternity and teach IIPM students. World renowned gurus like Philip Kotler, Zig Zigler, Stephen Covey have also taken exclusive sessions with IIPM students in India.

Under the aegis of IIPM's Global Opportunities & Threat Analysis (GOTA) program, all of IIPM's more than 3000 students visit Europe or America or other developed nations for 2-3 weeks to get first hand international exposure of how the best in the world work. They visited hundreds of world organizations like The World Bank, ILO, United Nations, WTO, big corporations like Nestle, Honda, IBM, BMW, FIAT, Citigroup, and universities like IMD and many more in the recent past.

Students from top international universities also visit IIPM to undertake a specialization semester. This is the Global Students Exchange Program (GSEP). In 2007-08 twelve international institutions from France, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Austria and Germany sent their students to study a module/ trimester at IIPM.

IIPM's international placements this year have been only second to IIMs. While IIMs placed 249 of its students abroad this year, IIPM placed 165 followed by ISB with 111. The next best international placement figure by any other b did not touch even 35!

While IIPM believes that it is by far the best B School in the country that is constantly setting new benchmarks in management education, the time is not far when IIPM will surpass all the IIMs in all the rankings.

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IIPM's international placements this year have been only second to IIMs. While IIMs placed 249 of its students abroad this year, IIPM placed 165 followed by ISB with 111. The next best international placement figure by any other b did not touch even 35!

While IIPM believes that it is by far the best B School in the country that is constantly setting new benchmarks in management education, the time is not far when IIPM will surpass all the IIMs in all the rankings.

Speaking at the conference, Prof. A. Bhattacharya, Principal, Delhi College of Engineering, remarked that the generation of knowledge can be linked to the economic revival of the country. He said, “The motto in life should be to take the country ahead. Think how your contribution can boost up the pace of development.”

The full-day conference provided a common platform to academicians, corporate leaders, management practitioners, scientists, researchers and students to deliberate on various issues and challenges, such as, attracting good faculty, improvising pedagogic tools, introducing reforms in education, developing infrastructure, reforming student assessment system and so on, which are imperative for effective delivery of professional education in this complex and highly competitive global environment.

Emphasizing that classrooms are becoming devoid of what is happening around, Prof. Pankaj Jalote, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi said, “We need to start linking education to society and especially to the industry because at end of the day, education leads to jobs as well.”

All the speakers at the conference were of view that there is a greater need for interaction between academia and industry to bridge the gap between what is taught in the classrooms and what is relevant to the industry. The research papers presented at the conference were moreover, released in the form of a book entitled Professional Education in Knowledge Economy, on the occasion.

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The Pro-Chancellor of the University, Kunwar Shekhar Vijendra, extended a hearty welcome to the teacher trainer Prof Binod Kumar, Chairman, NCTE Northen Region & Former Professor, IIM Calcutta) and talked about the efficacy of value addition to the faculty members of the University. Narrating a mythical story, he advised the teachers to be ‘teachers’. He also motivated the faculty members to derive the best out of the programme.

During the programme, Prof Binod Kumar, at the very outset, discussed the higher education system in India. He referred to the educational scenario in India under the British rule, and then explained the motive of the English in accordance with the Macaulay’s Minutes, and finally described the system of education in the present era. He compared the education system of India with that of various other countries like the USA, the UK, Ukraine, China, Vietnam, and others, and emphasized that India can be one of the superpowers in the area of education in the times to come.

Prof Kumar inspired and motivated the faculty members to work as a team for better results. He divided the faculty members into different teams and assigned a task to carry out. The task was to give points out of hundred to different variables related to the aspects of the personality of a teacher, viz., KASHME (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habit, Mindset, Enthusiasm/Energy/Application Orientation). All the teams performed well and he appreciated the members of all the teams to be of world-class because all the teams showed the results shown by world-class teams of different countries. Delivering an interesting as well as interactive lecture on ‘Achieving and Integrating Personal and Professional Excellence’, he explicated the various factors influencing the basic assumptions of the personality and behaviour of a teacher. He also discussed the types of teachers. Focusing on the need to ‘Add Life to Your Years & Years to Your Life’ he added that there is a requisite of positive attitude, positive mindset, enthusiasm and application orientation, various skills and good habit to be excellent in the field of teaching. He elucidated the need of being flexible and updated in accordance with the requirement of the educational scenario. In addition he conducted a test of mindset in six teams by assigning worksheets having questions on positive and negative mindsets. The team named ASVG surpassed all other teams by getting the highest score on the questionnaire testing positive mindset in negative situation and prized to be the best among the teams not only in the University but in the whole world because even world-class teams remained low in score on the same questionnaire. He asserted that all or some of the members of the team must have performed or may perform well to excel even in the most adverse circumstances.

Prof Binod Kumar guided the participants in using the right approach, appropriate methods, and advanced technology of teaching professional courses. He taught the participants how to learn continuously and teach skilfully. He also inspired all to be an incessant and curious learner throughout the career and continue to update their knowledge & skills to excel in the profession of teaching. He stated that some are teachers by compulsion, some by profession, and some by passion for teaching. The third one he considered to be the best among all.

All the teachers were provided with an opportunity to teach among teachers and trainers. Each of them had to teach any topic of his/her area of specialization within a very short span of time, five minutes only. They were free to use simple visual techniques or advanced ones or sometimes simply lecture methods. During the teaching of each of the participants, the trainer kept meticulously evaluating the approaches, methods and techniques of teaching adopted and applied by the trainees. At the same time, he continued to note down the points, for the sake of proper feedback of teaching, where the teachers outshined or faltered due to some blocks of their personality. In this way he provided them all with a mirror to see their own loopholes as well as their qualities and strengths. All the participants enjoyed the session well although some were stressed in the beginning. But all went well. A video recording of the same was done so that the teachers must come to know the various blocks in their own personality at the time of teaching.

After the teaching session had come to a close, in an optimistic manner Prof Kumar offered the teachers a critical analysis of their overall teaching behaviour. All the teachers came to know something new about their own teaching behaviour, analysed their own psyche, and they positively reflected upon what they had never done before, their own lacunae and stumbling blocks in teaching. They are certainly going to remove their blocks and improve and develop to be better than the best of teachers in the world.

During the Three-day Faculty Development Programme, Prof Kumar covered different areas related to teaching and learning. While discussing Model for Achieving Personal & Professional Excellence he explicated basic assumptions, factors influencing the same before birth and after birth, where do basic assumptions lead to, mindsets – both positive and negative, and types of personality, its drives and results in negative and positive orientation. He also discussed different personality blocks and types of behaviour along with the factors influencing excellence and the impact of excellence on personal, family, and professional life of a teacher. At the time of discussing Transactional Analysis developed by Eric Berne, he explained the ego state profile, in simple terms personality profile, of persons quoting exemplary and illustrious personalities from the legends of different religions. He also gave tips for knowing ones own personality profile with the help of questionnaires, worksheets, and handouts prepared by him. He elucidated basic life positions on the basis of their transactional analysis. On the basis of communication and life script, he did psychoanalysis of the trainees. In lack of time one topic titled Johari Window remained to be discussed in future.

After the feedback session, Prof Kumar appreciated all the participating teachers and termed them to be ‘world-class teacher’ and felt proud to train such a dynamic team of Shobhit University. He wished them all success in achieving the outstanding position among well known academicians of all the reputed institutions of the world. Along with that he awarded all the participants with certificates of participation in such an excellent and productive training and development session.

Speaking on the occasion of valedictory of the whole programme, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Kunwar Shekhar Vijendra, thanked and appreciated the trainer, and shared his own life experiences with all the members present and narrated a fascinating tale of his own learning behaviour in reference to the chronicles of Shobhit University. He metaphorically appreciated all the trainees for their endeavour to excel as a Shobhit UniversityTeam. He inspired and motivated all the members to be aspiration-driven and goal-oriented.

The Registrar of the University, Brig SK Sareen, extended a vote thanks to the trainer and participants along with other guests of honour and dignitaries. All the directors of different schools of the University were present to grace the occasion.

Overall the programme proved to be a grand success with apparent change in the behaviour of the participants. In reality it left an indelible imprint on the mindset and psyche of the Shobhitian Team. It came to a close with the presentation of memento to the respected trainer, Prof Binod Kumar by Prof. PP Singh, DG Corporate Office of Shobhit University.

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Mr Y Siva Sankar has been selected for the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship. Siva Sankar will do MA in International Broadcast Journalism at the Sheffield Hallam University

Sheffield Hallam University has twenty six scholarships for Indian students ranging from an amount of GBP 1000 to GBP 3000, and two full scholarships. Also, one of the SHU current students is an awardee of the British Council Chevening Scholarship.

Currently, the University recruits over 400 students from India every year for a wide range of courses that have high employability value. The courses have been designed looking at the needs of the industry. 89% of SHU graduates get good jobs within six months of completion of their course. Courses that are popular with Indian students are physiotherapy, pharmaceutical analyses, Information technology, computing and networking, hospitality management, journalism amongst the others.

Professor Philip Jones said “All these programmes are aimed at developing skills, which the students bring back to their own countries. All programmes are designed to increase the employability of the participating students. We want our students to take back a unique experience to their own countries and apply them to their businesses”.

The purpose of the office in India is to reinforce Sheffield Hallam University’s commitment towards the country. The University has a long association with India. About ten teaching staff of Sheffield Hallam University visit India three times a year, touring across the country to enhance relationship with existing partners, to promote partnership opportunities and for knowledge sharing with their peers.

Sheffield Hallam University has been named as one of the top ranking UK Universities in the International Student Barometer. Within each main category like learning support, career advice, technology provision, language support, and flexibility for students, financial support, performance feedback, accommodation quality and cost, the University has achieved first place rankings.

Prof Philip Jones today announced the following Memorandum of Understanding agreements with a number of high quality institutions and has developed initial links with a number of other institutions. Some of these are -:

NIT Hamirpur and NIT Surat - joint research in Materials Engineering programmes.

Universities: Christ College Bangalore - full time Masters courses and twinning programme in hospitality and tourism management and a split Master’s course in tourism. The first students will join SHU in 2008. SHU and Christ College are also currently discussing a twinning arrangement in Business Management.

IILM Delhi and Gurgaon Funds have been allocated under the British government funding under the UKIERI scheme to support the joint development of the programme over the next three years in Hospitality Management.

Manipal University - offers a range of subject disciplines including hospitality management, engineering, business and management, biotechnology etc. Twinning agreements already exist in IT and hospitality and tourism management at undergraduate level. SHU has just launched split masters courses in hospitality and tourism where students study the first part of the course in India, the second part in the UK in Sheffield, and the final dissertation stage in either country.

NSHM Kolkata and Durgapur - This agreement is focused on the areas of film and media studies and hospitality management. There is also a longer term aim of developing provision in other areas such as sport management, hospital management etc.

Commercial organizations: SHU is in discussions with a number of commercial organizations to explore joint collaboration in the areas of research.

It's worth mentioning that SHU has more placements than any other UK university. The recent extension of visa to two years after graduation that permits international students to work in the UK also makes it an attractive place to study.

Sheffield Hallam is very proud that the England cricket captain, Michael Vaughan, is an Honorary Doctor of Sheffield Hallam. The University is a sponsor of the Michael Vaughan Academy for Young Cricketers.

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The programmes will focus on various functional areas of business and management generating adequate expertise to implement learnings. Concepts, applications and practices for each course will be presented to students by trained professionals and experts in the field. Individuals who are looking to rapidly improve knowledge and skills at managerial positions will immensely benefit from this course.

The Information Security, Control & Audit of Business Information Systems is a special course designed in collaboration with ISACA, Chennai Chapter aimed at creating awareness of the risks associated with Information Systems and the knowledge required to secure it. Another tailor-made course is the Sales & Marketing programme for non-marketing executives who are interested in acquiring more knowledge on the subject.

Graduates in any discipline from a recognized university can apply. Admissions have been open from July 14, 2008 and will close on August 04, 2008. For more details on the programmes please contact LIBA: 044 28175353 extn 221-223 or e-mail: juhee@liba.edu

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About LIBA

LIBA is a renowned Jesuit institution with an emphasis on academic excellence coupled with value based education. As one of the top b-schools in the country and undoubtedly the best in Tamil Nadu, LIBA strives through this programme to make managers in the proximate business community create better value to the organizations they serve.

This annual event is held under the auspices of The Thane District Amateur Athletic Association and recognized by the Maharashtra Amateur Athletic Association. As a prime event, this has been a premier sporting event of the city of Thane. Thane city assumes a festive look on the day of the marathon.

karROX Technologies Limited, a pioneer in IT Education and Training is supporting The “Thane Marathon Trust “ for organizing this event. Online registration facility for Marathon has also been provided to interested candidates by karROX Technologies via their website www.karrox.com. karROX staff members and students are participating in this event. karROX ,an ISO certified education organization , is an authorized training partner of Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and compTIA.

This year The 19th Thane Varsha Marathon is slated to be held on Sunday, 13th July 2008at 8.00 am at Thane City , Maharastra- India and will be flagged off from Marathon Chowk in Thane. This year two special races is being organized one for physically challenged children and another is "Olympic Year Run".

The participation from few hundred is growing year after year. The previous year's participation was of over 45,000 candidates. Notable participants in the past included Leelamma, Rina Das, Satyabhama, Usha Verma, Sarika Marbhate, Vidya Devghare,Madhuri Gurnule, Keshav Singh.Girdharilal, Yashwant Singh Rawat, Bhairavsing Lone, Arvindkumar Sungh,Sumer Singh and Ratansingh Rawat. Apart from above notable runners, there were also participants from various age groups. This year we are expecting the participation to be round about 50,000 competitors.

The 42 kms. Race of main marathon starts from Highway Junction of Marathon Chowk, travels upto Golden Dyes Naka back again to Highway Junction. Then taking a right turn it goes to Wagle Estate Area, via Sarvarkar Nagar, Kores Company, and arrives at Vartak Naka. It then goes upto Upvan and crossed Upvan Lake and enters Pokhran Road No 2. Taking a left turn to Ghodbunder Road the race goes upto Manpada, takes a right turn approaching Clariant and Bayer ( here 21kms. Races finishes). Taking again a left turn the race enters Balkum area and comes back on Ghodbunder Road and goes upto Bhiwandi bypass Road and travels towards Mumbra Naka, Kharegaon Naka, Kalwa Bridge and takes a left turn there and passess by Thane College and enters Kopri Area. The race is now in an returning phase. The Marathon runners travels through Kopri towards telephone exchange , Gokhale Road, Ram Maruti Road. Finally the race takes a left turn to Ram Maruti Road and the countdown begins to reach at Marathon Chowk which completes 42.195 mtrs.of the Marathon.

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The response to the first three programmes conducted by IIML was a huge success with all 49 officers of the first programme and 60 of the second getting good job offers. The third batch, which is undergoing placements right now, is also witnessing a slew of great offers. This year after applying the selection criteria 59 Defence Officers from all three branches of the Armed forces have been selected for the programme. Out of the 59 Officers, 7 candidates are Lady Officers.

“Management education to defence personnel contributes to providing defence officers a second career choice after retirement. But the larger role in the national interest is to prepare a disciplined and responsible citizen to play important roles in today’s competitive business scenario” say Prof. NK Gupta & Prof. SC Bansal, Program Directors.

The Indian Armed Forces carefully selects Officers and continuously trains them in the art, science and craft of WINNING. Every year, hundreds of these Officers retire, with rich experience in learning, critical reasoning, objective decision making, creative thinking, leading and motivating people, running organisations and managing projects. The aim of the programme is to capitalize on these skills of the officers and optimize them to suit the corporate world’s requirements.

As in the past, the fourth programme is also expected to generate an enthusiastic response from the corporate world and given the intense nature of the programme it is sure to equip the participants with the necessary skill set so very essential to conquer the corporate world.

The objective of the GMP is to provide the participants with a basic understanding of the managerial systems and processes. The programme has been designed to provide the defence officers with basic functional inputs in subjects such as accounting and finance, decision sciences, organizational behavior, human resources management, communication skills, marketing, strategy, information technology and business environment.

The idea is to familiarize the officers with the requisite analytical tools and techniques; and develop a holistic perspective and global mindset to understand issues of an enterprise.

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Eminent HR thought leaders from finance industry were invited to conduct key sessions on the career prospects in Finance and the increase in the demand of Financial Planners in the Indian Market. Mr. K.K. Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Capital motivated the students towards the career in Finance Industry. Mr. Sainesh Dar, MD, Chartered Insurance Institute and Mr. Kapil Mehta, CEO, DLF Pramerica Life Insurance defined the scope of opportunities in Finance while Mr. Ravi Bahl, MD, ChrysCapital highlighted the career prospects in capital market.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Sanjiv Bajaj MD, International College of Financial Planning, said “In the four years of our existence we have carved a niche for ourselves in the market. The growth in both - the number of mass affluent & high net worth individuals, financial services industry is bound for a massive growth over the next couple of years, thus opening doors of opportunities for students.”

“Even with the Volatile equity market situation in India, there lies a huge demand for knowledgeable Financial Planners, which is a tool that we provide to our students for smooth and enriching career ahead” said, Mr. Anish Wig, CEO, International College of Financial Planning, while highlighting financial planning as right career choice for students.

The students enrolled for the batch 2008-09 belonged to diverse backgrounds with about 16.67 % of students from Humanities background signing up for financial courses. This year also saw a rise in the trend of enrollments of female students at International College of Financial Planning.

Dr. Vinod Kumar, Sr. Dean, International College of Financial Planning emphasizing the academic aspects of the course, said, “We offer globally recognized, specialized finance programs, which are designed to make our students eligible for banks, mutual funds, investment advisory and wealth management companies, stock brokers, consultants, etc.”

The induction program gave students a vivid view of the career prospects post their course in Finance at International College of Financial Planning.

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About International College of Financial Planning

International College of Financial Planning is one of India's leading educational institutions specializing in financial services education. The institute was established in the year 2002 to initiate an entirely new platform for Financial Planners of India. The International College of Financial Planning Ltd., is promoted by the Bajaj Capital Group, a renowned Business house in the field of Financial Services in India and a charter member of the Association of Financial Planners of India. The primary objective is to impart world-class knowledge and training to students, working executives and professionals interested in making a career in financial services in India.

About International College of Financial Planning

International College of Financial Planning is one of India's leading educational institutions specializing in financial services education. The institute was established in the year 2002 to initiate an entirely new platform for Financial Planners of India. The International College of Financial Planning Ltd., is promoted by the Bajaj Capital Group, a renowned Business house in the field of Financial Services in India and a charter member of the Association of Financial Planners of India. The primary objective is to impart world-class knowledge and training to students, working executives and professionals interested in making a career in financial services in India.

For further information, please contact: Ms. Sukhwinder Kaur @9999619499 Ms. Mansi Arora @9312354240

The Indian economy is primarily agrarian. Even through the current free market & globalization trends, more than 70% of the country depends on agriculture and related industries based in the heartlands. Asha for Education recognizes gaps in India's efforts to combat the problems in rural India and seeks to fill them by supporting grassroots, community-based NGOs that work to strengthen the educational needs of India's children. Asha for Education volunteers believe that a better standard of living can be achieved for the rural population by increasing access and opportunities to education for all children in India, and children of rural communities in particular. Our 2008 projects are based in rural parts of the country and focus on innovative ways of strengthening the school systems through better infrastructure, teaching methods, adequate supplies and well trained teachers.

WAH is a global fundraising campaign based on a simple, yet powerful concept. Participants in the campaign are asked to symbolically work an hour towards the cause of children’s education by donating an hour’s worth or more of their salary to Asha for Education. For more information about WAH 2008 and the projects supported, visit www.workanhour.org

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The University has revised the intake of its several sought after courses. This includes BBA, in which 415 more seats have been added this year; B. Tech., with 280 more seats; BCA with 210 added seats; MCA will have 60 additional seats; 40 more seats have been added in B.A. LLB; and the Bachelor of Journalism & Mass Communication will include 30 additional seats, to mention the prominent ones.

The BBA intake has increased due to addition in the number of seats at its existing institutions including Chandra Prabhu Jain College of Higher Studies, Delhi Institute of Rural Development, Jagan International Management Institute, BLS Institute of Technology, and Trinity Institute of Professional Studies. Second shift in BBA has moreover, been started at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies, with an intake of 60 this year, besides the five existing institutions. The concept of evening shift has been introduced in the BCA programme as well from this year with 60 seats each at Jagannath International Management School and Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Management. Delhi Institute of Rural Development is also initiating BCA programme this year with an intake of 90.

Similarly, for B. Tech. programme, the number of seats has increased due to addition of two institutions. An existing affiliated institution, Ansal Institute of Technology will now offer B.Tech. programmes in Electronics & Communication Engineering, Computer Science Engineering & Information Technology, with an intake of 60 each. Delhi Institute of Tool Engineering is the new institution added this year to offer an unconventional B. Tech course in Tool Engineering with 40 seats.

Over 1, 61,000 students have applied for the different programmes of GGSIPU this year, which was an increase of 20% from last year.

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The firm CampusOne has come up with a web-based SMS facility through which schools can send messages and updates about any activity in the school. “It’s our close contact with various education institutions that prompted us to set up such a technology.

Often parents and school management have to encounter incidents solely due to some miscommunication on either party. Taking this into consideration we decided to develop software that could be used to bridge this gap efficiently,” said client consultant Sameeta Dabral.

Intended to bring about effective communication with regard to student’s growth, performance results the firm has ensured that system be userfriendly and execute the task with little hassle. “The primary aim is to enhance the communication between schools and colleges. Being a web-based solution, the software functions are very user-friendly.

Our clients can send web SMS on issues regarding reminder of cancellation of a class, status of admission, reminder of the exam schedule. The software also enables to send personalized SMSs thereby communicating with the parents individually about their child,” Dabral said. Presently used by several education institutions, the web SMS can avail easily for a nominal cost and with unlimited texting facility. A unique TRAI registered ID and mobile numbers of all parents concerned is all that’s required to set the software in motion. “We provide a unique registration ID ex the school name to send message. To the rate of as low as 0.60 paise to 0.40 paisa.

customer can sent unlimited text in SMS which gets automatically split into 160 characters. The service extended by our company is secured and encrypted. This should resolve the unnecessary haggles that occur over certain information that parents miss out or are not informed by the management,” Dabral added.

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Additionally, with the new premium service, WiZiQ members can:

"E-learning is altering the face of the entire educational industry, worldwide," said Harman Singh, founder and CEO of WiZiQ.com. "WiZiQ helps subject experts reach a broader audience and enables learners of any age or interest instantly connect with the best teacher for their education needs. By expanding our platform with a new premium offering that allows educators to earn income from their expertise, we're directly responding to requests from our teacher and tutor community."

WiZiQ is an online teaching and learning platform that brings learners and teachers together across the world. The Flash-based virtual classroom is completely web-based without software download requirements and works on any web browser and with any operating system, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is equipped with live audio/video, text chat, document/whiteboard sharing, and session recording capabilities. The platform also offers other key collaboration tools such as a rich content library, a test section, searchable teacher profiles, and free public sessions hosted by experts.

WiZiQ's premium service is available now for an annual charge of $49.95. To get started, sign up for free at http://www.wiziq.com/Register.aspx.

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WiZiQ has clocked nearly 5 million online teaching minutes. The virtual classroom is just one of the tools available for educators and students. The platform has other features like a content library, a test section, teacher profiles, and free public sessions by experts. WiZiQ concept focuses on the teacher’s needs and thereby is unique – this model has evolved through 5 years of observing and learning from user behaviors.

WiZiQ provides a new face of knowledge acquisition to the students in the ‘Global Village’. This is a platform where students and teachers can have access to the best of both worlds beyond the conventional limits of location, time, and security. Educomp, a renowned name in online education has invested its trust in WiZiQ.

1. B.S - Airline Management

2. B.S - Airport Management

3. B.S - Electronic Engineering Technology (Avionics)

For Airline and Airport Management programs, students from all streams i.e. Arts, Commerce, Sciences are eligible to apply. Merit in 10+2 exam will be the criterion for admission. This is a great opportunity for students of all streams indeed. Students qualified in AIEEE/Common Entrance Examination conducted by various states in India are eligible for admission to Electronic Engineering Technology (Avionics) course. Merit in 10+2 exam will be the criterion for admission for this course also.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Kalpana Jain, Vice President of Vaughn College said, “The flourishing aviation industry in India presents excellent job opportunities for graduates from the aviation programs. India is fast becoming the international hub for general aviation, cargo and MRO facilities in the South-Asia region. To sustain such a growth will require qualified skilled workforce in aviation.”

Commenting on the same, Dr. P. Narasimha Reddy, Director of SNIST said, “SNIST- Vaughn Collaboration will seek to provide skilled and specialized workforce to the aviation sector. The students from SNIST-Vaughn programs will be graduating at an opportune time when Boeing plans to start operating its MRO facility in Nagpur in 2011. Lufthansa, KLM and other such airlines in India will also open up many jobs in maintenance sector as well.”

The programs offered by SNIST – Vaughn specifically meet the needs of the Aviation Industry and are designed to cater to the inherent technically advanced and sophisticated nature of the key functions of the aviation sector such as airline management, airport management and electronic engineering technology (avionics) course. The students have an option to earn a degree with dual major in Airline Management and Airport Management. The students are required to take four additional subjects to earn degree under this option which will be offered in the 4-year degree program itself.

Sreenidhi Institute of Science & Technology (SNIST) was established in the year 1997 and is approved and accredited by AICTE and affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University, Hyderabad.

Vaughn College is a 75-year-old institution, which offers certificate, B.S and M.S programs in the field of Aviation, Engineering & Technology and Management in New York, USA. It is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), PA, USA and has specialized accreditation from Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), USA for its Engineering Technology programs and International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), USA for its Management programs.

Salient Features of B.S Programs offered by SNIST- VCAT:

B. S in Electronics Engineering Technology (Avionics):

This program provides a strong foundation of principles and fundamentals of Electronics and Communication, which is in the same lines as B.Tech. Course study includes Electronics & Communication Engineering along with extensive knowledge and study of aircraft electronic systems including Aircraft Communication Systems, Navigation Systems, Radar Engineering, Signal Processing, Aircraft, Aircraft Pulse Systems, Power & Distribution Systems, Flight Control Systems, and Traffic Alert/Collision Systems etc.

The program will prepare the students for the entry level Technical and Engineering positions in any electronic industry and specifically with aircraft electronic component and systems manufacturers such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Brahmos- Department of Defense, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Lockheed Martin and in MRO facilities being created in India by Boeing, Airbus etc, besides Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Kingfisher and other players.

Efforts are being made to acquire DGCA approval for the graduates of this program to be eligible to appear in the Avionics License Examination conducted by DGCA. This license will provide an additional edge to the graduates of this program. With increase in the number of establishment of MRO facilities and other aircraft components and systems manufacturing units in India these graduates are expected to have excellent opportunities for employment and career growth.

B. S in Airline Management:

Airline Management program prepares students for the entry-level management positions in Airlines, Airports and in other related organizations or industry besides aviation. This program provides a strong foundation of management fundamentals and principles along with extensive knowledge of airline operations and management. Some of the courses covered in the program are Introduction to Aeronautics, Introduction to Management, Managerial Economics, Principles of Economics, International Trade and Finance, Airline Operation, Corporate Accounting, Aviation Law, Airline Management, Airline Economics and Finance, Management of Aviation Environmental Issues, Aviation Safety, Air Transport Regulations, Air Traffic Control, Air Transportation and Cargo Management, etc. This program provides graduates competency in all aspects of Airline Management including financial.

Airport Management:

Airport Management program covers a broader aspect of civil aviation. It prepares students specifically for entry-level management positions in airport planning, operations and administration. Besides covering most of the above subjects under Airline Management, four additional subjects namely Airport Planning & Administration, Airport Operations & Management, Marketing Management and Graphics & Computer Aided Design are also studied.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

For more details please visit: www.snist.com

The Centre of Excellence at LIBA will see the amalgamation of industry thought leaders, domain experts, academicians and technology partners in the SCM arena. The centre will also be the fulcrum from which innovative ideas emerge to change the existing supply chains to value networks.

TAKE Solutions will offer scholarships to one PhD student of LIBA every year in the area of SCM. Further the research activities will be open to all academia and industry professions.

Research and analysis to produce cutting edge solutions to some of the most pressing problems and bottlenecks that leading organizations face today will be conducted. The programme schedule will include ethical supply chain, extending Newsvendor models, unlocking the value of RFID, leveraging the value of information in closed and open loop supply chains, reverse SCM, and contemporary topics such as inventory decision and policy development, time compression, demand amplification, supply chain design and integration, and international supply chain management.

In addition, a Centre of Excellence Laboratory will be set up at LIBA jointly run by TAKE Solutions and LIBA. The lab will develop best practices and advanced algorithms on the existing and emerging supply chain challenges.

“The scope is endless as the Centre will provide solutions that span a multitude of industries and will help organizations rapidly exploit opportunities in ever changing conditions. We had realized the potential for research in this area two years back when we had set up the Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management. I am extremely happy that the new Centre of Excellence will augment the existing Centre for Supply Chain Management and further help in bridging the knowledge gap in the area” said Fr. Christie, Director, LIBA.

On the occasion, Mr. Sridharan Sivan, Managing Director, TAKE Solutions Ltd said, “As a company that is focused on Innovation and IP-led product development, the launch of a Centre of Excellence is the next logical step. We wish to increase collaboration with the Industry and Academia and this COE will be a great platform to ideate, re-invent, learn and unlearn. We have had a long and fruitful association with LIBA and this MOU further strengthens our ties as we chart a new roadmap to learning.”

Various white papers, research articles and Managerial Development Programs (MDPs) will emerge out of the Centre of Excellence for Supply Chain Mangament.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About LIBA

LIBA, located in Chennai, India, is a premier b-school and a part of Loyola College Society. It is run by Jesuits renowned world over for its value based education. LIBA strives to provide to its stakeholders, the students, the corporates, and the proximate community, excellent and futuristic education blended with a sense of compassion and ethical values.

Founded in 1979, LIBA has produced some of the best management talent that man corporates in and around the world. Its flagship program the Post Graduate Program in Business Management is one of the most sought after program.

For further details visit www.liba.edu.

About TAKE Solutions

TAKE Solutions is a leading international business technology company with products backed by a strong domain expertise in Life Sciences and Supply Chain Management. Since its inception in 2000, TAKE has been serving marquee clients in the Life Sciences and SCM arena. TAKE Solutions conducts business today in 12 countries with more than 350 customers.

Headquartered in Chennai, TAKE primarily drives its SCM Domain Excellence Centre and Global Delivery Centre from India. Company has strong presence in the USA with Life Sciences Domain Excellence centers located in Princeton, New Jersey. TAKE has over 650 employees across the globe.

TAKE Solutions is assessed at Level 5 of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, USA. TAKE Solutions is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, a Charter Member of the Microsoft BioIT Alliance, and is a Registered CDISC Solution Provider.

For further details visit www.takesolutions.com (BSE/NSE Code: TAKE)

Addressing the students who were graduating the Haryana Chief Minister said that Indian students and academia, like the Apeejay Education Society were responsible for putting India on top of the global recruitment programs. He complimented the vision of Dr. Stya Paul, the founder of Apeejay Education Society, for the commitment in establishing institutions all over the country.

Mrs. Sushma Berlia, Vice-President, Apeejay Education Society said, “Apeejay aims at developing a well rounded personality and holistic approach in its students. Our curriculum encompasses real-world skills to make our graduates productive and useful members of professional workforce.”

Earlier in the convocation ceremony, diplomas were awarded to 415 students who have successfully completed post-graduate courses in Business Management, Customer Relationship Management, Insurance Management, Pharmaceutical Management, Business Economics and Mass Communication. In addition, 24 medals for various achievements were given out to students, in appreciation of their hard work and dedication during the course of study.

In his address to the graduating students, Shri Hooda said, “Nowadays Indian managers are sought-after business leaders occupying positions in leading corporations. The impact of growing management education is facilitating India’s integration with the global economy. Young managers today have the privilege to guide the destiny of Indian economy and take centre-stage of the world.”

In an environment where competition creates a demand for effective leadership, Apeejay School of Management prepares people who are able to combine industrial exposure and self-learning.

The following are some of the awards/certificates were given out to the meritorious students:

· · Toppers of PGDBM (Batch 2005-07) - Deepti Kulshreestha (Gold Medal); Reema Juneja (Silver Medal)

· · Toppers of PGDBM (Batch 2006-08) - Mohit Varshney (Gold Medal); Raghav Handa (Silver Medal)

· · Toppers of PGDCRM (Batch 2005-07) - Rashi Gupta (Gold Medal); Soumya Jain (Silver Medal)

· · Toppers of PGDIM (Batch 2005-07) - Sarika Sharma (Gold Medal); Dipti Goyal (Silver Medal)

· · Toppers of PGDPM (Batch 2005-07) - Rachit Kumar (Gold Medal); Arna Dasgupta (Silver Medal)

· · Toppers of Master of Business Economics (Batch 2004-06) - Tanu Kathuria, Ishmeet Kaur Luthra (Merit Certificates)

· · Toppers of Master in Business Economics (Batch 2005-07) - Awantika Rajauria, Shweta Oberoi (Merit Certificates)

· · Toppers of Master in Journalism & Mass Communication (Batch 2004-06) - Neetika Malhotra, Dayeeta Das (Merit Certificates)

· · Toppers of Master in Journalism & Mass Communication (Batch 2005-07) - Nidhi Mishra, Jasmeen Kaur Malhotra (Merit Certificates)

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Apeejay Education Society

The Apeejay Education Society (AES), was set up in December 1967 at Jalandhar. AES is a constituent unit of the industrial house Apeejay Stya. The major objective of the AES is to provide educational facilities to students irrespective of gender or age. At its inception, it had decided to set up educational institutions - schools for imparting primary and secondary education, colleges for imparting higher education in graduate and post graduate levels, technical institutes for providing technology based courses and professional institutes for offering courses on communication, computer sciences and management. AES runs 13 schools and 14 institutions of higher learning across the country.

According to Thoma, personal learning is the ability to independently, taking into account ones personal strengths and weaknesses, create and implement a learning program to be successful. "Each Student must find, develop, and apply a leaning strategy to fit their personality", said the head of studies. Students perform better when they are motivated to have effective leaning strategies and have confidence to control their own leaning.

Focus on the essentials
According to his experiences, a fifth of the performance differences are due to different leaning requirements in terms of strategy, motivation, and self-confidence in ones performance. The organization and the operations of the intensive studies at the Betriebwirtschaftliches Institut Basel are, according to Thoma, geared to help students with the challenges in dealing with time, stress management, and motivation. The success in leaning is less dependent on the teaching method, such as text books, computer software, or teacher, but important is the contribution each student makes to themselves. "Only those who have the discipline to concentrate on the essential and important things bring the ability to learn independently", said Dr. Ralf Andreas Thoma.

Basis for professional success
According to current studies, the motivation to learn and the ability of personal leaning lie before expertise in the expectations of companies. Promoting personal leaning is an essential part of the intensive courses in business administration and financial management, which start October 15, 2008. The intensive course is tailored to occupational practitioners and managers from non-economic backgrounds. According to Thoma, in the nine to twelve month time frame of the intensive study, students at the BWL-Institute will, in accordance with the principal of promoting practice and be educated in personal leaning. "This is an important basis for further professional success."

Learning without artificial pressure
Distance learning requires more self-discipline than a regular course study. However, not even distance learning can work without exams. In principle the students determine the speed of learning and work projects take superiority. "There is no artificial pressure to turn in assignments at a certain time", said the head of studies. After each subject there is a mid-exam to complete, however, with a self determined return date. "Only those who are able to quickly and precisely develop, constantly update, and separate the essential from the non essential relevant knowledge, will obtain long-term success", advises Dr. Ralf Andreas Thoma.

Studying without changing location
With independence and self-responsibility students in distance leaning need to set clear priorities in their leaning environment of friends, family, and work. Work and Study combine perfectly together for distance learning, without changing location or the role of the private environment. "The right expertise at the right time and at the right place saves resources", said the head of studies.

Betriebwirtschaftliches Institut und Seminar Basel AG
The Betriebwirtschaftliches Institut und Seminar Basel AG was founded in 1999 and as a private training and continuing educator offers efficient and practical courses. The institute focuses on the themes of traditional business administration. Around 100 students enrol in intensive courses of study for Business Economist (BI) annually.

The institute is a member of the Swiss Association for Adult Education (SVEB) and the European Association of Distance Learning (EADL) which offers its members in 15 countries a forum for the exchange and discussion of current trends and tendencies in continuing education.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

According to Vijay Kumar, CEO, ProEd Training, “Data Train’s eLearning enabled world-class IBM mainframe courseware will change the way mainframe learning has been practiced in India till recently. The current (instructor-led training) approach has constraints when applied to a geographically dispersed workforce whose requirement for skilling is constant. Besides, the time tested courseware from Datatrain ensures that learning imparted is highly relevant to IT companies who are constantly striving to increase the billable hours. The partnership further strengthens the positioning of ProEd as a market dominant company offering end to end services and solutions in this arena.”

Commenting on the Partnership, Vaishali Nagaratnam, Marketing Manager, Datatrain, said, “Increasingly, a lot of mainframe based development, maintenance and migration work is moving to India and the country is today an important hub for mainframe projects. We have realized through our experience globally that eLearning is the way to go and we feel the potential in the Indian market is yet to be tapped due to lack of awareness of a solution like this. Together with ProEd we are looking to increase our presence in this growing market and to change the mainframe learning methodology in India significantly.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Datatrain:

After 14 years as a classroom-based training company, Datatrain transitioned itself into a leading provider of e-Learning authoring and learning management tools to provide for easy development and delivery of e-Learning courseware. Datatrain today is a genuine Australian success story globally having business partners, distributors, and customers all over the world using it’s 1000 hours of 'off-the-shelf' and custom written e-Learning courseware. The company is the world’s best-selling technical IBM mainframe e-learning courseware which is designed to provide an engaging learning experience that is specific to the learners’ job requirements. For more information on Datatrain, please visit: http://www.datatrain.com.au

About ProEd:

Bangalore-based ProEd Training is one of India’s leading provider of mainframe education and related services. It has over the past 10-years trained 12000 engineers in mainframe technology and counts who is who of the industry as it’s customers. ProEd has its mainframe training centers at Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune besides Bangalore. The company also rents mainframe access to companies and provides faculty for in-house mainframe training to leading IT companies across India. It is the only company in India to offer a program with eLearning and soft skills integrated. For more information, please visit: http://proedtraining.com

· Phase-in 100 per cent of its purchases of chicken meat from suppliers which use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK) – the least cruel form of poultry slaughter ever developed.

· Improve its animal welfare audit criteria to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries suffered by birds.

· Urge its suppliers to adopt better practices, including improved lighting, lower stocking-density and ammonia levels, and a phase-out of growth-promoting drugs and breeding practices which painfully cripple chickens.

· Form an animal welfare advisory panel.

KFC suppliers worldwide continue to drug and breed chickens to grow so large that many become crippled under their own weight. Birds' throats are cut while they are still conscious, and many birds are scalded to death in defeathering tanks. Investigations around the world into factory farms which supply KFC revealed many abuses. Chickens were stuffed into overcrowded warehouses, and some were immobilised by leg deformities. Injured chickens also went without medical care.

"We are now redoubling our efforts to convince KFC in India and around the world to make the animal welfare improvements which KFC Canada has made", says PETA KFC campaign coordinator Tajinder Singh Vig. "If KFC Canada can improve the lives and deaths of its chickens, KFC in India can too."

PETA's letter to Yum! Restaurants International Managing Director Niren Chaudhary is available upon request. For more information about PETA US's Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, please visit KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. K. T. Mahi, Founder Chairman Sreenidhi School said,

“Today, we require individuals who are capable of looking at the world as a whole and not through regional differences. The Exchanges between schools is an initiative to this end that would give opportunities to staff and students to move towards their goals based on values such as Universal values, World Citizenship and Leadership qualities.”

“Through this association, Sreenidhi School will provide an engaging, challenging and compelling learning environment to the students and faculty alike. Going forward, we plan to introduce other such beneficial and leadership programmes”, says Mr. Mahi.

Commenting on this initiative, Mr. Brown, St. Mark's School of Texas, USA, said, “We are happy to partner with Sreenidhi as our vision, mission and commitment to education are well aligned. We aim to prepare young men for assuming leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world. This is not just an educational exchange programme, but will broaden the horizons of the participants culturally too.”

Speaking on the partnership, Ms. Dawn Williamson, Episcopal School, Dallas, USA, said, “The programme would be mutually beneficial involving the school staff initially, which will eventually include students too. The schools have their common agenda as well as school specific programmes. This will provide opportunities for the schools to share information and grow professionally and learn about the culture of the countries.”

V. Srinivasan, Principal, Sreenidhi International School said, “The purpose of Education is to produce integrated men and women who have the freedom to excel in their field of interest and the role of school is to guide the students to discover their interest. This exchange programme is one major step towards achieving this objective”

Amongst other initiatives, Sreenidhi School will also host multiple functions annually, including the Sports meets, Art Festivals, Music Festivals, Workshops and Conferences in science and literature. The project will include experts in the respective fields of national and international repute to be partners in this venture.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About Sreenidhi International School:

Sreenidhi International School is the dream child of Mr. K.T. Mahi, a highly successful knowledge entrepreneur, who is deeply committed to establishing excellence in education. Built on a 50-acre plot, the campus is eco-friendly and expansive that is essential for a growing child as it translates into mental space. The School offers ICSE/ISC, IGCSE and IB streams, under the guidance of well qualified and experienced teachers. The school also has introduced a novel concept of a five day boarding and it also has day boarding facility. Sreenidhi International School believes that while the students have their feet firmly rooted in Indian soil, their outlook should be global. It is in essence an INDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL that KINDLES THE LIGHT WITHIN. www.sreenidhiinternational.com

About St. Mark’s School of Texas, USA:

As a college preparatory institution, St. Mark's School of Texas prepares boys and young men for each successive step of their academic careers. However, their ambitions are not limited to scholastic alone. It is their mission to educate the "whole boy," providing each of their students with the tools necessary to be successful in and out of the classroom. Additionally, as boys school, they are able to address clearly and directly the particular characteristic and learning needs that boys exhibit. The School's major objective is to prepare young men for lives of responsibility and leadership in a competitive and ever-changing world. To this end, they profess and uphold certain values including integrity, honor, courage, acceptance of responsibility for one's actions, service to the broader community, and commitment to working with others to

make a difference on campus and in the world. www.smtexas.org

About the Episcopal School, USA:

The Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) prepares young men and women for lives of intellectual discovery, integrity, and purpose. The School develops the unique talent and potential in each student and embraces sound learning, discipline, and faith as essential elements of an educated conscience. As a traditional, college-preparatory school, ESD believes that all young people need a basic, sound education and that an independent, faith-centered school has an important role to play in providing this education. The goal ofESD is to enhance the spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social growth of each student in a co-educational environment. Students are encouraged to reach the best within themselves - not only in the classroom, but also in chapel, on the playing field, on wilderness excursions, and in community service.www.esdallas.org

Under this provision, students who are pursuing their final year of B.Tech. programme in either Computer Science, Information Technology or Electronics & Communication Engineering, from any of the affiliated institution of GGSIPU can get direct admission in the 9th semester (fifth year) of the B. Tech./ M. Tech. (Dual Degree) programme at University School of Information Technology, leading to an M. Tech. Degree. Interested candidates need to have secured minimum 60% marks or above in their class 10th and class 12th/ diploma; and 70% or above marks in their B. Tech Examination, 2008 from GGSIPU.

Admissions to the above programme will be made on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying exam and an interview, to be conducted by the University. For granting admission, 75% weightage will be given to the marks obtained in the qualifying exam and 25% to the interview.

Interested candidates are required to apply in the Office of the Joint Registrar (Academic), Room No.108, Administrative Block, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University on the prescribed form alongwith necessary documents and a Bank Draft of Rs.500/- drawn in favour of Registrar, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, on or before 22nd July, 2008 (5 pm). One can even download the application form from the University website www.ipu.ac.in The merit list of successful candidates will be displayed on the website on 28th July, 2008 alongwith interview schedule.

New Delhi, July 8, 2008: Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) has opened an option for its B. Tech students to seek admission in the 9th semester of its B. Tech./ M. Tech. (Dual Degree) in Information Technology (IT) programme, through lateral entry.

Under this provision, students who are pursuing their final year of B.Tech. programme in either Computer Science, Information Technology or Electronics & Communication Engineering, from any of the affiliated institution of GGSIPU can get direct admission in the 9th semester (fifth year) of the B. Tech./ M. Tech. (Dual Degree) programme at University School of Information Technology, leading to an M. Tech. Degree. Interested candidates need to have secured minimum 60% marks or above in their class 10th and class 12th/ diploma; and 70% or above marks in their B. Tech Examination, 2008 from GGSIPU.

Admissions to the above programme will be made on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying exam and an interview, to be conducted by the University. For granting admission, 75% weightage will be given to the marks obtained in the qualifying exam and 25% to the interview.

Interested candidates are required to apply in the Office of the Joint Registrar (Academic), Room No.108, Administrative Block, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University on the prescribed form alongwith necessary documents and a Bank Draft of Rs.500/- drawn in favour of Registrar, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, on or before 22nd July, 2008 (5 pm). One can even download the application form from the University website www.ipu.ac.in The merit list of successful candidates will be displayed on the website on 28th July, 2008 alongwith interview schedule.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

The office bearers of the chapter were announced to the media on the occasion. Prof. S Sadagopan, Director, IIIT-B, Chairperson; Dr K S R Anjaneyulu, HP Labs India, Vice Chairperson; C R Vishwanath, Volvo India, Secretary; Dr. Anbumani Subramanian, HP Labs India, Treasurer and Prof. S V Sankaran, SAP Labs/Dr S Ramani, IIIT-B as advisors.

Inaugurating the Bangalore chapter, Prof. Rangachar Kasturi, President, IEEE Computer Society, said, “Focus on India is a key initiative of IEEE this year and the inception of the Bangalore chapter today is a step in that direction. India is emerging as a hotbed of technology innovation and we would be happy to play a catalyzing role in enhancing and furthering it.”

In his comments, Prof.Sadagopan, said,” At the outset, let me thank everyone for reposing faith in me to lead a very capable and eminent team at the chapter. There are three foci areas for the Bangalore chapter - continuing education through seminars and tutorials, corporate partnerships and improving university interaction.”

The inauguration was followed by a talk by Dr. Vijay Chandru, Chairman & CEO, Strand Life Sciences, a leading in silico life sciences company, on “Virtual Man for Drug Discovery Research”. Dr. Chandru spoke on the evolution of computer generated virtual models of the heart, the liver, the kidney and other organs and cell systems to simulate the physiological effects of drugs and thus predict their potential effects. He highlighted how the new approach reduces clinical trial time by 40% and number of patients required - a major cost by 66%.

The immediate initiatives to be taken by the society include - A workshop on “Technology for Education” to be announced in the next 2 or 3 months; closer interaction with other chapters in Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai; a tutorial in the next quarter; activation of a mailing list for better communication among chapter members and high-quality talks that would be valuable to the chapter community among others.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About IEEE Computer Society:

Founded in 1946 and currently having close to 100000 members, the IEEE Computer Society (www.computer.org) is the largest of the 39 societies of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). One of the world's leading organization of computer professionals, the Society is dedicated to advancing the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing technology. Through its conferences, applications-related and research-oriented journals, local and student chapters, distance learning campus, technical committees, the Society promotes an active exchange of information, ideas, and technological innovation among its members. Its Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) program feeds the demand for fully trained, competent software engineers as the computer industry has expanded and systems have become more complex and sophisticated requiring higher competence in building quality systems.
The IEEE Computer Society is also known throughout the world as the leading organization for developing technology standards in computing. Its Standards activities board provides an organizational framework and conducive environment within which to develop broadly accepted, sound, timely, and technically excellent standards that will advance the theory and practice of computing and information processing science and technology. Part of the IEEE’s envisioned future is to be essential to the global technical community and to be universally recognized for technology’s and technical professionals’ contributions in improving global conditions.

Vijay K Thadani, co-founder and CEO, NIIT, has said the Indian market, despite a 4 per cent market penetration, shows promise. The reason happens to be due to the size of the Indian population (100 crore) -- the absolute internet users are over 4 crore, which is bigger than the population of many developed countries.

Some advantages of online education over traditional Tuition

• You get 24/7 class room with a highly qualified instructor.

• You don’t have to step out of your house to get tuition

• You can study on your own at the time of your choice.

• You can sit at home and take online tuitions from qualified online tutors.

• You can schedule your class according to your convenience.

• You can speak to a subject matter expert as and when you need.

However, K Ganesh, founder and CEO of TutorVista, warns that a 100 per cent online tuition model would not work for India. “India’s internet penetration levels are very low and computers are very expensive here. A hybrid model, and not a 100 per cent e-learning model, would work better here,” K Ganesh has said.

Sujai.G, senior consultant of 2tion.com said “Online Tuition is becoming more and more popular in India these days after BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). Thousands of Indian teachers get opportunities to teach children across the globe and earn a good amount of money through online tuitions. This has become another successful internet business in India. There is a growing demand for online tutorials in UK and USA now.”

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

www.2tion.com platform gives a professional guidance for both the education seekers and education providers. It provides the best educational resources to achieve the pinnacle of their career. Apart from just searching for tutors / students, the registered browsers to create like-minded groups and get support for their doubts, homework and projects.

People can find many user-friendly tools which enables to complete their tasks very easily. Students can register absolutely free of cost for any of their tutor requirements. Our website offers most of its services free of cost to the tutors. This makes our site a best place of barter system of knowledge.

Any student throughout his academic education may end up in a scenario of not understanding something at school or college or you've missed a part of the course. But the student may feel shy to express the same to the teachers or his colleagues of the institution. www.2tion.com has helped thousands of students of all ages having a strategy towards providing the qualified tutors they needed for school or work.

The one-day awareness programme with the support of National Board for quality Promotion (NBQP) is being planned in Pune on 9th of July, which will be held at Le Meridien.

Present during the workshop will be Mr. Girdhar J. Gyani, Secretary General, Quality Council of India and Dr. K. B. Khushal, Chairman Education Services Committee.

Some of the topics that will be discussed are mentioned below:

• Concepts of quality in school education
• Need and background of the accreditation standard
• Elements of the accreditation standard
• Accreditation process methodology

Their major target audiences are Management/ Trustees, Principals/ heads of the institutions, teachers, consultants, and quality professionals.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

“The company aims to make available quality K-12 Math education ‘accessible’ and ‘affordable’ to all in North America,” said the company CEO Kamal Wadhera in a teleconference here this morning, adding, “With our Business Affiliate Model doing great with existing affiliates, we hope to achieve our target by the end of June next.”

It is believed that considering the amount of support TCYonline.com is getting from one and all, this unique franchising model is bound to succeed in this country. “Since anybody can become our affiliate and experience the entrepreneur side of business, here’s an open invitation to the academic fraternity to join the fray,” said the elated CEO.

It may be recalled that the company launched this ‘no-risk’ and ‘low-investment’ model in February this year with wonderful results so far. This initiative and other programs have got a wonderful response from local affiliates and all academic community in North America.

Jan McCarter, TCYonline.com’s Chicago affiliate, is in all praise for the company’s one-on-one tutoring program. “It is a clear step in the right direction because it offers an easily accessible, quality product, with friendly and knowledgeable tutors, at an affordable price,” she said.

Today, thanks to TCYonline.com’s Math tutoring, aided with the Whiteboard technology, kids can get help from their online tutors in the comfort and security of their home. On the other hand, parents can save a lot on gas bills because they don’t have to drive their kids to tutoring centers. Moreover, now children get more play-time.

There are benefits galore for affiliates too as it opens doors to profitability and a successful career ahead for them. The no-risk business opportunity allows them to dedicate their resources solely on marketing the brand and keeps their overheads significantly low. All academic activities are taken care of by TCYonline.com team. The ‘physically exclusive territory’ offer based on choice and availability of region further enhances the value of their efforts.

Huge demand for affordable and quality Math instruction, coupled with the company’s competence to deliver, makes partnering with TCYonline.com a tremendous business opportunity.

Vivian Castro, TCYonline.com’s West Palm Beach (Florida) affiliate is of the opinion that since India is ‘years ahead’ of the US in Math education, one day this education services company would be a ‘household name’ in this country as, according to her, it provides a wonderful channel to develop important skills in American children.

Castro, however, feels that America as a nation is ‘falling behind’ its intellectual ability, and globalization is making the issue much more palpable. “There is a need to become competitive in our academic achievement. It is imperative that we invest in our children’s future,” she emphasized.

Talking almost on the same lines is Jeff Baker, TCYonline.com’s Charlotte, North Carolina, affiliate. He feels that there is a continued challenge for students in math and sciences which has led to a ‘decline’ in college majors, research, and the profession as a whole. “TCY's ability to provide an in-home educational support service indicates a growing trend among national /international on-line business,” said the semi-retired educationist.

This model being financially and personally rewarding is attracting more and more affiliates to this education business and the company takes pride in enrolling two affiliates a week.

Most of the existing affiliates are of the opinion that timing is everything. There is a tremendous growth potential in the children’s market, especially in education enhancement services. Online tutoring is a sign of the times.

“It would be great if we could awaken that zeal for education in our American students. We have wonderful opportunities for education in this country. Unfortunately, the best education is not always affordable or available to many of our students. Many of our classrooms are grossly overcrowded,” McCarter added with a pinch of salt.

There is a general feeling that since this business model is convenient, cost-effective and flexible, online tutoring is a big opportunity today for prospective affiliates to be excellent ‘partners in progress’ with this unique education services company.

All that the affiliates have to do is market the company’s tutoring services. They don’t have to replicate its delivery as it does not want to burden them unnecessarily.

Some model highlights:

• Low initial investment
• No-risk business opportunity
• High-return business offer
• Quick revenue inflows
• Exclusive territories

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About TCYonline.com:
An online initiative of Top Careers & You (TCY), the company specializes in school programs and standardized test preparation; provides LIVE online homework help through one-on-one tutoring. One of the leading educational organizations, TCYonline.com is gaining a foothold in North America with its unique online tutoring budgeted plans and free content. Recently, the company has launched its elite teacher-student platform in North America.

Successfully concluded a pilot program to bridge the digital divide amongst students from disadvantaged families. This significant pilot was aimed at schools adopted by Rotary Club of New Delhi.

In the last decade, the information age revolution has brought India to being considered as IT Super Power. To ensure that the benefits of this revolution reach everyone especially the students and youth from underprivileged families, CyberLearning and Rotary Club of New Delhi initiated this digital learning and certification program.

This program was conceived in October 2007 and 2 girls' schools in Delhi were selected for the pilot. Students in the selected schools pay a monthly education fee of Rupees 10/month, which is equal to 25 cents. 30 girl students were selected for the pilot of 3 months. The pilot was launched in Jan'08 and was completed in April 2008. The entire fees were subsidized for the selected group of students jointly by Rotary Club and CyberLearning Society. In the program, students were trained using eLearning from CyberLearning and at the end of the pilot, 26 out of 30 students earned the coveted Microsoft Office Certification.

This program was aimed at empowering the students from the economically challenged background and I am happy to see the results stated Rtn. President Kamal Bhambhani. This program will help them realize their full potential with the help of best- in- the-world- training on Microsoft Technologies. It ensures that their talent is nurtured and competitive spirit among girl students from disadvantaged families is developed to their full potential.

These students, when certified, will be an asset to the country as this program provides them guidance; training and certification to take on the challenges of the 21st century economy stated Rtn. Pankaj Rai, President of CyberLearning Educational Society.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About CyberLearning: CyberLearning Educational Society is NGO arm of Delhi based www.cyberlearningindia.com, which offers eLearning in over 2500 courses covering 50+ certifications like MOS, MCSE, MCSD, CCNA, CCDA, ITIL, ACA, IC3 etc. CyberLearningindia.com is the exclusive provider of MOS, MCAS, ACA & IC3 certifications in the Indian sub-continent including Mauritius.

About Rotary Club of New Delhi (RCND): RCND has been adjudged the best club in dist 3010 for past 2 years and has won several accolades for community projects especially focused for betterment of girl child. The key projects launched by RCND include library for girl students, computer center for street children, blood donation camps and health check up camps.

BMA judges an institute on several criteria including its academic strength, research base, consultancy effectiveness, quality of students produced by it, acceptance in business and industry, endeavor for the all round development of its students through extra-curricular activities, the infrastructure facilities and its contribution to the management development programmes and management movement at large.

Considering the above criteria, BMA found SVKM’s NMIMS University as the Outstanding Management Institute for the last five years (2003-2008) for its excellence in the fields of academics and consultancy, for making a mark in the area of research and for giving a range of distinguished alumni to the Indian Corporate world.

BMA’s Outstanding Student of Management of the year Award (for 2007-08) is also bagged by a student of NMIMS University, Ms. Sneha Saraf *. Mr. Adi Godrej awarded her with a Memento, Certificate and cash prize of Rs.5000 on the basis of the marks obtained in various semesters, participation and prizes won in extra-curricular activities and the awards & distinctions achieved during her studies in NMIMS.

On the occasion, Dr. Kondap-VC, NMIMS thanked his faculty colleagues, students, alumni and the corporate world for their contribution towards the achievement. He said that this could be possible due to the constant support and guidance of Shri Amrish Patel, Chancellor-NMIMS University & President-SVKM.

*The ‘Outstanding Student of Management Of The Year Award’ was jointly presented to Ms. Sneha Saraf of SVKM’s NMIMS University and Ms. Dipti Padwal of K.J. Somaiya Institute of Mgt Studies & Research.

Source: Press release distribution via India PRwire

About SVKM’s NMIMS University

Established in 1981, as a Management Institute, NMIMS has now transformed itself into a University, with 8 Schools, over 150 full-time faculty members, 42000 books and over 2500 students enrolling every year, transforming from an Institute of single management faculty to a University with many faculty areas. The University is also transforming from a Teaching Institute to Research-Consultancy-Training & Teaching Institute.

NMIMS has taken many new academic initiatives under various Schools like

• School of business Management
• Mukesh Patel School of technology Management & Engineering
• School of Pharmacy & Technology Management
• Balwant Sheth School of Architecture
• School of Commerce
• School of Science
• School of Distance Learning
• Institute of Intellectual Property Studies

Number of innovative Graduate, Post Graduate and Doctorate level programs, meeting the Industry/Business requirement under each school.

Achievements:

• Golden Pecock Award for innovation 2006 & 2007
• BMA Best Management Institute of the Year Award 2004-05 & 2006-07
• BMA Best teacher of Management of the Year Award 2004-05