Encashing on the growing popularity of cloud computing in India, Microsft India today joined Reliance Communications to offer Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) to provide virtual hosting service.
The Rs 2,900 crore enterprise Business of Reliance Communications would use Microsoft technology to provide enterprises and small and medium business units in India a variety of enterprise scale IT solutions, applications and servies on the 'pay as you go' model.
Reliance Data Centre, part of the RCom, would provide infrastructure servies such as server hosting, data storage and archival, as well as business applications like e-mail, ERP, workflow automation, document management; IT monitoring and reporting, disaster recovery, firewall services and automatic security updates.
Microsoft India Managing Director Rajan Anandan said Microsoft’s virtualization and management technologies will help Reliance reduce the input costs involved in providing these services. As a result, Reliance will be able to pass the cost benefits to its customers. Furthermore, with 'Reliance Cloud Computing Services' available on the pay-as-you-go model, businesses (both large and small) will be able to address their technology requirements without bearing costs involved in procuring, deploying and maintaining additional IT resources.
George Varghese, President of the Enterprise Business of RCom, said the division had been growing at 15 per cent quarter on quarter basis and over the last few months saw several large companies shifting both capital expenditure and operational expenditure on IT to data centres.
Serving more than 700 corporate clients in its nine data centres spread across 6.5 lakh sq ft area in nine locations, Reliance Data Centre was the most perfect target for hosting the IAAS platform, said Anandan.
''Leveraging Microsoft’s cutting edge technologies, Reliance Data Centre will deliver access to enterprise-class scalable, secure and reliable hosted IT infrastructure to help large, mid-sized and SMB companies leverage cloud computing technologies to drive business benefits. This is part of our long term vision to continuously provide the latest and best technology to our customers, so that they always enjoy a business edge against their competitors,'' Varghese said.
Today, 35 million business owners in India spend a mere 0.4 to three per cent of their total revenues on IT. Despite increasing capacity and technology requirements - high upfront costs involved in procuring and deploying IT infrastructure, and overall need for cash flows has been cited as a deterrent to technology penetration, especially in case of SMBs in India.
However, increasing awareness around the relevance and advantage of hosted solutions is changing this scenario.
''Hosted IT offerings are a cost effective model for provisioning processes, applications and services while making IT management easier and more responsive to business needs. We believe businesses have matured in their IT strategies and are now ready to explore hosted infrastructure as an option not only for short term scalability needs but also longer term requirements,'' added Mr Varghese.
In fact, according to a recent Gartner report - technology adopters are expected to purchase 40 per cent of their IT infrastructure 'as a service' by 2011.
Anandan said ''We believe that the world of technology will never be only-cloud or only in-premise. The best customer value will be delivered as a combination, and Reliance Communications represents this. By combining the best of software with the best of cloud-based services, Microsoft can deliver more compelling solutions for businesses of all sizes. Today, Microsoft is delighted to empower Reliance with the ability to offer an innovative and affordable business solution for their customers.'' Using Microsoft’s Dynamic Data Centre toolkit (an end-to-end guidance for leveraging virtualisation infrastructure of Windows Server 2008 R2/ Hyper-V coupled with System Center to create managed services and partner hosted cloud offerings), Reliance is taking the lead in making cloud computing a reality for businesses in India.
The benefits to end customers will include cost reduction, cash flow improvement, pay per use (instead of upfront capex), better time to market, high quality managed services at fraction of cost, 24x7 accessibility from anywhere in the world, no need for high end IT skill sets, unlimited scalability, focus on their core business and hence essentially peace of mind.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
JTO 2009 result: BSNL JTOs (Telecom/Civil/Electrical) exam results brought out
Have you appeared for the BSNL Junior Telecom Officer (JTO) Exam 2008 that was held on June 21, 2009? If yes, great news is awaiting you as the results of the examination have been brought out.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) organized the examination of the JTOs (Telecom/Civil/Electrical) Examination 2008 on June 21 this year. Results of the examination are available at: http://61.0.0.122/bsnl/jtoresult_final_log.php
The candidates may find their results at the site. Further information regarding appointment formalities will be sent to successful candidates by the office of the respective Chief General Managers, a source said.
The process of completing formalities will take around a month. If candidates declared successful don't get any intimation within a month, they are advised to approach the respective BSNL Circle Offices.
BSNL website: http://www.bsnl.co.in/
Direct JTOs result: http://61.0.0.122/bsnl/jtoresult_final_log.php
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) organized the examination of the JTOs (Telecom/Civil/Electrical) Examination 2008 on June 21 this year. Results of the examination are available at: http://61.0.0.122/bsnl/jtoresult_final_log.php
The candidates may find their results at the site. Further information regarding appointment formalities will be sent to successful candidates by the office of the respective Chief General Managers, a source said.
The process of completing formalities will take around a month. If candidates declared successful don't get any intimation within a month, they are advised to approach the respective BSNL Circle Offices.
BSNL website: http://www.bsnl.co.in/
Direct JTOs result: http://61.0.0.122/bsnl/jtoresult_final_log.php
Plan for common counselling for IITs and NITs
With seats in certain national level institutes remaining vacant due to multiple counselling, the IITs and NITs could start common counselling, a move that would smoothen the admission process and reduce hardship of students.
At present, the IITs admit students by conducting their own counselling while the NITs, which are institutions of national importance, take students from the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) merit list.
As the IIT-JEE counselling and AIEEE counselling are held separately, students block seats in more than one institute and finally take admission in the institute of their choice. This results in vacancy of seats in some of the institutes.
"There is a plan to have common counselling of IIT-JEE and AIEEE. But this may not happen before 2011," an IIT director said. The IIT directors discussed the issue with HRD Minister Kapil Sibal last month.
In case of separate counselling, the students have to go to different centres to attend the counselling and select the institute of their choice.
The IIMs are also planning to have a common counselling for admission. At present, each IIM is holding its own counselling to take students from the CAT merit list. The IIM directors have discussed the issue with Sibal also.
An IIT director said the IITs have their own JEE committee which is studying the reforms to be brought in. The NIT Council, the apex body to take decision on matters of NITs, has also set up a committee to revisit the AIEEE and suggest any change required.
"A decision on common counselling issue will be taken after both the IIT and NIT committees submit their reports on reforms in the entrance examination," he said.
The proposed system will be of immense help as it will smoothen the process of admission. Students will be able to chose their institute from the common counselling session and take admission there.
About 10 lakh students appear for AIEEE every year while about four lakh sit for IIT-JEE.
About 2.5 lakh students are appearing for CAT.
At present, the IITs admit students by conducting their own counselling while the NITs, which are institutions of national importance, take students from the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) merit list.
As the IIT-JEE counselling and AIEEE counselling are held separately, students block seats in more than one institute and finally take admission in the institute of their choice. This results in vacancy of seats in some of the institutes.
"There is a plan to have common counselling of IIT-JEE and AIEEE. But this may not happen before 2011," an IIT director said. The IIT directors discussed the issue with HRD Minister Kapil Sibal last month.
In case of separate counselling, the students have to go to different centres to attend the counselling and select the institute of their choice.
The IIMs are also planning to have a common counselling for admission. At present, each IIM is holding its own counselling to take students from the CAT merit list. The IIM directors have discussed the issue with Sibal also.
An IIT director said the IITs have their own JEE committee which is studying the reforms to be brought in. The NIT Council, the apex body to take decision on matters of NITs, has also set up a committee to revisit the AIEEE and suggest any change required.
"A decision on common counselling issue will be taken after both the IIT and NIT committees submit their reports on reforms in the entrance examination," he said.
The proposed system will be of immense help as it will smoothen the process of admission. Students will be able to chose their institute from the common counselling session and take admission there.
About 10 lakh students appear for AIEEE every year while about four lakh sit for IIT-JEE.
About 2.5 lakh students are appearing for CAT.
NMAT 2010 to be Online
The National Management Aptitude Test (NMAT) conducted by Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), for MBA, Part time MBA and Ph.D. aspirants, will be an Online Test from 2010, the institute has announced.
The online move will not only target students from India alone but also candidates from UK and other Asian countries.
NMIMS has a total number of 420 seats available - offering 300 seats under the MBA programme, 30 seats under the MBA (Banking) programme, 30 seats under MBA (Capital market) programme , 30 seats under MBA (Actuarial Science), 60 seats under MBA (Pharmaceutical Management) programme.
"The online move will help in handling a huge number of candidates as the estimated projection for 2009 is of fifty thousand plus compared to forty six thousand candidates last year", an institute official told NNE.
FOR MORE DETAILS ON NMAT 2010, CLICK HERE
NMAT comprises of three sections- Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Analysis and Logical Reasoning carrying equal weight age.
The exam will be conducted for duration of two hours in staggered batches at various centers in India, Australia, UK and 12 Asian countries within a window period of 10 days from January 30, 2010 to February 8, 2010.
Registration for the online NMAT entrance test will commence on October 27, 2009.
A registration fee of Rs.1650 is to be submitted through online payment/demand draft/Cash deposit in select Axis Bank Branches for candidates from India.
An additional sum of Rs.1000 will be charged to those selected for the group discussion/personal interview.
NMIMS will also provide mock tests to the registered candidates.
The online NMAT venture will not only lead to uniformity and transparency in assessment but also reduce malpractice to an extent.
It further implies that the online exam concept is not mere ideation but a step that will promote participation and openness to a wider extent among aspirants and build an environment conducive to learning and growth.
The online move will not only target students from India alone but also candidates from UK and other Asian countries.
NMIMS has a total number of 420 seats available - offering 300 seats under the MBA programme, 30 seats under the MBA (Banking) programme, 30 seats under MBA (Capital market) programme , 30 seats under MBA (Actuarial Science), 60 seats under MBA (Pharmaceutical Management) programme.
"The online move will help in handling a huge number of candidates as the estimated projection for 2009 is of fifty thousand plus compared to forty six thousand candidates last year", an institute official told NNE.
FOR MORE DETAILS ON NMAT 2010, CLICK HERE
NMAT comprises of three sections- Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Analysis and Logical Reasoning carrying equal weight age.
The exam will be conducted for duration of two hours in staggered batches at various centers in India, Australia, UK and 12 Asian countries within a window period of 10 days from January 30, 2010 to February 8, 2010.
Registration for the online NMAT entrance test will commence on October 27, 2009.
A registration fee of Rs.1650 is to be submitted through online payment/demand draft/Cash deposit in select Axis Bank Branches for candidates from India.
An additional sum of Rs.1000 will be charged to those selected for the group discussion/personal interview.
NMIMS will also provide mock tests to the registered candidates.
The online NMAT venture will not only lead to uniformity and transparency in assessment but also reduce malpractice to an extent.
It further implies that the online exam concept is not mere ideation but a step that will promote participation and openness to a wider extent among aspirants and build an environment conducive to learning and growth.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Science Congress at Tirupati from Nov 14
The second AP Science Congress organised jointly by AP Academy of Sciences, Hyderabad and Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, would be held from November 14 to 16 in the temple town. SVU Vice Chancellor N Prabhakar Rao said here today, the AP Academy of Sciences would conduct 'Andhra Pradesh Science Congress(APSC) every year to commemorate the birthday of the former Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who is the architect of modern India''.
As many as 500 students, including young scientists from all over the country would participate in the Congress which provide a platform for scientists and students to exchange ideas, discuss and formulate strategies, the sources said.
The theme encompasses five major scientific sessions, including Life and Agricultural, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Health, Earth Systems and Atmospheric Sciences, Engineering and Physics and Mathematics the sources added.
As many as 500 students, including young scientists from all over the country would participate in the Congress which provide a platform for scientists and students to exchange ideas, discuss and formulate strategies, the sources said.
The theme encompasses five major scientific sessions, including Life and Agricultural, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Health, Earth Systems and Atmospheric Sciences, Engineering and Physics and Mathematics the sources added.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
K. Radhakrishnan named new ISRO chief
K. Radhakrishnan, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, was Saturday named the next chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Armed with a fax copy of his appointment Radhakrishnan, who takes over from G. Madhavan Nair, visited the famed Sree Krishna Temple Guruvayoor here Saturday evening.
Radhakrishnan said he was told of his appointment by phone from New Delhi. He then gave the number of the temple board office here where his appointment copy was faxed.
"Religion and science go hand-in-hand. And when the two join it is nice," said Radhakrishnan, when asked about the official communication reaching him at the temple.
Radhakrishnan takes over from Nair on Oct 31.
Radhakrishnan did his electrical engineering degree from Kerala University in 1970. He also holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore and a doctorate from Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur.
He said that his first priority would be to see that the first indigenously developed cryogenic engine be made ready for the launch of the GSLV. "A huge responsibility has been placed on me and at this moment I would like to thank all my gurus (teachers) and among them are Nair and other former ISRO chairmen like Kasturi Rangan and U.R. Rao," Radhakrishnan told reporters.
Starting his career with the ISRO as an avionics engineer in 1971, he went on to hold key positions such as director of Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres under the umbrella of National Natural Resources Management System (1989-97).
In 2000-2005, Radhakrishnan was with Department of Ocean Development (presently Ministry of Earth Sciences) as the founder director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the project director of the Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges.
He was also the vice chairman of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of Unesco 2001-05. Radhakrishnan is a member of the Indian delegation to the UN Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space since June 2006.
Radhakrishnan said he was told of his appointment by phone from New Delhi. He then gave the number of the temple board office here where his appointment copy was faxed.
"Religion and science go hand-in-hand. And when the two join it is nice," said Radhakrishnan, when asked about the official communication reaching him at the temple.
Radhakrishnan takes over from Nair on Oct 31.
Radhakrishnan did his electrical engineering degree from Kerala University in 1970. He also holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore and a doctorate from Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur.
He said that his first priority would be to see that the first indigenously developed cryogenic engine be made ready for the launch of the GSLV. "A huge responsibility has been placed on me and at this moment I would like to thank all my gurus (teachers) and among them are Nair and other former ISRO chairmen like Kasturi Rangan and U.R. Rao," Radhakrishnan told reporters.
Starting his career with the ISRO as an avionics engineer in 1971, he went on to hold key positions such as director of Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres under the umbrella of National Natural Resources Management System (1989-97).
In 2000-2005, Radhakrishnan was with Department of Ocean Development (presently Ministry of Earth Sciences) as the founder director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and the project director of the Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges.
He was also the vice chairman of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of Unesco 2001-05. Radhakrishnan is a member of the Indian delegation to the UN Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space since June 2006.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
CBSE Class X, XII board exams
The Class X and XII board exams of the Central Board for Secondary Education will be held from the first week of March, CBSE sources said today.
Though the detailed scheduled of the exams will be released in December, the sources said, the Class X results would be based on grades from this year.
Over 10 lakh students are expected to appear in the CBSE Class X and XII board exams this year.
Though the detailed scheduled of the exams will be released in December, the sources said, the Class X results would be based on grades from this year.
Over 10 lakh students are expected to appear in the CBSE Class X and XII board exams this year.
Sholarship for Engineering students
Malayalee Engineers’ Association (MEA) of Houston, Texas USA is inviting applications for scholarships from first year students enrolled in a 4-year degree course in Engineering, Technology, Computer Science, Architecture or Naval Architecture in a college affiliated to any university in Kerala.
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Students whose parents have an annual income of Rs.50,000 or less may apply. MEA is a charitable organization with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. MEA, Houston has awarded up to eight scholarships each year, since the year 2000.
Students selected for MEA scholarships this year will be awarded an amount of $500 per year for four years, subject to the students meeting the academic requirements during each year of their study. Complete information and application forms can be downloaded at MEA Houston’s website www.meahouston.org . Students may also contact the Principals of their colleges for the application forms and information.
Last date for receiving applications by MEA is November 15, 2009.
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Students whose parents have an annual income of Rs.50,000 or less may apply. MEA is a charitable organization with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. MEA, Houston has awarded up to eight scholarships each year, since the year 2000.
Students selected for MEA scholarships this year will be awarded an amount of $500 per year for four years, subject to the students meeting the academic requirements during each year of their study. Complete information and application forms can be downloaded at MEA Houston’s website www.meahouston.org . Students may also contact the Principals of their colleges for the application forms and information.
Last date for receiving applications by MEA is November 15, 2009.
Friday, October 23, 2009
BSNL to start PC bundling scheme
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will start a 'PC bundling scheme' from November 1 to promote broadband usage in rural areas.
The proposed 'PC bundling scheme' would provide its rural customers a package of personal computer, broadband facility and useful softwares at subsidised cost on 24 easy instalments of about Rs 300, BSNL Chairman and Managing Director, Kuldeep Goyal said on Thursday.
Addressing reporters here Goyal said that simple broadband tariff packages as low as Rs 99 would be introduced to rural customers.
He said 23,000 out of 29,000 rural exchanges have been enabled broadband connectivity in the state.
The 3-G services would be introduced to 27 towns in the state in phased manner, the BSNL CMD said adding in the first phase, these services would be launched in 12 towns including Hyderabad by the end of the November.
Goyal said the Mobile Number Portability facility would be introduced by March next to enable the mobile customer to carry their number on change of service.
Infrastructure upgradation has already been done at an additional cost of about Rs 1000 crore, he said.
Goyal said the BSNL has initiated several revenue generating measures to retain the total revenues of Rs 35,000 crore in the present financial year as achieved during last year.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Microsoft launches Windows 7
Microsoft Corp launched Windows 7 on Thursday in its most important release for more than a decade, aiming to win back customers after the disappointing Vista and strengthen its grip on the PC market.
The world's largest software company, which powers more than 90 percent of personal computers, has received good reviews for the new operating system, which it hopes will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc.
''It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade,'' analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities told Reuters Television. ''Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility.'' The new system -- which is faster, less cluttered and has new touch-screen features -- comes almost three years after the launch of Vista, whose complexity frustrated many home users and turned off business customers.
The success of Windows -- which accounts for more than half of Microsoft's profit -- is crucial for Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to revive the company's image as the world's most important software firm.
''I have to say I'm chomping at the bit,'' Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft customers and partners in Toronto on Wednesday, adding that he is ready to make sales calls himself on Windows 7.
Sales won't immediately impact the bottom line of Microsoft, which is expected to post a lower quarterly profit on Friday.
CHEAPER THAN VISTA: Microsoft is charging $199.99 for the Home Premium version of Windows 7, or $119.99 for users seeking to upgrade from older versions of the operating system -- well below comparable prices for Vista.
It also has a range of offers in conjunction with retailer Best Buy and PC makers such as Dell Inc and Acer Inc.
For the first time, shoppers will be able to buy PCs loaded with the software direct from a branded Microsoft store, with the first of a planned chain set to open on Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The U.S. holiday season will soon reveal whether consumer PC sales get a kick from Windows 7, but success with corporations -- the key to Microsoft's financial power -- won't be clear until next year, analysts say.
''Come June of next year, we are going to get the real indication of the business-to-business marketplace,'' said Mark Simons, chief executive of the U.S. arm of Toshiba Corp, the world's No. 5 PC maker, on Wednesday.
Early indications are that companies are getting ready to switch to Windows 7.
''People like it,'' said Michael Capone, chief information officer for payroll services firm ADP, pointing out its quick start-up time and good user interface.
''There is a line outside my door from people wanting to get into the pilot program,'' said Capone, at a technology conference in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.
His company typically waits at least 18 months to begin broad deployment of a new version of Windows, said Capone, but this time he could be more aggressive.
''In the surveys that we've done about half the CIOs (chief information officers) indicated that they would just use Windows 7 on existing PCs as opposed to replace the entire hardware,'' said Barnicle. ''That would be very positive for Microsoft but maybe not so positive for the PC manufacturers.'' SHARES UP Good reviews, and a surge in technology stocks across the board, have lifted Microsoft shares about 80 percent since March. They hit their highest level in just over a year on Wednesday, closing at $26.58 on Nasdaq.
''This is a better operating system -- it does the job,'' said Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of PCMag.com. ''They've certainly got it a lot more right than they did with Vista.'' A range of new PCs incorporating the software in all shapes and sizes from Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell and others are set to be unveiled on Thursday, in the hope of reigniting consumer spending before the holiday shopping season.
Global PC sales rose 2.3 percent in the third quarter compared to a year ago, according to research firm IDC, after two quarters of declines.
Market-watchers are betting on further recovery of computer sales next year, as the economy improves and businesses replace old machines, but opinion is divided on how strong the impact of Windows 7 will be.
''What's going to be really interesting is whether this spurs a hardware replacement cycle or it's just a Windows replacement cycle,'' said Barnicle, who estimates that more than 820 million PCs across the world run Windows.
Class XII mark weightage in NIT admissions ?
Online conduct of All India Engineering Entrance Exam is among points to be studied by an expert panel appointed today, the Human Resource Development Ministry announced this evening. The AIEEE for admitting students to National Institutes of Technology is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education as a regular pen and paper test.
The committee consisting of three NIT Directors-- Allahabad, Calicut and Agartala-- will look into the possibility of making the exam online as well, the NITs Council decided at its first meeting chaired by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal The Committee will also look at the AIEEE structure to see if weightage could be given to class XII Exam results as NITs Directors ''were of the view that the proliferation of coaching institutes was skewing the pattern of entrants,'' the Ministry said.
The Committee will also study why NIT seats remain vacant despite a number of rounds of counselling, whether it has to do with some courses not being ''market friendly,'' and suggest alternatives, it said. It is expected to give its findings ''by January,'' the Ministry said.
The NITs Council also set up a Committee to recommend a curriculum taking into account the current and future needs of the country, industry and the market. The Committee consisting of three NITs Directors-- Thrichy, Surathkal and Warrangal-- will interact with industry organisations to know their requirements so that ''students have the best possible job prospects.'' Sibal asked all 20 NITs to give a vision statement which would be discussed in the next meeting of the NITs Council.
He asked them to spell out how they might ''build their brand image to attract talent from within the country and abroad,'' including whether ''they would like to set up campuses abroad.'' Sibal said the Council would meet every six months. He said he expected ''high growth in the country and the booming middle class'' to help generate enormous requirement for professional courses and graduate programmes.
He asked them to show how the NITs propose to expand as well as encourage research and Doctoral or Post Doctoral pursuits. The statement said Sibal ''agreed to the NITs request that for the hiring of faculty, in case of exceptional circumstances, hiring can be of an individual at a higher grade pay with the approval of the Board of Governors of the NITs.
''Norms will have to be formulated by the NITs on when such exceptions can be made,'' the statement said. The Council also unanimously approved the setting up of a standing committee to go into the nitty-gritty of proposals or suggestions received.
The Council authorised the Chairman and the Vice-chairman to constitute this committee. Earlier, Higher Education Secretary R P Agrawal told the NIT Directors that a Performance Related Incentive System (PRIS) would be applicable in the NITs.
The committee consisting of three NIT Directors-- Allahabad, Calicut and Agartala-- will look into the possibility of making the exam online as well, the NITs Council decided at its first meeting chaired by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal The Committee will also look at the AIEEE structure to see if weightage could be given to class XII Exam results as NITs Directors ''were of the view that the proliferation of coaching institutes was skewing the pattern of entrants,'' the Ministry said.
The Committee will also study why NIT seats remain vacant despite a number of rounds of counselling, whether it has to do with some courses not being ''market friendly,'' and suggest alternatives, it said. It is expected to give its findings ''by January,'' the Ministry said.
The NITs Council also set up a Committee to recommend a curriculum taking into account the current and future needs of the country, industry and the market. The Committee consisting of three NITs Directors-- Thrichy, Surathkal and Warrangal-- will interact with industry organisations to know their requirements so that ''students have the best possible job prospects.'' Sibal asked all 20 NITs to give a vision statement which would be discussed in the next meeting of the NITs Council.
He asked them to spell out how they might ''build their brand image to attract talent from within the country and abroad,'' including whether ''they would like to set up campuses abroad.'' Sibal said the Council would meet every six months. He said he expected ''high growth in the country and the booming middle class'' to help generate enormous requirement for professional courses and graduate programmes.
He asked them to show how the NITs propose to expand as well as encourage research and Doctoral or Post Doctoral pursuits. The statement said Sibal ''agreed to the NITs request that for the hiring of faculty, in case of exceptional circumstances, hiring can be of an individual at a higher grade pay with the approval of the Board of Governors of the NITs.
''Norms will have to be formulated by the NITs on when such exceptions can be made,'' the statement said. The Council also unanimously approved the setting up of a standing committee to go into the nitty-gritty of proposals or suggestions received.
The Council authorised the Chairman and the Vice-chairman to constitute this committee. Earlier, Higher Education Secretary R P Agrawal told the NIT Directors that a Performance Related Incentive System (PRIS) would be applicable in the NITs.
Kapil Sibal's next agenda - making AIEEE online
A committee consisting of three National Institutes of Technology (NIT) Directors has been constituted to look into the current system of conducting the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE).
The Committee will look at the possibility of making the exam online in addition to the regular pen and paper test being conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at present.
The decision of constituting the Committee was taken during the first meeting of the NITs Council held here today under the Chairmanship of Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), Mr. Kapil Sibal.
The Committee will also look into the structure of the entrance exam and as to whether weightage could be given to Class XII Exam results as Directors of the NITs were of the view that the proliferation of coaching institutes was skewing the pattern of entrants into the NITs.
The Committee consisting of the Directors of NITs Allahabad, Calicut and Agartala will submit its report by January and will also look at the problem of seats across NITs staying vacant despite a number of rounds of counseling - whether certain courses are not market friendly and are thus not drawing students - the Committee could recommend alternate courses etc.
During the meeting a decision was also taken to constitute a Committee to look into curriculum framework, i.e. revising the curriculum, looking at the current needs of the of the country, industry and the market and also design the curriculum looking at future needs of the country.
The Committee consisting of the Directors of NITs Trichy, Surathkal, and Warangal will also interact with industry organizations to know their requirements so that the students have the best possible job prospects.
Kapil Sibal also asked all the 20 NITs to give a vision statement which would be discussed in the next meeting of the NITs Council.
He also asked the NITs to show, in their vision statements, how they could build their brand image to attract talent from within the country and abroad. The vision could also include whether they would like to set up campuses abroad.
The Minister also underlined that the meetings of the Council would be held every six months. The Minister pointed out that with high growth in the country and the booming middle class, enormous requirement for professional courses, graduate programmes will be generated.
The Vision document thus should show how the NITs propose to expand. He also exhorted the NITs to charter a unique eco- system for themselves and also pay emphasis towards greater research and Doctoral, Post Doctoral work.
The Minister agreed to the NITs request that for the hiring of faculty, in case of exceptional circumstances, hiring can be of an individual at a higher grade pay with the approval of the Board of Governors of the NITs. Norms will have to be formulated by the NITs on when such exceptions can be made.
The Council also unanimously approved the setting up of a standing committee to go into the nitty-gritty of various proposals and suggestions that are received.
The Council authorized the Chairman and the Vice-chairman to constitute this committee.
Secretary, Higher Education, R.P. Agrawal welcomed the members of the IIT Council.
Informing them that all NITs would be provided with 1 Gbps of connectivity shortly, he asked them to use this to full extent. He also told the NIT Directors that the Performance Related Incentive System (PRIS) would be applicable in the NITs.
N.K. Sinha, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, besides Chairmen, Board of Governors of NITs; Directors of the NITs, Chaiman, UGC among other members of the Council were present at the meeting.
The Committee will look at the possibility of making the exam online in addition to the regular pen and paper test being conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at present.
The decision of constituting the Committee was taken during the first meeting of the NITs Council held here today under the Chairmanship of Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), Mr. Kapil Sibal.
The Committee will also look into the structure of the entrance exam and as to whether weightage could be given to Class XII Exam results as Directors of the NITs were of the view that the proliferation of coaching institutes was skewing the pattern of entrants into the NITs.
The Committee consisting of the Directors of NITs Allahabad, Calicut and Agartala will submit its report by January and will also look at the problem of seats across NITs staying vacant despite a number of rounds of counseling - whether certain courses are not market friendly and are thus not drawing students - the Committee could recommend alternate courses etc.
During the meeting a decision was also taken to constitute a Committee to look into curriculum framework, i.e. revising the curriculum, looking at the current needs of the of the country, industry and the market and also design the curriculum looking at future needs of the country.
The Committee consisting of the Directors of NITs Trichy, Surathkal, and Warangal will also interact with industry organizations to know their requirements so that the students have the best possible job prospects.
Kapil Sibal also asked all the 20 NITs to give a vision statement which would be discussed in the next meeting of the NITs Council.
He also asked the NITs to show, in their vision statements, how they could build their brand image to attract talent from within the country and abroad. The vision could also include whether they would like to set up campuses abroad.
The Minister also underlined that the meetings of the Council would be held every six months. The Minister pointed out that with high growth in the country and the booming middle class, enormous requirement for professional courses, graduate programmes will be generated.
The Vision document thus should show how the NITs propose to expand. He also exhorted the NITs to charter a unique eco- system for themselves and also pay emphasis towards greater research and Doctoral, Post Doctoral work.
The Minister agreed to the NITs request that for the hiring of faculty, in case of exceptional circumstances, hiring can be of an individual at a higher grade pay with the approval of the Board of Governors of the NITs. Norms will have to be formulated by the NITs on when such exceptions can be made.
The Council also unanimously approved the setting up of a standing committee to go into the nitty-gritty of various proposals and suggestions that are received.
The Council authorized the Chairman and the Vice-chairman to constitute this committee.
Secretary, Higher Education, R.P. Agrawal welcomed the members of the IIT Council.
Informing them that all NITs would be provided with 1 Gbps of connectivity shortly, he asked them to use this to full extent. He also told the NIT Directors that the Performance Related Incentive System (PRIS) would be applicable in the NITs.
N.K. Sinha, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, besides Chairmen, Board of Governors of NITs; Directors of the NITs, Chaiman, UGC among other members of the Council were present at the meeting.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Applications invited for AIPMT-2010
The Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi, has invited applications in the prescribed form for the All India Pre-Medical / Pre-Dental Entrance Examination (AIPMT) 2010 as per the following schedule for admission to 15% of the total seats for Medical/Dental Courses in all Medical/Dental Colleges run by the Union of India, State Governments, Municipal and other local authorities in India except in the States of Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
The Preliminary Examination will be held on April 3, 2010 (Saturday) and the Final Examination will be held on May 16, 2010 (Sunday). Both preliminary and final examinations would be objective-type.
Eligibility criteria: (i) He/She has completed age of 17 years at the time of admission or will complete the age on or before 31st December of the year of his/her admission to the 1st year M.B.B.S./B.D.S. course and is an INDIAN NATIONAL.
(ii) The upper age limit for All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination is 25
years as on 31st December of the year of the entrance examination. Further provided
that upper age limit shall be relaxed by a period of 5 (five) years for the candidates of
Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes.
(iii) The number of attempts which a candidate can avail at All India Pre-Medical/Pre-
Dental Entrance Examination shall be limited to 3 (three) uniformly for all the
candidates.
(iv) The candidate must have passed in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
English individually and must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks taken together
in Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the qualifying examination. In respect of
candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes
the marks obtained in Physics, Chemistry and Biology taken together in qualifying
examination be 40% instead of 50% for General Candidates. Further, for persons for
locomotory disability of lower limbs, the minimum of 45% marks for General-PH and
40% marks for SC-PH/ST-PH/OBC-PH are required. Those who are taking plus two
examination in 2010 can also appear for the entrance test provisionally subject to their
fulfilling the conditions later.
(v) 15% seats for SC candidates, 7.5% seats for ST candidates, 27% seats for non-creamy
layer OBC candidates in Central Institutions only and 3% seats on horizontal basis for
Physically Handicapped candidates are reserved in 15% All India Quota for
MBBS/BDS courses.
A candidate can apply for the All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination in
either of the following two ways:-
Offline: Offline submission of Application may be made on the prescribed Application Form. The Information Bulletin and Application Form costing Rs.800/- for General/OBC Category and Rs.450/- for SC/ST category can be obtained against Cash Payment from the designated branches of Canara Bank/Regional Offices of the CBSE between 20-10-2009 to 27-11-2009.
Information Bulletin and Application Form can also be obtained by Post from the Board by
sending a written request with a Demand Draft for Rs.850/- for General/OBC Category
and Rs.500/- for SC/ST Category payable to the Secretary, Central Board of Secondary
Education, Delhi along with a Self Addressed Envelope of size 12" x 10". The request
must reach the Board on or before 18-11-2009. The request should be superscribed
as 'Request for Information Bulletin and Application Form for AIPMT-2010'.
Online: Online submission of application may be made by accessing the Board’s website
www.aipmt.nic.in from 20-10-2009 to 27-11-2009 (5.00 P.M.). Instructions for sending online application, payment of fee and computer generated printout are available on the Board’s website.
Fee of Rs.800/- for General/OBC Category Candidates and Rs.450/- for SC/ST Category
Candidates may be remitted in the following ways:
1. By Credit card, or
2. Through Demand Draft in favour of the Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi drawn on any Nationalized Bank payable at Delhi.
Last date of submission of Application Form: Both offline and online (Computer generated printout) application should be sent through registered post/speed post only so as to reach to the Board on or before 04-12-2009.
Boards address for sending Application: The Deputy Secretary (AIPMT), Central Board
Secondary Education, Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 301
The Preliminary Examination will be held on April 3, 2010 (Saturday) and the Final Examination will be held on May 16, 2010 (Sunday). Both preliminary and final examinations would be objective-type.
Eligibility criteria: (i) He/She has completed age of 17 years at the time of admission or will complete the age on or before 31st December of the year of his/her admission to the 1st year M.B.B.S./B.D.S. course and is an INDIAN NATIONAL.
(ii) The upper age limit for All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination is 25
years as on 31st December of the year of the entrance examination. Further provided
that upper age limit shall be relaxed by a period of 5 (five) years for the candidates of
Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes.
(iii) The number of attempts which a candidate can avail at All India Pre-Medical/Pre-
Dental Entrance Examination shall be limited to 3 (three) uniformly for all the
candidates.
(iv) The candidate must have passed in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
English individually and must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks taken together
in Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the qualifying examination. In respect of
candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes
the marks obtained in Physics, Chemistry and Biology taken together in qualifying
examination be 40% instead of 50% for General Candidates. Further, for persons for
locomotory disability of lower limbs, the minimum of 45% marks for General-PH and
40% marks for SC-PH/ST-PH/OBC-PH are required. Those who are taking plus two
examination in 2010 can also appear for the entrance test provisionally subject to their
fulfilling the conditions later.
(v) 15% seats for SC candidates, 7.5% seats for ST candidates, 27% seats for non-creamy
layer OBC candidates in Central Institutions only and 3% seats on horizontal basis for
Physically Handicapped candidates are reserved in 15% All India Quota for
MBBS/BDS courses.
A candidate can apply for the All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination in
either of the following two ways:-
Offline: Offline submission of Application may be made on the prescribed Application Form. The Information Bulletin and Application Form costing Rs.800/- for General/OBC Category and Rs.450/- for SC/ST category can be obtained against Cash Payment from the designated branches of Canara Bank/Regional Offices of the CBSE between 20-10-2009 to 27-11-2009.
Information Bulletin and Application Form can also be obtained by Post from the Board by
sending a written request with a Demand Draft for Rs.850/- for General/OBC Category
and Rs.500/- for SC/ST Category payable to the Secretary, Central Board of Secondary
Education, Delhi along with a Self Addressed Envelope of size 12" x 10". The request
must reach the Board on or before 18-11-2009. The request should be superscribed
as 'Request for Information Bulletin and Application Form for AIPMT-2010'.
Online: Online submission of application may be made by accessing the Board’s website
www.aipmt.nic.in from 20-10-2009 to 27-11-2009 (5.00 P.M.). Instructions for sending online application, payment of fee and computer generated printout are available on the Board’s website.
Fee of Rs.800/- for General/OBC Category Candidates and Rs.450/- for SC/ST Category
Candidates may be remitted in the following ways:
1. By Credit card, or
2. Through Demand Draft in favour of the Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi drawn on any Nationalized Bank payable at Delhi.
Last date of submission of Application Form: Both offline and online (Computer generated printout) application should be sent through registered post/speed post only so as to reach to the Board on or before 04-12-2009.
Boards address for sending Application: The Deputy Secretary (AIPMT), Central Board
Secondary Education, Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 301
Top 25 Engineering Colleges 2009
1 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi
2 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur
3 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
4 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras
5 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
6 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee
7 - Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS), Pilani
8 - Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
9 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati
10 - Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore
11- National Institute of Technology, Surathkal
12- College of Engineering, Anna University, Chennai
13- National Institute of Technology, Warangal
14- PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore
15- Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi
16 -International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad
17- National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli
18- Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Delhi
19- Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology, Allahabad
20- National Institute of Technology, Calicut
21- National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
22- College of Engineering, Pune
23- Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (BIT), Ranchi
24- R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore
25- Nirma Institute of Technology, Ahmedabad
2 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur
3 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
4 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras
5 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
6 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee
7 - Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS), Pilani
8 - Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi
9 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati
10 - Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore
11- National Institute of Technology, Surathkal
12- College of Engineering, Anna University, Chennai
13- National Institute of Technology, Warangal
14- PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore
15- Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi
16 -International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad
17- National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli
18- Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Delhi
19- Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology, Allahabad
20- National Institute of Technology, Calicut
21- National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
22- College of Engineering, Pune
23- Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (BIT), Ranchi
24- R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore
25- Nirma Institute of Technology, Ahmedabad
Give more weightage to Class 12 marks, Sibal tells IITs
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) should give more weightage to the Class 12 examination marks for admission to the undergraduate courses, union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said on Monday.
Sibal stressed that the IIT admission procedures "should give more weightage to Class 12 exam marks" as well as consider raising the existing 60 percent cut-off percentage for students to appear in the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).
The minister made the comments while chairing a meeting of the IIT Council here.
Sibal proposed a new system under which only high-scoring Class 12 students will be allowed to sit for the entrance exams to professional courses and the cut-off percentage for being eligible to write these exams would be 80-85 percent instead of the current 60 percent.
IIT Delhi professor M. Balakrishnan told sources: "This proposal has been mooted for almost a year now. There is talk in the ministry and among IITs to take such a decision soon."
At the IIT Council meeting, the minister said he also wanted to get rid of professional coaching for medical and engineering exams.
"All proposed changes would be implemented by 2011," a senior ministry official said.
However, coaching centres like Career Launcher, which trains students to face the competitive exam, said that doing away with the coaching centres or increasing weightage for the Class 12 exam marks was not the real solution.
"The coaching centres will not be affected if the entrance exams focus on Class 12 marks. Because we as an industry cater to what inputs are required, so we would train for the IIT-JEE and the board exams. Coaching centres exist because of the existing lacuna at schools. The thrust should be on raising the standard of board exams and to focus on application rather than rote learning," Gautam Puri, vice-chairman of Career Launcher, told sources.
Sibal has also asked for setting up a five-member committee to make the IITs more competitive. Another committee has been constituted to look into the IIT curriculum.
Sibal stressed that the IIT admission procedures "should give more weightage to Class 12 exam marks" as well as consider raising the existing 60 percent cut-off percentage for students to appear in the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).
The minister made the comments while chairing a meeting of the IIT Council here.
Sibal proposed a new system under which only high-scoring Class 12 students will be allowed to sit for the entrance exams to professional courses and the cut-off percentage for being eligible to write these exams would be 80-85 percent instead of the current 60 percent.
IIT Delhi professor M. Balakrishnan told sources: "This proposal has been mooted for almost a year now. There is talk in the ministry and among IITs to take such a decision soon."
At the IIT Council meeting, the minister said he also wanted to get rid of professional coaching for medical and engineering exams.
"All proposed changes would be implemented by 2011," a senior ministry official said.
However, coaching centres like Career Launcher, which trains students to face the competitive exam, said that doing away with the coaching centres or increasing weightage for the Class 12 exam marks was not the real solution.
"The coaching centres will not be affected if the entrance exams focus on Class 12 marks. Because we as an industry cater to what inputs are required, so we would train for the IIT-JEE and the board exams. Coaching centres exist because of the existing lacuna at schools. The thrust should be on raising the standard of board exams and to focus on application rather than rote learning," Gautam Puri, vice-chairman of Career Launcher, told sources.
Sibal has also asked for setting up a five-member committee to make the IITs more competitive. Another committee has been constituted to look into the IIT curriculum.
Monday, October 19, 2009
IT firms to hire about 30,000 experienced hands
Returning to the employment orbit, the mid-tier IT companies plan to take in 25,000 to 30,000 experienced hands in the next three to nine months. Those on the lookout for trained hands are companies like GlobalLogic India, Aricent, MindTree, CPA Global, Sapient, Symphony Services, Citrix, Adobe, Persistent Solutions, nVidia, Amazon, Agilent and Vertex.
The demand has been spurred by a spurt in outsourcing, better order positions and companies expanding their India operations and moving up the value chain. "Customers are stretching their dollars, and outsourcing helps them do that. That's what's driving demand for fresh talent at present," said Prashant Bhatnagar, Director - Hiring, Sapient. Many companies hiring now had no bench staff or have increased their utilisation and now need more staff as more work is being offshored.
As reported by the Economic Times, also, companies like Applied Materials, Volvo, Boeing, Bank of America, Amazon, the United Health Group and Societe Generale have farmed out work for new enterprise applications development, R&D (research and development), engineering services and professional services like customised software development - among others, driving demand. "Hiring numbers are back with a vengeance. We do see new demand in areas like software testing, infrastructure management, Internet technologies, enterprise applications development and so on," said Sanjay Shelvankar, Talent Acquisition Head, MindTree. MindTree plans to hire 500-600 lateral employees with at least four years experience.
Niche providers, too, are scouting for experienced talent. For instance, CPA Global, which does legal processes and global patent filing work for clients like Microsoft and Rio Tinto out of its Noida, U.S. and Europe-based facilities, plans to increase India headcount to 2,000 by end-2010. Also, Aricent, the telecom-focussed software developer with 6,000 of its 8,000 staff in India, will add another 700 to its India operations by March next year. It's looking for experts with two to six years experience in technologies like 3G wireless, voice over Internet protocol, multi-media handsets and Brew technology, a telecom application development platform.
"The new hiring is targetted towards work being farmed out by global companies. Now, a lot of critical high-end work is being sent to India and these niche providers are hiring to cater to such demand in applications development, R&D and software engineering space," said a source familiar with offshore developments, who requested anonymity.
While this has brought new opportunity for the mid-level and niche IT companies, triggering a hiring binge among them, the big companies are not entirely immune to the trend. "For this fiscal, we have revised new hires to 20,000 from 18,000 out of which about 4,500 will be lateral hires. This upward revision has been done due to new demand in areas like infrastructure management services and business solutions," said Mohandas Pai, HR Head, Infosys Technologies.
The demand has been spurred by a spurt in outsourcing, better order positions and companies expanding their India operations and moving up the value chain. "Customers are stretching their dollars, and outsourcing helps them do that. That's what's driving demand for fresh talent at present," said Prashant Bhatnagar, Director - Hiring, Sapient. Many companies hiring now had no bench staff or have increased their utilisation and now need more staff as more work is being offshored.
As reported by the Economic Times, also, companies like Applied Materials, Volvo, Boeing, Bank of America, Amazon, the United Health Group and Societe Generale have farmed out work for new enterprise applications development, R&D (research and development), engineering services and professional services like customised software development - among others, driving demand. "Hiring numbers are back with a vengeance. We do see new demand in areas like software testing, infrastructure management, Internet technologies, enterprise applications development and so on," said Sanjay Shelvankar, Talent Acquisition Head, MindTree. MindTree plans to hire 500-600 lateral employees with at least four years experience.
Niche providers, too, are scouting for experienced talent. For instance, CPA Global, which does legal processes and global patent filing work for clients like Microsoft and Rio Tinto out of its Noida, U.S. and Europe-based facilities, plans to increase India headcount to 2,000 by end-2010. Also, Aricent, the telecom-focussed software developer with 6,000 of its 8,000 staff in India, will add another 700 to its India operations by March next year. It's looking for experts with two to six years experience in technologies like 3G wireless, voice over Internet protocol, multi-media handsets and Brew technology, a telecom application development platform.
"The new hiring is targetted towards work being farmed out by global companies. Now, a lot of critical high-end work is being sent to India and these niche providers are hiring to cater to such demand in applications development, R&D and software engineering space," said a source familiar with offshore developments, who requested anonymity.
While this has brought new opportunity for the mid-level and niche IT companies, triggering a hiring binge among them, the big companies are not entirely immune to the trend. "For this fiscal, we have revised new hires to 20,000 from 18,000 out of which about 4,500 will be lateral hires. This upward revision has been done due to new demand in areas like infrastructure management services and business solutions," said Mohandas Pai, HR Head, Infosys Technologies.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan shares Chemistry Nobel
The Indian born scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has shared the Nobel Chemistry Prize 2009. Besides him Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath are the other scientists who shared the coveted Prize.
Born in 1952 at Chidambaram ,Tamilnadu Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan is currently working with MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology , Cambridge, United Kingdom (Yale University) .
PTI reports:
London, Oct 7 : Tamil Nadu-born Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, a senior scientist at the MRC Laborartory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009 along with two others, the Nobel Committee announced today.
Born in 1952 in Chidambaram, Ramakrishnan shares the Nobel prize with Thomas E Steitz (US) and Ada E Yonath (Israel) for their "studies of the structure and function of the ribosome".
Ramakrishnan earned his B.Sc. in Physics (1971) from Baroda University and his Ph.D. in Physics (1976) from Ohio University.
He moved into biology at the University of California, San Diego, where he took a year of classes, then conducted research with Dr Mauricio Montal, a membrane biochemist.
With this 5.5 Angstrom-resolution structure, Ramakrishnan's group identified key portions of the RNA and, using previously determined structures, positioned seven of the subunit's proteins. In the September 21, 2000 issue of Nature, Ramakrishnan published two papers. In the first of these, he presents the 3 Angstrom structure of the 30S ribosomal subunit. His second paper reveals the structures of the 30S subunit in complex with three antibiotics that target different regions of the subunit. In this paper, Ramakrishnan discusses the structural basis for the action of each of these drugs.
After his postdoctoral fellowship, Ramakrishnan joined the staff of Brookhaven National Laboratory in ther US. There, he began his collaboration with Stephen White to clone the genes for several ribosomal proteins and determine their three-dimensional structures. He was also awarded a Guggenheim fellowship during his tenure there, and he used it to make the transition to X-ray crystallography.
Ramakrishnan moved to the University of Utah in 1995 to become a professor in the Department of Biochemistry. There, he initiated his studies on protein-RNA complexes and
the entire 30S subunit. He since moved to the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, where he is a Senior Scientist and Group Leader in the Structural Studies Division. He joins the list of several Nobel laureates who worked at the laboratory.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
UGC mulling new regulations on appointments
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is mulling issuing new regulations on minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and for the maintenance of standards in higher education.
An Expert Committee constituted by the University Grants Commission under the chairmanship of Prof. S. P. Thyagarajan for recommending minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education, recently submitted its report. The UGC is expected to take a decision on the recommendations soon.
The 86-page recommendations are targeted at university and college teachers, librarians and directors of physical education admitted to the privileges of the universities. It is recommended that the minimum qualifications required for the various posts would be those listed out in the sub-clauses of Clause 3 of the report.
Clause 3 which lists the new procedure for recruitment and the new qualifications says the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors in the Universities and colleges “shall be on the basis of merit through all India advertisement and selections by the duly constituted Selection Committees as per the guidelines prescribed under these Regulations to be incorporated under the Statues/Ordinances of the concerned university. The composition of such committees should be as prescribed by the UGC in these Regulations.”
Clause 3.3.1 says “NET/SLET/SET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities / Colleges / Institutions. Provided, however, that candidates, who are or have been awarded Ph. D. degree in compliance of the “University Grants Commission (minimum standards and procedure for award of Ph.D.Degree), Regulations 2009, shall be exempt from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET/SLET/SET for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor or equivalent positions in Universities / Colleges / Institutions”.
However “NET/SLET/SET shall not be required for such Masters Degree Programmes in disciplines for which NET/SLET/SET/ accredited test is not conducted. Any relaxation in the prescribed qualification, including the NET exemption, can be made only by the University Grants Commission in a particular subject in which NET/SLET/SET is not conducted.
“Such relaxation would be based on the application made by only the affected universities for the specified subject(s) and for a specified period based on sound justification. Provided in case of State Universities, where NET/SET/SLET qualified candidates are not available, the concerned Universities may grant exemption only with the concurrence of the respective State Government.
“Provided further in case of Central Universities such exemption can be granted by the concerned University only with the concurrence of the UGC. Provided further that exemption so granted in both the cases stated above, shall be subject to the condition that the candidates shall acquire their NET/SLET/SET qualification, preferably within a period of 2 years, failing which they shall not be eligible for any increments in their pay scales and for seniority for the years of service rendered by them without such qualifications.
The eligibility for increments and service seniority shall become operational from the date of qualifying for NET/SLET/SET or acquiring Ph.D. Degree as per the UGC Regulations, 2009.”
The Expert Committee report has also stipulated the norms for Direct Recruitment to various posts including Director, Associate Professor and Principal. It has evolved guidelines on selection committees and selection procedures. There is a recommendation on the pay bands of various posts.
The selection and pay scale of even the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Universities have been stipulated by Expert Committee report. Incentives for Ph.D./M.Phil. and other higher qualifications too have been fixed, The report also speaks of increments, allowances and various leaves, age of superannuation, re-employment procedure, pension and related benefits, appointment on contract basis, code of professional ethics etc. The full text of the report is available at http://www.ugc.ac.in/notices/UGCregulations2009.pdf
An Expert Committee constituted by the University Grants Commission under the chairmanship of Prof. S. P. Thyagarajan for recommending minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education, recently submitted its report. The UGC is expected to take a decision on the recommendations soon.
The 86-page recommendations are targeted at university and college teachers, librarians and directors of physical education admitted to the privileges of the universities. It is recommended that the minimum qualifications required for the various posts would be those listed out in the sub-clauses of Clause 3 of the report.
Clause 3 which lists the new procedure for recruitment and the new qualifications says the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors in the Universities and colleges “shall be on the basis of merit through all India advertisement and selections by the duly constituted Selection Committees as per the guidelines prescribed under these Regulations to be incorporated under the Statues/Ordinances of the concerned university. The composition of such committees should be as prescribed by the UGC in these Regulations.”
Clause 3.3.1 says “NET/SLET/SET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities / Colleges / Institutions. Provided, however, that candidates, who are or have been awarded Ph. D. degree in compliance of the “University Grants Commission (minimum standards and procedure for award of Ph.D.Degree), Regulations 2009, shall be exempt from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET/SLET/SET for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professor or equivalent positions in Universities / Colleges / Institutions”.
However “NET/SLET/SET shall not be required for such Masters Degree Programmes in disciplines for which NET/SLET/SET/ accredited test is not conducted. Any relaxation in the prescribed qualification, including the NET exemption, can be made only by the University Grants Commission in a particular subject in which NET/SLET/SET is not conducted.
“Such relaxation would be based on the application made by only the affected universities for the specified subject(s) and for a specified period based on sound justification. Provided in case of State Universities, where NET/SET/SLET qualified candidates are not available, the concerned Universities may grant exemption only with the concurrence of the respective State Government.
“Provided further in case of Central Universities such exemption can be granted by the concerned University only with the concurrence of the UGC. Provided further that exemption so granted in both the cases stated above, shall be subject to the condition that the candidates shall acquire their NET/SLET/SET qualification, preferably within a period of 2 years, failing which they shall not be eligible for any increments in their pay scales and for seniority for the years of service rendered by them without such qualifications.
The eligibility for increments and service seniority shall become operational from the date of qualifying for NET/SLET/SET or acquiring Ph.D. Degree as per the UGC Regulations, 2009.”
The Expert Committee report has also stipulated the norms for Direct Recruitment to various posts including Director, Associate Professor and Principal. It has evolved guidelines on selection committees and selection procedures. There is a recommendation on the pay bands of various posts.
The selection and pay scale of even the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Universities have been stipulated by Expert Committee report. Incentives for Ph.D./M.Phil. and other higher qualifications too have been fixed, The report also speaks of increments, allowances and various leaves, age of superannuation, re-employment procedure, pension and related benefits, appointment on contract basis, code of professional ethics etc. The full text of the report is available at http://www.ugc.ac.in/notices/UGCregulations2009.pdf
Friday, October 2, 2009
KEAM 2009: Final Allotment on Oct 17
The final allotment to Engineering/ Ayurveda/ Homoeo/ Agricultural University Courses as part of the admissions to Professional Degree Courses, Kerala, will be announced on 17.10.2009.
The facility to re-arrange and cancel the higher options of candidates will be available in their Home Page from 10 am on 2.10.2009 (Friday) to 5 pm on 10.10.2009 (Saturday) at www.cee.kerala.gov.in
Candidates getting allotment/re-allotment on 17th October have to remit fee/balance fee/deposit at one of the selected branches of State Bank of Travancore and also take admission in the allotted college between 19.10.2009 and 21.10.2009.
Those candidates having admission in Engineering/Ayurveda/Homoeo/Agricultural University Courses, who wish to cancel their present admissions, can do so by submitting the proforma for cancellation of admissions which can be downloaded from http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed/2009/adm_cncl.pdf duly filled, to the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations so as to reach him latest by 5 pm on 12.10.2009. Candidates will not have the facility to cancel the admissions after this time limit.
Those who are satisfied with the present admission should cancel all their higher options. If a re-allotment is given based on the options left in the Home Page of the candidate at 5 pm on 10.10.2009, the candidate is bound to accept that re-allotment.
Those who have not received any allotment so far should retain only those options they are genuinely interested in. If seats are allotted on 17.10.2009 to these candidates, they are bound to accept the allotment, remit the fee and join the college concerned.
As per the notification available at http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed/2009/cap/sixth/finalallot_mnoti010909.pdf, strict disciplinary action including the levying of liquidated damages, cancellation of the rank and candidature will be initiated by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations, against those who unnecessarily retain options and lapse Government quota seats.
Admission to Engineering/Ayurveda/Homoeo/Agricultural University Courses will be closed on 31.10.2009.
The facility to re-arrange and cancel the higher options of candidates will be available in their Home Page from 10 am on 2.10.2009 (Friday) to 5 pm on 10.10.2009 (Saturday) at www.cee.kerala.gov.in
Candidates getting allotment/re-allotment on 17th October have to remit fee/balance fee/deposit at one of the selected branches of State Bank of Travancore and also take admission in the allotted college between 19.10.2009 and 21.10.2009.
Those candidates having admission in Engineering/Ayurveda/Homoeo/Agricultural University Courses, who wish to cancel their present admissions, can do so by submitting the proforma for cancellation of admissions which can be downloaded from http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed/2009/adm_cncl.pdf duly filled, to the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations so as to reach him latest by 5 pm on 12.10.2009. Candidates will not have the facility to cancel the admissions after this time limit.
Those who are satisfied with the present admission should cancel all their higher options. If a re-allotment is given based on the options left in the Home Page of the candidate at 5 pm on 10.10.2009, the candidate is bound to accept that re-allotment.
Those who have not received any allotment so far should retain only those options they are genuinely interested in. If seats are allotted on 17.10.2009 to these candidates, they are bound to accept the allotment, remit the fee and join the college concerned.
As per the notification available at http://www.cee-kerala.org/engmed/2009/cap/sixth/finalallot_mnoti010909.pdf, strict disciplinary action including the levying of liquidated damages, cancellation of the rank and candidature will be initiated by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations, against those who unnecessarily retain options and lapse Government quota seats.
Admission to Engineering/Ayurveda/Homoeo/Agricultural University Courses will be closed on 31.10.2009.
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