Yale University and Ashoka University expand Their Collaboration

New Delhi, October 16: Yale University and Ashoka University announced an expansion of their ongoing collaboration  today. During his visit to India this week, Yale University President Peter Salovey signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ashoka University Vice Chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee that reaffirms the long-standing collaboration between Yale and Ashoka and establishes a framework to jointly develop opportunities through faculty-initiated and faculty-directed teaching and research activities.

Yale University is among the world’s pre-eminent educational and cultural institutions and an innovator in liberal arts education; Ashoka University is rapidly emerging as India’s premier international-caliber university focused on multidisciplinary liberal education, which transcends the boundaries between the arts and sciences.

The announcement acknowledges a relationship between the universities built over the past five years grounded in research, teaching, and mentorship. During this time, Yale and Ashoka faculty, administrators, and alumni have engaged in a wide range of initiatives where Yale has contributed to advising and shaping Ashoka’s curriculum and infrastructure in admissions, development, student affairs and faculty affairs.

As part of the framework, an existing Yale-Ashoka faculty committee will work to strengthen this relationship and explore opportunities for visiting faculty, visiting students, and joint research and publications. Yale and Ashoka will also explore innovative opportunities for student experiences in India and develop new models for research and teaching on the liberal arts and sciences within India.

Commenting on the event, President Peter Salovey of Yale University said, “I applaud Ashoka’s founders and its new administration and faculty for the courage they have shown in seeking not just to launch a new college, but to rethink and reimagine the possibilities for higher education in India, in collaboration with Yale and others around the world who are trying to do the same thing with respect to their own institutions, however well-established or respected.”

Ashoka Vice Chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee added, “Ashoka University is delighted that Yale University has agreed to be a partner. We look forward to working together and to being enriched by the long years of experience that Yale brings in the field of research and teaching in the liberal arts.”

The Yale linkages to Ashoka have been a vital element of Yale’s engagement with India through its Yale India Initiative, the Yale South Asian Studies Council, and other research and teaching activities. Ashoka faculty and students have often welcomed Yale faculty as visiting lecturers and guest speakers, and Yale and Ashoka have collaborated on joint conferences and programmes. Yale administrators have also met with Ashoka leadership during their visits to New Haven to advise on best practices in a range of areas of academic administration.

Additional linkages and activities between Yale and Ashoka include:

• Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan, Dinakar Singh Professor of India & South Asia Studies and Professor of Anthropology and Forestry & Environmental Studies, is a member of Ashoka University’s Academic Council and is an active lecturer and faculty mentor.

• Geetanjali Singh Chanda, senior lecturer in the Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Yale, has regularly taught in the Young India Fellowship as a visiting faculty member; Nayan Chanda, Editor Emeritus of YaleGlobal Online, will join Ashoka’s faculty to develop a new programme in media studies.

• Yale faculty in anthropology, economics, history, history of art, political science and other fields have lectured or are planning to lecture at Ashoka during their visits to India.

• Yale Professor Steven Wilkinson’s book Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence was published by Ranikhet Permanent Black in association with the Ashoka University Press as part of the Ashoka University Indian History Series.

• Ashoka’s Center for Political Data is advised by senior faculty and scholars from around the world including those at Yale.

• Yale Ph.D. graduates are members of the Ashoka faculty.

• Alumni of Ashoka University’s Young India Fellowship are now regularly being admitted to and matriculating in the degree programmes of Yale’s graduate and professional schools.

• Ashoka Study Abroad has established the Ashoka@Yale Summer Programme for its students with Yale Summer Session for Ashoka students who want to study in New Haven.

• Ashoka and Yale were among the collaborators on two international conferences in 2013 and 2015, in Bangalore and in New Delhi, on the future of liberal arts education in India.

Looking ahead, Yale and Ashoka faculty are in discussion on visiting appointments for Yale faculty; hosting Yale Summer Session course at Ashoka; hosting Yale courses and study trips at Ashoka; staging conferences and workshops such as the Yale Modern South Asia Workshop at Ashoka; and supporting the recruitment of Ashoka faculty from Yale’s Ph.D. students.

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THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY celebrates freshers party

THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY (formerly ITM University), Gurgaon celebrated Freshers Day recently to welcome the new batch of students. Colour, laughter, music and celebrations, were all one could spot at NCU campus, one among India’s foremost private multidisciplinary universities. It was the most happening and memorable experience for the newly inducted students of the University. The senior students of the University organized a scintillating show and welcomed their new companions to the University in an environment full of harmony and friendliness. Lively and entertaining cultural extravaganza comprising dance, fashion show, melody, skits and energetic choreography was at display. The feeling of freedom and enthusiasm was at the heart of every fresher.

Speaking at the occasion, Brig. SK Sharma (Retd), Pro Vice-Chancellor, NCU said, “It is a pleasure to welcome the new students to our University. They are the future of the nation. THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY has a record of producing talented engineers, management professionals, lawyers and entrepreneurs. We are also committed to ensure a ‘no-ragging’ campus. There has not been a single case of ragging at the University in the last two decades.”

The fresher’s batch put up an attractive and a stimulating fashion show by walking the ramp for the coveted Mr Charismatic and Miss Diva’s titles. Dressed to the nines, the girls and boys made a spectacular show. The contest held in a number of rounds and was keenly contested wherein the participants were judged on different parameters of talent, quirkiness, presentability and smartness. Other awards for the new entrants included Mr and Miss Fresher, Mr and Miss Popular and Mr and Miss Well-dressed.

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Quizmaster Siddhartha Basu motivates the Students

The father of Indian television quiz shows, Mr. Siddhartha Basu conducted an inter school quiz competition at Suncity School, Gurgaon today. 33 schools of Delhi NCR participated in this competition. The competition was open to students from VIII – XII standard. 100 pairs of students participated in the preliminary round. DAV School Sector 14 Gurgaon, DPS sector 45 Gurgaon, New Era Public School Mayapuri, Chiranjeev Bharti School, Amity School sector 43 Gurgaon, and Suncity School Gurgaon were selected for the final round. In the final round, Kartikay and Pankaj of DAV School sector 14 Gurgaon were adjudged as 1st, while Ishan and Shubham of the DPS School Sector 45 Gurgaon were adjudged as 2nd and Harsh and Dushyant of Chiranjiv Public School were adjudged as 3rd winners.

The inter school quiz competition ‘Quiz Decathlon’ was organized by Suncity School Gurgaon at their school premises. The quiz hall was jam packed with students and parents to witness the show being hosted by Basu. Mr. Laxmi Narayan Goel, Chairman,Suncity School, Mr. Ankit Goel, Vice-Chairman, Suncity School and Mrs. Rupa Chakravarty, Principal, Suncity School were also present on the occasion.

Mrs. Rupa Chakravarty, Principal said at the occasion, “We are delighted to have Mr. Basu at our School; it’s an honor for us that he is hosting Quiz Decathlon 2015. I thank all the schools for being a part of this.”

Basu thanked Suncity School saying, “I thank Suncity School and its management for having me here. It’s a privilege for me to be in Gurgaon and be with such a wonderful crowd. I congratulate Suncity for completing 10 years and wish them the best for the future. He also said that communication skills are the most important for the overall development of a child. We have been conducting quizzes in different schools across the country and our quiz competitions are knowledge based and audio/video interactive. ”

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25,000 Students participate in 8th Wild Wisdom Quiz

New Delhi, 21 August 2015: The Delhi City Finals of the 8th Wild Wisdom Quiz was held today. An initiative of WWF- India, the Wild Wisdom Quiz is Asia’s largest and India’s only wildlife quiz at the national level. The quiz aims to provide students a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the wildlife of this country, build their interest towards the rich natural legacy and inspire them to work towards its conservation.

Keeping in tune with United Nation’s declaration of 2015 as the ‘International Year of the Soil’, this year’s Wild Wisdom Quiz highlights the importance and conservation of soil. The quiz tests children’s aptitude and knowledge on soil, minerals, evolution, climate change and sustainability, apart from issues of Indian wildlife and global biodiversity.

The quiz has received participation from 25,000 students, pan-India so far. The first city level quiz was held in New Delhi today and will culminate with the finals on 7 October 2015.

75 schools from Delhi participated at this event at WWF-India’s Auditorium in the Junior and Middle School category. The winners of the Junior level quiz were Susheel G Shenoy & Indra Deshmukh from Scottish High School. The Quiz culminates at this level for them whereas the Middle School winners, Dhriti Bindra & Aryashree Bannerjee from ASN Sr. Secondary School will go on to compete with 14 other teams at the National Level, to be held at New Delhi on 7th October 2015.

The winners were felicitated by Dr. N.Khare from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which is also a supporter of the Quiz this year.

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Chaitanya Singh is Jaipur City Topper in 'State Science Talent Search

Science & Technology Department and Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan, conducted State Science Talent Search Examination, Rajasthan (SSTSE) held on 9th November 2014. More than 10,000 students appeared for this exam.

In this Examination, Chaitanya Singh, student of FIITJEE Jaipur Centre got 1st Rank in Jaipur City (State Rank - 2). Another student Shaurya Sarna got 4th Rank in Jaipur City (State Rank-14).

Exuberant with the joy of success, Chaitanya says “the competition was very tough indeed and it was a battle of brains, where concept and reasoning were the key to answer the questions in limited time. Qualifying in this kind of exam warrants rigorous practice and I am immensely thankful to my faculty at FIITJEE for raising my IQ to such competitive level through the study materials, doubt-clearing sessions and personalized guidance, which have been one of the notable reasons of my success this far.” He further added that he would like to join IIT and later, complete PHD with an objective to contribute to the future of science.

Mr. D K Banerjee, Expert & Mentor, FIITJEE, sees the results as an emphatic validation of the FIITJEE way of teaching.

He further said, “The repeated successes of our students make us very proud. It is a great achievement for us to have been able to help many students fulfill their dreams. At FIITJEE, we try to make a difference in the way students think and understand. We also give special attention to the holistic development of our students”.

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Aditi Vikas from FIITJEE is a STATE TOPPER in NTSE 2015

New Delhi, 25 February 2015: ​​87.69% result of Delhi State in NTSE Stage-I, has been captured by classroom program students of FIITJEE. Total 57 out of 65 students from FIITJEE’s long duration classroom program, have demonstrated exemplary scholastic brilliance to qualify in National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) 2015 from Delhi State.

NATIONAL TALENT SEARCH EXAMINATION is the most prestigious scholarship exam for students. The examination was coordinated by the National Council of Education Research & Training (NCERT), Delhi .FIITJEE as an institute has the highest success in any Schooling Program available anywhere across the country.

​​Aditi Vikas is declared as STATE TOPPER and has scored 137 marks out of 140 marks in MAT & SAT. Exuberant with the joy of success, Aditi says “the competition was very tough indeed and it was a battle of brains, where concept and reasoning were the keys to answer the questions in limited time. Qualifying in this kind of exam warrants rigorous practice and I am immensely thankful to my faculty at FIITJEE for raising my IQ to such competitive level through the study materials, doubt-clearing sessions and personalized guidance, which have been one of the notable reasons of my success this far.”

He further added that he would like to join IIT and later, complete PHD with an objective to contribute to the future of science. Other successful students are Lakshya Saggi (Rank 2), Ananaye Agarwal (Rank 3) and Aproov Singh (Rank 4).

The result of State Level National Talent Search Examination - 2015 (Stage-I) for class X which was held 2nd November 2014 has been announced on 19th February 2015.

These students have been qualified to appear in the second stage of NTSE -2015, which is to be conducted by NCERT, Delhi on 10th May this year.

NTSE exam is conducted every year for class 10 students and is extremely popular scholarship examination among the bright and talented students of the country. This scheme was initiated in the year 1963 by Government of India to bring up qualitative improvement in the school education.

One change in the scheme was made in the year 2006 wherein the NTSE examination was held at the end of Class VIII. Another change in scheme was made in the year 2012 with NTSE being held for class X students.

FIITJEE is the nation’s premier institute for IIT-JEE training. FIITJEE believes that the ideal time for nurturing and enhancing the IQ of children is when they are in class VI, VII & VIII grade. It is with this belief that FIITJEE started imparting training to develop the nascent raw intelligence of the students from class VI onwards.

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Success Guru AK Mishra’s talk on art of success at Jamia Milia Islamia

The CSI student chapter of Jamia Milia Islamia had invited Success Guru A.K. MIshra for a talk on how to excel and lead in the chosen field on 3rd Feb 2015 at the Ansari Auditorium, Jamia Milia Islamia. 

The title of the workshop was Art Of Success and the chief speaker was Success Guru A.K. Mishra, who gave insights and tips on excellence to the students present. 

The workshop was largely attended by students from different departments of the University.

SuccessGuru A.K. Mishra, motivated students to convert their weakness into strength and think like Civil Services Aspirants. 

The Seminar provided guidance to the aspirants on how to excel and lead in the chosen filed, and this method of lecture not only keeps the students glued to their seats but also encourages them to engage positively with Success Guru AK Mishra.

In this seminar, SuccessGuru A.K.Mishra discussed the importance of development of administrative traits in Civil Services as an important condition for their success in Civil Services examination. 

During this seminar, he briefly explained “How To Discover Yourself?” According to him, you are Universe in this epitome, because there is always something you know better than the others. You weren't accident, you are not mass produced, and you were not assembly line product.

 You are deliberately planned, specifically gifted and lovingly positioned on earth by master craftsman. He said that never consider yourself as poor. You have unlimited power and he also said that this world belongs to believers. Start living with the belief and you will achieve everything you desire with a focused mind towards your Goal.

In the program he also invited successful candidate of Chanakya IAS Academy, Mr. Yunus, IAS Himachal Cadre to share his experience in the Civil Services so far.

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Students from FIIT JEE Faridabad shine in National Programme of Fellowship in Basic Sciences

Students from FIIT JEE Faridabad shine in National Programme of Fellowship in Basic Sciences

Faridabad, 17 Dec 2014: Students of Faridabad have come out in flying colors, displaying exceptional talent and qualifying in large numbers for the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), an ongoing national programme funded by the Government of India to encourage students to study and pursue research in basic sciences.

The results of KVPY 2014 were declared this week. The results announced that 29 students from Faridabad’s FIITJEE centre had qualified in the examination, creating history for coaching institutes of the city.

FIITJEE is India’s most trusted coaching institute that prepares students for IIT and other top engineering institutes as well as other prestigious examinations like Mathematics and Science Olympiads, NTSE etc.

There was a mood of jubilation at FIITJEE Faridabad Centre where students came out with flying colours. All the FIITJEE students who have qualified for the research programme are from long term classroom programs. Teachers at the centre were also overjoyed by the performance of their students, which was the best performance amongst all coaching institutes in the city.

The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) is a National Program of Fellowship in Basic Sciences, initiated and funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to attract exceptionally highly motivated students for pursuing basic science courses and research career in science.

The objective of the program is to identify students with talent and aptitude for research; help them realize their academic potential; encourage them to take up research careers in Science, and ensure the growth of the best scientific minds for research and development in the country.

FIITJEE Centre Head Mr. Ambarish Srivastava motivated all the students to continue with zest their JEE preparation. He also assured the continued support on part of the centre to the IIT JEE aspirants of the city to produce similar results consistently.

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ITM University organizes International Seminar on Surrogacy and Human Rights

ITM University organizes International Seminar on Surrogacy and Human Rights

Gurgaon December​ ​5​, 2014: ITM University’s Law School organized an International Seminar on ‘Surrogacy and Human Rights’ against the backdrop of India becoming a popular destination for medical tourism and advancements in technology increasing the demand for gestational surrogacy here.

At the global level, surrogacy is a booming business despite the fact that many countries prohibit surrogacy arrangements. The market for international surrogacy is estimated to be USD six billion annually worldwide. India alone is estimated to hold a business of $445 million, and still the legal regulations governing the issue are hazy.


The seminar was inaugurated by Mr Hans Friedrich Schodder, Deputy Chief of Mission, United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). The themes for discussion during the seminar focused on national and international perspective of surrogacy, statelessness and health standards in surrogacy as well as social impact of fertility tourism.

“Indian fertility services are known for quality and low cost. When we look into the problem of surrogacy, it gives insight into certain issues like citizenship issues, transit issues, medical issues, circumvention and conflict of laws and likewise. Adoption remains in greyscale when talking about surrogacy,” said Mr Schodder.

Prof. Prem Vrat, Pro-Chancellor, ITM University, Gurgaon raised the social concerns attached with the surrogate arrangement and emphasized on the social acceptance of the surrogate child and the health issues of the surrogate mother.

There were experts from NGOs, doctors, eminent lawyers and distinguished academicians who presented their views on Commercial Surrogacy, including Dr Sonia Malik, IVF, Max, Gurgaon; Dr Rita Bakshi, Green Park Infertility Clinic, New Delhi and Dr Manasi Mishra, Centre for Social Research, New Delhi.


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FIITJEE’s Talent Reward Exam (FTRE) on December 28, 2014

FIITJEE’s Talent Reward Exam (FTRE) on December 28, 2014

for students presently in class V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, & XI (going to class VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI & XII in 2015)


Through the exam, FIITJEE will not only help students know their standing at National Level but will also scout for talented students with opportunities to join a prestigious FIITJEE classroom/ integrated school program

New Delhi: As students aspiring for a future in the field of engineering weighing their options and preparation plans, India’s leading coaching institute FIITJEE will give them an opportunity to gauge their standing among their peers nationwide while offering the potential leaders rewards/scholarships, fee and hostel fee waivers as applicable.


FIITJEE will hold its annual “FIITJEE Talent Reward Exam” (FTRE) on December 28 this year to test the potential & battle readiness for the IIT / various competitive examinations hopefuls and offer the best guidance to the deserving so as to nurture their talent and potential to fruition.

With the competition growing increasingly tough day by the day, how early you start your preparation becomes the key deciding factor in most cases. Getting the right guidance is another crucial factor. With its talent reward exam, FIITJEE intends to help students address both these factors.

The FIITJEE Talent Reward Exam (FTRE) is designed to help IIT-JEE / Engineering aspirants realize where they stand in competition with other students as they gear up for the actual Joint Entrance Examination for entrance to India’s top engineering colleges. Based on their performance students will get to know their Rank Potential Index (RPI) for JEE (Advanced)/ Success Potential Index (SPI) for other competitive examinations which will help them know their chances of success in securing a seat in the IITs and other prestigious engineering colleges and institutions and bridge the gap in their preparation for JEE 2015 / other competitive examinations.


An appearance in the exam can help you know your ranking at the National Level along with an evaluation of your IQ and current scholastic potential with an opportunity to join a FIITJEE classroom at attractive waivers in fee. Exposure to competitive examination at an early age may also boost your emotional quotient to be able to face competitive examinations.

The exam is open for all students who are currently studying their Class V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X & XI. For those who are entering class XII and the final battle line before JEE Main & JEE Advanced, the test is a crucial mock exercise which will give them a real time analysis of where they stand and what they need to do to bridge their gaps / shortcomings. Based on their performance students will also get suggestions to plug loopholes to enable them better their conceptual understanding and analytical ability.

For younger students FTRE is a lesson on why they need to start their preparations early if they hope to make it to IIT and other top engineering colleges of the country.

Students securing a Rank in Top 500 in the Exam will get a certificate of achievement and will also get free online doubt removal support to help them in their preparation, irrespective of whether they join FIITJEE or not. Moreover, the top 500 meritorious students will also receive cash scholarships, tuition fee waiver for FIITJEE Program as well as hostel fee waiver on the basis of their performance.

The examination will be held on December 28 across more than 100 test centers in India.

“Making it to IITJEE is a great feat. Only the best minds in the country make it to the top engineering colleges. However, not all capable students are able to crack the tough nut mainly due to lack of proper guidance and support. For JEE, it is important to start preparing early and FIITJEE gives students the right guidance on road map. Our programs start right after class V and groom students in the subjects and in development of IQ and analytical abilities in the most optimum way possible,” says Mr. R L Trikha, Director, FIITJEE.

“Also important to note is the fact that top students will get adequate scholarship money not only to support their preparation for IIT-JEE and other engineering colleges but also for their engineering studies post selection,” Mr. Trikha added.

FIITJEE, as a matter of principle, has been supporting in particular extremely poor and meritorious students through a program called “Fortunate 40” and in general through FTRE helping other meritorious Students by way of Scholarships. The FTRE is a perfect way for serious students to know what they are lacking and where they stand before the important exam of their life. There will, however be many students with excellent potential for JEE who may not get scholarships. We advise such students not to feel disheartened. Our performance analysis should be able to clearly explain to them their individual potential. What matters finally is to win prestigious seat in IIT/ top engineering colleges & institutes.

The last date to register for the exam is December 26, 2014 and the registration fee for the exam varies from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 depending upon when and how you are applying. The registration process is simple and students can register for FTRE through online and offline modes.


Results declaration will start from 8th January 2015 onwards till 16th January 2015.


Results will be Available at www.fiitjee-ftre.com and www.fiitjee.com
For Online Registration, visit www.fiitjeeonline.in

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Haryana Governor distributes scholarships to ITM University students

Haryana Governor Sri. Kaptan Singh Solanki distributes scholarships to meritorious and under-privileged students of ITM University, Gurgaon

•   Over 200 students were given scholarships amounting to Rs. 1.5 Crores

Gurgaon: In an atmosphere of solemnity and grandeur, His Excellency Governor of Harayana Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki distributed scholarships to over 200 students of ITM University, Gurgaon to help financially and socially disadvantaged and meritorious students.

This scholarship has been instituted by the University to bring quality education within the reach of every student irrespective of their financial or social status.

Speaking at the occasion, the Governor, the Chief Guest at the Scholarship distribution ceremony, lauded the milestones achieved by ITM University in becoming one of the premier universities in India. He further went on to appreciate the service ITM University renders by awarding scholarships to the merited students and those from the weaker section of the society. He drew attention of all spectators on the tremendous progress made by the State of Haryana in the field of higher education.

“The University should further endeavour to achieve global bench marks in higher education and use emerging technology and pursue research to benefit the people, industry and the country at large,” he added while urging students to become good responsible citizens of this country besides being professionals.

The Pro-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Prem Vrat said, “ITM University holds the pride of one of the first private technical universities in Haryana and offers various undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes under the School of Engineering and Technology, School Management and School of Law. The University has achieved many distinctions over the years since it inception, through hard work, vision and unflinching commitment to excellence.”

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. BS Panwar lauded the efforts of the student and asked other students to follow their suit. The fee concessions and scholarships amounted to over Rs 1.5 crore.

Earlier, the ITM University staff and students accorded a warm welcome to the honorable Governor. The campus was spruced up for the occasion with colours and flowers and patriotic fervor was created by the University Choir while singing National Anthem and Vande Matram.


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SOIL organized an Annual Retreat to Sidhbari for its Students & Faculty

New Delhi : School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL) offered a week long Annual retreat to its students and faculty members. The aim of the Sidhbari annual retreat was to provide space and time to the students and faculty to reflect and commit to a long term plan for their journey and to become value-driven leaders. The unique opportunity to engage with the locals at the Chinamaya Ashram in Sidhbari, Himalayas facilitated the learning amongst students.

SOIL is a new paradigm in management education that aims at providing holistic education that builds inspired leaders who believe in Knowing, doing and being. To help young minds recognize their purpose and realize their full potential, the school arranges an annual trip to Sidhbari in the Himalayas where the students spend a week in the Chinmaya Ashram.

The retreat began on Saturday, November 8 when the students along with SOIL’s faculty left for Sidhbari. On day two and three, after being comfortably adjusted in the accommodation of Chinamay Ashram, the students learnt the finer nuances of “Appreciative Inquiry” by Mr. Anil Sachdev, Founder SOIL. The fourth day engrossed students to work with the team of CORD(Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development), where they interacted with the villagers and adhered to their social & functional issues. As the day closed down, the Staff convened upon an Annual Learning Conference to reflect on accomplishments of the year gone by and plan ahead for the future. Novemeber 12th saw a presentation on findings & learnings from CORD by students which was reviewed by SOIL’s faculty and Mr. Anil Sachedv. The last two days were a workshop for the students on the importance of team work & leadership by the faculty of SOIL.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anil Sachdev, Founder & CEO SOIL said, “Sidhbari is an experience for students to grow and learn to have a sense of gratitude towards humanity. Our students come to Sidhbari every year, here I teach them a course that helps them to understand their inner potential. The whole experience of Sidhbari transforms the students into a better human being. Here they interview villagers and later enact their learnings through dance, drama, poetry & literature. The experience of Sidhbari stays in the students lives as a high point of the learning experience in SOIL. SOIL's whole purpose is to build leaders with deep inspiration, strong character and competence to take responsibility for their problems."

CORD-SIDHBARI,

CORD- Sidhbari has touched the lives of over 55,000 beneficiaries directly, and over 2,75,000, indirectly, in over 500 villages of District Kangra, through its comprehensive integrated rural development programme. The thrust of the programme is working with village women through several village-level structures.

SOIL, School of Inspired Leadership
SOIL is a business school that provides holistic education that builds inspired leaders by facilitating their understanding on who they are, recognize their purpose and realize their full potential and to build organizations of consequence.

To accomplish this SOIL-

Nurtures Character through the practice of its values through rituals and symbols (Like Morning Circle, Himalayan Retreats, Appreciative Inquiry, working on Social Innovation, Yoga, Simulation through theatre etc.)

SOIL Builds Competence by focusing on whole systems thinking; designing and delivering a future ready curriculum;leveraging teaching methods and spaces that deploy multiple intelligences ; providing opportunity for one to one mentoring by seasoned leaders and internship projects

SOIL believes in Generating Enthusiasm by providing the environment and facilitation to enable students to define their purpose, identify their gifts and learn to leverage their strengths towards their calling.

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America Awaits: American Expert educates Indian Students

America Awaits: American Expert educates India Students about prospects of higher education in the US

• Lisa Jain, representative of the College Board in India, interacts with undergraduate students about higher education possibilities in American Universities and Colleges at a session organized by FIITJEE

New Delhi: Even as a large number of Universities and Colleges in the US look for promising students from across the world, millions of young Indian students miss the opportunity due to lack of awareness about the application processes, preparation modes, test requirements, and scholarship options.


At an interactive session with leading international education expert Ms Lisa Jain today, a large number of young undergraduate students got a golden opportunity to clear their doubts about the US education system, and obtain useful tips and information on how to go about the process of applying in the best way.


The interactive session was an initiative of USA UnivQuest, a part of the FIITJEE Group.

Ms Lisa Jain is the India Representative of the College Board, an independent organization comprising prominent US Universities, Schools and Colleges as its members, with a mission to connect students to college success and opportunity. College Board’s member colleges, schools and universities hail from 60+ countries, and College Board’s programs such as SAT, PSAT and Advanced Placement (AP) are administered in over 180 countries.


Students looking for opportunity of studying in the US can appear for SAT, SAT Subject Test and Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, collect credits and scores, and can then apply for various colleges across the spectrum.


Ms Jain spoke about the benefits and importance of College Board’s different programs and resources including SAT, SAT Subject Tests and Advanced Placement, in detail. She also shed light on pertinent questions like when students should give their standardized tests, how they should prepare more effectively to do well in the SAT, and how the AP Program can help strengthen the college application and earn college credits. The session also helped students gain a deep insight into some of the most critical parts of the U.S. and overseas college application process.


“Getting an education at a prestigious American college is a dream millions of young Indians feel will always remain a dream only. Reality is different. Even average Indian students can make it to the world’s best universities provided they plan and work towards it. Unfortunately, no one ever tried to explore beyond the obvious and that’s how USA UnivQuest was born. FIITJEE’s USA UnivQuest, aims to fill in this gap by acting as a guiding light to young Indians looking for a promising education in the United States. College Board is a prestigious and trusted organization that has for over a century helped students in their quest for obtaining the best education and we are proud to be associated with it,” says Mr. Ashish Khare, Head – Academics – USA UnivQuest.

Lisa Jain is the Representative of The College Board in India. She works extensively with schools, students and parents across India to educate them about College Board’s programs and resources.

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School and College Reunion

School days and college days are the best days of any one’s life, funny incidents, teacher’s scolding’s, affectionate friends all these add up to unforgettable memories.

But as we grow up and go further in life we leave our old college mates, school mates and make new friends in work places and in social life.

But the friends we made in school in college we will never be able to forget and at some point of time when we grow up and are working somewhere we just wish we could meet them.

As we grow old and age the desire becomes even stronger we just wish that we could somehow meet our old classmate’s school mates and friends and relive those wonderful and precious moments.

No matter where you stand in life now you may be a millionaire or an official. May be now you are in a position where people just wait to have a glimpse of you or talk to you.

But still you will not be able to forget the old and golden days that you spent in school or college, you may have a huge social circle now but still you wish in your heart you would meet some old friend in your school or college.

Every person no matter how old he grows always cherishes those days that he spent in school or college. Reunions are the perfect way to get in touch with our old friends and to relive those precious moments again.

The innocence or may be foolishness that was there in that age vanishes as we grow and we learn the ways of the world and when we meet those people again we see a clear difference between what we were then and what we are now.

Many people apart from just spending time together in reunions also do good and useful things to the school or college they studied.

They accumulate money and give it to the development of the school or give a scholarship to the bright students of the college.

There are so many good things that people do and they make it a custom to meet every year.

So, re-unions are one of the best things that can happen in life and become the most precious moments of our life.

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A Farewell to Remember at ITM University

It was an emotional moment at ITM University as students and faculty members bid farewell to the outgoing batch of Engineering and Management recently.

There were mixed emotions among the final year students as they found themselves amidst the future calling and the pain to leave their alma mater. They, however, made the best of the last few hours at the University and were seen in high spirits, clicking pictures of every nook and cranny of the campus, faculty and juniors.

The juniors did everything possible to make it a memorable experience for their seniors. A cultural show was organized by the juniors and food stalls were erected to make their juniors feel special. They later thanked the seniors for their guidance over the years and wished them all the success for future.

“It is the time when we have to say goodbye to students who have been with us for four years. As my heart aches to bid them adieu, there is a hope too that the students will create a niche for themselves and bring a good name to the University. I extend my best wishes to the outgoing students for their future endeavour, hoping they will excel in whatever domain they have chosen,” said Prof Prem Vrat, Vice Chancellor, ITM University.

The juniors also gave their seniors titles as they were presented with a memento in the form a memorabilia.

For more information: Teamwork Communications , Rishi Sinha/Abhishek pandey/Rahul Dhall , 9911872345/9999858558/9811167418

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ZICA to Award Scholarships to Students to achieve their educational goal

Bhubaneswar: Zee Institute of Creative Art (ZICA), an active player in promoting the growth of animation industry in India, is once again rewarding performance with its ‘Zee Vidyanidhi Scholarship’. Through initiatives such as this, ZICA is trying to take steps toward making it easier for young talented students to fulfill their dreams of being a world class animator. With the ‘Zee Vidyanidhi Scholarship‘, 1000 talented students can get up to 100% scholarship for all courses at any ZICA center across India.

This is the third consecutive year when ZICA is rewarding performance with the Zee Scholarship campaign. Application for the scholarship opens from November 11 and runs till 31st December, 2013. The scholarship is provided across all the 30 ZICA centers in India and is valid for all the courses offered at the centre.

ZICA provides practical training in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Visual Effects, Graphic & Web Designing & Gaming, covering all the stages of visualization, Pre-production, production and post-production.

The Scholarship examination will test the students’ creative abilities, enthusiasm and motivation to become a creative professional. With a unique question paper prepared for this purpose and a personal interview following the test, the candidates will be evaluated thoroughly to ensure that they deserve the award.

Talking about the initiative, Mr. Anshuman Choudhary, Business Head of ZICA, said, “At ZICA, we believe in promoting creative talent. We want to encourage talented people to pursue their dreams of making it to the creative industry by eliminating any barriers that may come in their way. Scholarship is one such means of helping all potential students realize their dreams. With this initiative we are aiming to bring together a pool of well deserved talent from across the country.”

Depending on the results of the exam and the following personal interview, the scholarship will offer deserving students a 100% waiver on the course fees.

About ZICA

Zee Institute of Creative Art (ZICA) is India’s first full-fledged Classical and Digital Animation Training Academy that trains youth in classical 2D and modern 3D animation. The institute has adopted a novel training style and is focused entirely on creating a stimulating environment for its students. ZICA is now operating with over 30 centres in more than 15 major cities. Zee Institute of Creative Art, with its state-of-the-art infrastructure, gives practical training in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Visual Effects & Gaming, covering the stages of visualization, Pre-production, production and post-production. Students are assured of creative exposure with a healthy mix of theory and practical sessions, delivered with the right amalgamation of Art & technology, under the supervision of in-house experienced faculties and industry experts from India and abroad. ZICA’s Training Studios are equipped with high end animation tools, 2D animation facilities, 3D software, Visual FX Labs and imaging technologies.

Visit ZICA at www.zica.org

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Top Five Things to Learn in Economics?

In the modern world it is very important to gauge your financial health as well as of the nation, and Economics subject has been there for centuries to understand those concepts. Being a student of economics it has been fun to know about many factors those determine the well being of economy and household budget.

Keeping the financial crisis of late everybody witnessing it is very necessary to know abut few terms of economics and their impact on your financial position. The following mentioned factors include both marco and micro economics topics. And the aim of the post is the just hint about the factors and to know further about these we recommend using best economics books.

1. Demand & Supply: It is the major factor that affects our life, the excess or less of demand has certainly impact on the price that is essential in our life. A layman also knows that the demand force in the market is related to supply side in regulating the price. And for that they no need to have degree in economics. Fish market could be the best example where one can experience the practical implementation of the demand and supply factor. Here we mentioned the fish market because of the short-term market for price mechanism.
2. Inflation: It’s a macro economical terms that is being used regularly to say that price goes up of the goods in the market. It is directly affect the health of economy and household budget. There are many types of inflation; however, a bit rise in inflation is always good for economy and household. But the scenarios like galloping or hyper inflation always a bad thing for all. 
3. Money: Everybody wants money to meet their wants. “Money is good servant but bad master” a definition there in economics. In economics, students would know about the evolution of money, which is the most interesting subject to know. The study about money is limited to economics only, but it is just like a general subject that needs no expertise. Everybody deals with money daily even every minute in their life, and their labor is being rewarded in terms of money, no matter a daily labor or CEO of a company. Money is the perfect thing that to know the value of goods and services in the market. It always draws attention of the people because it is the part and parcel of their life, without money even people afraid to imagine. 
4. Market: No need to define what a market is, people knows that a place where buyers meet sellers. Market is the most common word we use every day and all the moment. Without the word, our sentences might not complete, particularly when we are taking about purchasing goods and services. And a favorite word for the ladies since they love to shop and a family is just synonymous for presence of ladies and their shopping. No matter be the size of the market, it due posses all the qualities and characteristics of market. Students of economics study about different types of markets and the role of price mechanism in market. 
5. Human Wants: Just imagine how the world would be without wants. These are the root cause for the significant development of the world, civilization, society and technology. In economics, human wants are unlimited, a true fact. Human being wants many things but could able to satisfy few of those, in general and that is what economics also teaches us about wants. In economics students do learn about consumer behavior and utility factors related to human wants, those are pure micro economic concepts. Interesting thing about this topic is that, nobody tries cutting their wants, even a student of economics who studied and understood about human wants.

All these five things in economics are purely applicable in day-to-day life and for that there is no vast knowledge is required. The practical experience with these common factors made us successful in many ways and the study of economics has been showing the path to excel further.

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CBSE: From This Year ‘Open Book’ Exam

Here is good news for the students appearing for the final exams for classes 9, 10 and 11.

From the current academic year, the Central Board of Secondary Education will introduce an 'open book' section for class 9, 10 and 11, and for class 12 boards from next academic year (2014-15).

The 'open book' section doesn't mean books can be taken inside the exam hall. Students will be given case studies in each subject, four months in advance.

All questions will be from the given material, and this section will carry 20% weightage.


The open book section will apply for all subjects for classes IX and X. At the plus two level, CBSE has identified four subjects to begin with those are Economics, Geography, Biology, and a language. This system has been finalized by the Board and the case studies for the final exams will be given to students in November 2013.

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IIT Bombay launches e-Yantra Lab Set-up Initiative

Mumbai, April 05, 2013: IT Bombay today announced the launch of its e-Yantra Lab Set-up Initiative (eLSI) – a nationwide vision to enable and empower engineering education in the country through creating facilities and producing mentors. A logical next step to providing scalability and sustainability to the pan-India e-Yantra Robotics Competition for students launched in July last year, e-Yantra Lab Set-up Initiative will create the infrastructure for students to engage their interest in Robotics and Embedded systems in a continuing manner. E-Yantra is an MHRD sponsored project under the National Mission for Education in ICT (NMEICT) program.

‘We do this by setting up e-Yantra labs, training teachers and getting them to integrate our "learn by doing" ideas into the curriculum. Once the labs are in place we can share our know-how, teaching insights, project methodologies, etc. ultimately to train the teachers to take ownership of our Embedded Systems course,’ says Prof. Kavi Arya of the Computer Science and Engineering department of IIT Bombay and one of the conceptualisers of e-Yantra.

(L to R) Prof. Kavi Arya, Dr. Seema Shah, Prof Srikant Velankar, Prof. Krithi Ramamritham.jpg

In the pilot phase, e-Yantra conducted workshops where teams of 4 teachers from the shortlisted 16 engineering colleges in the Mumbai region were trained in the theory of micro-controllers and programming of Robots. To give them a hands on experience, these 16 teams participated in the e-Yantra Robotics Teacher Competition - a competition over a period of 4 months to train them in all aspects of a technology project. The finale of this teachers' competition also coincided with today’s launch of eLSI as a symbol of preparedness of the teachers to assign projects to their students in the newly launched Robotics labs.

Today’s launch event took place at the Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Wadala - one of the 16 participating colleges from Mumbai. The entire team of teachers and principals from the remaining 15 colleges were present at the launch along with the team from IIT Bombay including Prof. Krithi Ramamritham, Prof. Kavi Arya and also Dr. Rajan Welukar Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University who joined in through a video link to address the audience.


By the end of first year, IIT Bombay aims to create e-Yantra labs across 100 colleges and 5 Nodal Centers (each Nodal Center (NC) to oversee around 20 colleges). By the end of 3rd year this number would go up to 500 colleges and 25 NCs in all the small and large towns, villages and cities of the country.

A couple of weeks ago IIT Bombay’s e-Yantra concluded its first National Robotics Competition grand finale. First a phenomenon and then a rage among engineering students from across the nation; it led to 6000 registrations (from some of the remotest parts of the country), 500 participants, 25% female participants, 131 teams, 20 finalist teams and all winners.

While that created awareness and identified a need, in order to sustain the generated impact on the engineering curriculum in future, it was essential to create a supporting infrastructure that enables and empowers. An infrastructure that brings students and teachers together to work on innovative and meaningful projects and solves problems, which are unique to our country and environment.

Prof. Suresh Ukarande, Dean of Faculty of Technology, University of Mumbai who enthusiastically put Mumbai University behind this initiative and piloted and supported the e-Yantra Lab Setup Initiative said, ‘through Robotics, we want to create a culture of practical knowledge, research and creative and innovative thinking among students’.

‘What makes e-Yantra special is its inter-disciplinary approach. This results students across departments – be it electrical, mechanical, computer science – to come together to solve an existing tangible problem and create something that is beyond their defined syllabus. The e-Yantra Lab Setup Initiative is a visionary concept that only an institute of the stature of IIT Bombay can think of and see through. I wish them all the best,’ he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Krithi Ramamritham also from the CSE department and co-conceptualiser of e-Yantra said, ‘our goal is to help develop core engineering skills in our students to inspire them to look upon themselves as “problem solvers for society.” To stimulate their creativity and analytical skills and to “learn by doing.” This practical approach is sadly lacking in Indian education’.

‘We believe e-Yantra will play a significant role in addressing a number of the pressing issues in our education system at the college level. We need to scale up the program as fast as possible to create useful skills in the students. This means not only technology development but to nurture a market driven eco-system that will sustain the new infrastructure being created of robots and ancillary equipment in the academic community. This being our goal, we have certainly made a promising start and the story promises to get more exciting as we reach out to the rest of the country to colour it in different hues of e-Yantra,’ added Prof. Arya.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Seema Shah, Acting Principal of Vidyalankar Institute of Technology said, ‘We at Vidyalankar Institute of Technology are extremely proud to be a part of the e-Yantra MHRD pilot project. Under the able guidance of the capable e-Yantra team from IIT Bombay, all the 16 colleges in Mumbai will definitely take this project to greater heights. This is just the start of a productive relationship among us all in the field of Robotics. The success of the pilot initiative will enable the e-Yantra team to extend this project to the other engineering colleges across the country’.

The IIT Bombay e-Yantra team has devised a simple, scalable and sustainable model for setting up labs in colleges across India. Colleges with strong networking and infrastructure capabilities in different regions are identified as Nodal Centers (NCs) each of which will serve as a coordinating and mentoring entity for 20-30 colleges from that region. All that the participating college needs to do is make an investment of Rs. 5 lakh to purchase robots, tools and ancillary equipment, have a dedicated team of 4 teachers (to be trained by IIT Bombay), physical space for the e-Yantra lab and 20 PCs/laptops to be made available to the students.

Once the infrastructure and willingness is in place, IIT Bombay steps in with its 3-pronged approach of setting up the e-Yantra labs that most teachers and colleges have found motivating and rewarding:

- Mentors: delivering mentors by training teachers through workshops on Robotics and Embedded systems

- Infrastructure: helping in infrastructure set up with its expertise and knowledge of setting up and running a Robotics lab

- Competition: leading the teachers through their participation in a teachers' version of the contest to show how to handle a project.

Every college has the responsibility to create and sustain the interest of students in their engineering subjects. e-Yantra does this by making teaching exciting and demonstrating the societal problem-solving angle at every stage. A college gains highly motivated students and teachers and a relevant curriculum. It gains visibility amongst students. It creates students with the practical systems engineering outlook much more desirable to industry and the community. It creates value all round for all stakeholders.

By plugging the college into the IIT Bombay eco-system of projects and project ideas, e-Yantra’s intention and goal is to give each college a start such that over a period of time they also help create content for the robotic eco-system with a multiplicative effect on intellectual property creation.


For further information, please contact:
Atul Malikram
9827092823

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Benefits of Trends and Technology in the Educational System

Since its origin the educational system under went so many changes according to the time, place and necessity. In the olden days education system laid more stress on the development of the individual, instead of just stuffing his mind with facts. The old educational system laid stress on the values and morals. Now all that matters is ranks, scores and success.

Keeping this aside, there has been a lot of influence of the changing trends and technology on the educational system. In the beginning Board was used to write, draw, and teach, then came charts, then projectors, then it was the turn of computers, and the trend is constantly upgrading itself with time.

Now is the age of Social networking and this has also made its way into the classrooms. Today students are creating YouTube videos; Professors are creating class room focused blogs, and even Face book pages. This way both the teacher and the taught are being benefitted using technology and following the trend.

Take for instance podcasts or online learning tutorials, people can learn and educate themselves, sitting at the comfort of their home. In addition to paid online classes and degree programmes some universities are offering free non credit online courses. To name two of such Institutes, Massachusetts Institute of technology and Stanford University are at present offering free courses.

MOOCs are a revolution in the way students learn, and this trend has its impact across the globe. These courses are typically free, and only require a computer and, of course, the internet. Another trend in educational system is Game-based learning; GBL can be anything from learning simulations, to using video games in the class room.

Game Based Learning is designed to balance game play with subject matter, and this helps students to retain and apply what they’ve learned. Although it’s still in the early phases we are sure to see games being used more frequently in the learning process.

So, changing trends and technology is becoming a helping tool for both the teacher and the taught. And in this process of learning, along with education students will make themselves familiar with the changing trends and technology. And this will help them to upgrade and improve in more ways.

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