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Taslima Nasrin the controversial Bangladeshi writer came back to India on Friday after spending more than four months in Sweden. She arrived at the Indira Gandhi  International airport in the morning and was immediately taken to an undisclosed destination by security officers.

The future plans of Taslima, who shot to fame with her controversial book “Lajja”, were not immediately known.  She has been requesting for permanent residentship in the country, but the government has not taken any decision on the issue. As par information her visa is valid till August 12.

Taslima was kept in safe house in the capital city Delhi before leaving for Sweden on March 18. During that period, Taslima had not been allowed to see any visitors during the period. She had described her confinement as living in “a chamber of death”.

The 45-year-old doctor turned writer, who has been a target of Islamic fundamentalists, was bundled out from west Bengal in November, 2007.

Tags: bangladeshi writer, confinement, Lajja, Sweden, taslima, taslima nasrin, West Bengal, Writer

Admissions for the current session 2008-09 have started in the renowned Delhi University with its first cut off list out today. The cut-off marks have moved up by almost one per cent for most popular courses.

The Delhi University is also implementing quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from this year.

A list of the cut off marks declared by some of the popular courses in few colleges is as follows:

B.Com (Hons) course

SRCC: 94.5-98%

Venkateswara: 94.5-95.0%

Economics (Hons) course

SRCC: 92.75-95.75%

Hindu: 94-96%

History( Hons) course

Kirori Mal: 81-87%

Ramjas: 74-84%

English (Hons) course

Venkateswara: 84-92%

Ramjas: 85-90%

Tags: Admission DU 2008, Delhi, Delhi University, Delhi University Admission Procedure, DU Admission 2008

A survey showed that for the children who change schools frequently or even once or twice, it is a hell lot of a problem related to adjustments, proving their worth and finding the right kind of company.

A lot of children have to face changing of their schools due to transfer of their parents to different cities, or due to the popularity of a better branded school. Students spending a majority of their time in these early stages in school, this education temple becomes a second home for them. A sudden change of this second home sometimes brings petrified situations for the students.

A certain friend of mine had a few shifts of school and each time he’d be in a new school he would face tons of problems. Being a little introvert and simple, he would take time to mingle with people and choosing the right kind of mates, but by the time he would satisfy his needs of a companion of his type and would start to bond, he’d have to change the town due to his father’s job type. Similar situation was experienced by Radha, 14 years of age who had shifted from a small village to a metropolitan city such that even before reaching her destination, the very thought of leaving back her friends and the teachers she had been attached to was horrifying. Plus, the fear of adjusting in a bigger city with broader minded people brought her morale real down. Adding to all this, she got to know that the new school she had to enter to followed the CBSE board opposite to the ICSE board her prior school followed. Things are not always easy when a child has to completely shift to new surroundings.

There is a mental stress of proving again his abilities and capabilities after overcoming the fear of getting lost in the new crowd of achievers. The sensitive minds of youngsters are mis-balanced with such dilemmas.

To help them, the parents must prepare their kids well in advance about their shifting and keep reminding them that the surroundings or the people don’t affect one’s capabilities and it is very important to become outgoing and a little more friendly to solve their problem of making friends. They must be made to realize the positive parts of it as one of them being a chance to know a variety of people.

Tags: CBSE, Children, ICSE, School, Schools, Tragedy

It’s very good news to the Indian students and Indian nation too that the very well known and renowned Oxford University of London has rated the Indian students among the best in the world.

Oxford has presently 257 Indian students on roll, one-third the numbers of students from China. Still the Indians have won more scholarships than the Chinese. Last year, according to an Oxford journal they had won 54 different scholarships, including the prestigious ‘Rhodes Scholarship’.

The university Chancellor Chris Patten has said that they would like more of them joining its campus.

“We want more Indian students because we want the best in the world to come to Oxford,” Patten said. Most of the Indian students are in the said business school.

“About a quarter of the students are doing MBAs… But I would like to see more in social sciences and humanities, doing both under-graduate and post-graduate work,” he said.

The number of Indians is less in the university as compared to Chinese. But still they are the best.

“They (Indians) probably got more than China,” the Chancellor said. He said the number of scholarships may go up as the university improves its financial position.

“I hope as we develop our endowments we will be able to offer many more (scholarships) to post-graduate students in the next few years,” Patten said.

The university has developed a master’s program in South Asian studies. For a one-year MBA program, it could cost as much as Rs 40 lakh, including the cost of tuition fee, boarding and lodging and the out-of-pocket expenses.

Students are also satisfied in the university. They are gaining the profit of their studies in Oxford.

“It is a different world out here…We are gaining immensely,” said Karandeep Singh Vohra, pursuing MBA at the said business school.

This is really a proud feature for the Indians. Oxford is the famed university which produced the likes of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Tags: China, Indian, Oxford, Student, Students

In the latest release of the mark list of the candidates qualifying in the prestigious IIT-Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) in 2007 by IIT-Bombay under the Right of Information Act (RTI Act), displayed a shocking scenario where even a candidate scoring as low as 7% in the mathematics paper got a decent rank to book his place at one of the most respectable and highly reputed institutions of India.

The disclosure detailed that there were 7,202 general category candidates who qualified the joint entrance examination in 2007 with an average cut off of 206 marks, the total being (162×3) 486 and the individual lowest subject marks of the selected candidates went as low as 12(math), 22(physics) and 18(chemistry).

It was revealed that the candidate scoring 12 marks in mathematics over a total of 162 and an aggregate of 239 over 486 had a rank of 3,989 in the AIR list which can easily and most comfortably fetch him a seat in IIT Kharagpur or IIT Kanpur.

Another candidate who scored 24 marks in mathematics and 245 in the aggregate managed a 3399 AIR good enough to hold the prestigious tag of an IITian.

The amendments in the test process introduced in 2007 have surely brought negative effects over the reputation f this transparent and tough admission system. It is being talked that it might lower the standards of the institute and have brought the authorities into serious thoughts of reviewing the criterion of admission.

Although, it is being believed that the relaxation in the subject wise cut-offs is not being seen as a downfall in the quality of intake by the IIT Bombay authorities but it has been announced that the board would review the system.

N Venkatramani of IIT Bombay, vice-chairman JEE 2007 assured a close review of the new system and a certain refinement in it wherever the pot holes seem to be. Moreover he reminded of the majority of the selected candidature to be the best brains of the country and promising to solve the problems of the cut offs for the next year.

With this we hope that the authorities take up the issue seriously and keep up the repute of this institution.

Tags: Engineering, IIT, IIT JEE, IIT-Bombay, JEE, Literature, RTI Act

World Day against Child Labor (WDACL), 12th June, is a day celebrated across the globe each year to fight child labor. This year the day focuses on “Education, The Right Response to End Trafficking and Child Labor”.

Elimination of child labor and education for all are two sides of the same coin. Thousands of activities are held across the world to focuses on the need to improve access of children to education as the right response to child labor.

The only way to eliminate exploitation of children is free, compulsory and quality education for all, regardless of gender, race, religion, and social or economic status, as felt by all including the experts and social workers.

Education creates awareness of the right and duties of a person. This is the only media by which children can get awareness about their surroundings and the proper way to lead life.

The ILO has estimated that some 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labor. Many of these children work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. Their innocence gets lost in working for long hours for small amount of money. Their childhood is exploited by people for their little profits.

Many people don’t send their children to school because of poverty. Financial problems are the main reason. In place of school the kids are then sent for tiring jobs for small money.

Dropout’s school children specially remain a major concern, though the government has initiated many schemes. However, mid-day meal the lucrative scheme aimed to attract children to schools, is not helping the purpose of ensuring 100 per cent attendance. Reasons cited for dropouts are many, like poverty which compels children to work. Nevertheless, negligence of teachers in government schools worsens the situation.

Raman Magsaysay Awardee and Chairperson of National Commission for protection of Child Rights, Shantha Sinha says “The only way to eliminate the menace is to educate children, which is anyway a fundamental right of every child enshrined in the Constitution. Article- 21 (A) guarantees free and compulsory education to every child in the age group of 6-14.”

Government should come forward with major steps to achieve 100% education. Some of the steps can be:

1. Free and compulsory education
2. Provision of girls education
3. Ensuring proper faculty and trained teachers
4. Providing catch up education opportunities for children and youth who have so far missed out on formal schooling
5. Enforcing laws on child labor and education in line with international standards
6. Tackling poverty
7. Raising public awareness to tackle child labor
8. Promoting human rights and development

Not only the government but public should be aware of this need of education for all. Educated people should keep an eye in their vicinity and should teach others. A combined effort by all will help to eliminate child labor and will provide an educated society.

Tags: Child, Child Labor, Education, Literacy

Delhi University (DU), one of the most renowned universities of the country, has started admissions to undergraduate courses from June 2 for the current session 2008-09. Campus is rushed with young boys and girls with lots of questions in their mind regarding the procedure and selection of the course. Students are confused from getting and filling up the forms and selecting the right course and college. Here is the required information to ease their stress.

The first step is being getting the form. Forms will be available till June 16 and the venues assigned to obtain and submit the same are as follows:

North: Dean, student’s welfare, Kirori Mal College, Faculty of arts

South: Deputy dean, students welfare, Deshbandhu College, ARSD College, Gargi College, PGDAV College, College of Vocational Studies

East: Shyam Lal College, Vivekanada College, Maharaja Agrasen College

West: Rajdhani College, Bharti College

Central: Zakir Hussain College

Forms cost anywhere between Rs 10 and Rs 50. College prospectus costs between Rs 50 and Rs 150. So if you plan to do 10 colleges a day, carry the required money for the forms. A student will be allowed to buy two forms at a time. There are 63 colleges under Delhi University and OMR forms will be available from 10 am to 1pm at these 15 centres.

Almost 1.5 lakh students from across the country are expected to apply for 51 courses offered by the university. There are 43,000 seats available in DU. Break up of seats are as follows: 27,500 for general, 6,296 for SC, 3,148 for ST and 5,000 for OBC categories. Nine per cent will be reserved for the OBC, 22.5 per cent for SC/STs, three per cent for physically challenged and 5 per cent for the children/widows/wives of soldiers killed or disabled in action.

Metro is proving its popularity in the season of DU admissions as seven of the above venues fall on the metro route. You can personally get the forms from these colleges and get the required information about the course with getting a round of the college also. You can download the same from the site of the respective colleges as most of them are giving the facility of online forms. All colleges except St Stephens and Jesus Mary College accept OMR forms. With the University this year asking the various centers to sell only one form per person, passing on the responsibility to a friend may not help this time round.

The first cut off list will be put up on June 26. With DU introducing the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation this year, candidates are advised to get their certificates ready.

Other updates can also be obtained from this link – http://www.du.ac.in/admissions/2008/ug/ug08/index.html

Admissions through Extra curricular activities (ECA) gives students a benefit that may not have very high percentage marks to still get enrolled in a college of their choice. As in the case of sports quota, DU colleges have some seats reserved for those possessing skills in the fields of drama, debating, music, fine arts, photography etc.

“Almost all the colleges have certain seats reserved for extra curricular activities (ECA). Though the number of such seats could vary from three to five per cent as per the policies of the college, but it gives a golden opportunity to students to get admission for their talents,” said Dr Seema M Parihar, Deputy Dean of Student Welfare

In case of any problem or confusion, students can approach the grievance committee of the college concerned and in case of the problem not being addressed write to the Central Grievance Committee set up in the North and South Campus.

With cases of harassment increasing in the recent past, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) too has issued a helpline. Students can ring up the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North Delhi, Anurag Kumar (23811770), ACP Civil Lines (9810300830), SHO Maurice Nagar, Rajendra Pathania (9810030663), SHO Roop Nagar (9899090920), DUSU president Narendra Tokas (9811746913) and DUSU vice-president Ashok Basoya (9212005012). Wednesday will also be the first day of the counseling sessions for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes students. To be held at the University Sports Complex, there will be four sessions every day till June 15 of one-hour duration each.

Helpline number facility is also provided to students in case of any confusion regarding the admission. The helpline (011-27662507, 27662508), is manned by a panel of 17 faculty members and student counselors. They answer queries ranging from which course one should opt for or which college is good for which subject or whether the admission form for accommodation facilities can be filled by a relative.

The official website of Delhi University is - http://www.du.ac.in/
The DU helpline website http://www.delhi-university.in/ maintained by DU alumni can also answers your other queries and gives most of the required details.

Tags: Admission DU 2008, Delhi, Delhi University, Delhi University Admission Procedure, DU Admission 2008

Four new IITs and six IIMs are announced on Friday to be established by Government in various states besides upgrading some of the state universities to the status of central universities. The decision is taken to encourage higher education in the country.

The new IITs would be located in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh (Indore), Gujarat and Punjab and the IIMs would come up in Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Uttarakhand and Haryana. These new institutions would be part of the eight IITs and seven IIMs proposed to be set up during the 11th five year plan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has consented for the location of the institutions.

Four IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh and one IIM at Shillong are already announced. Admissions to new IITs in AP, Rajasthan and Bihar as also IIM in Shillong would start from this year.

Government also proposed to convert the Institute of Technology of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) into an IIT. Admission to this institute was already based on the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE).

The 14 central universities aiming at world class standards would be located in Pune, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Mysore, Visakhapatnam, Gandhinagar, Jaipur, Patna, Bhopal, Kochi, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Greater Noida and Guwahati. Land for the universities will be defined shortly. However, their locations will be decided on the basis of infrastructure and connectivity which such universities would need.

Dismissing a suggestion that Kerala has been left out in the exercise, HRD Minister Arjun Singh said the southern state has got a central university and a world class university. “It is not correct that Kerala is left high and dry”, he said.

A central university each for Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa is suggested.

Dr Hari Singh Gaur University at Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Guru Ghasidas University at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and Goa University will be converted into central universities.

To a question on the Right to Education Bill, he said a cabinet note on the issue has been circulated and his ministry was awaiting planning commission’s response on it. He hoped the bill to provide free and compulsory education to children in the 6-14 age groups would be introduced and passed in parliament.

Tags: Cabinet, IIM, IIT

The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) has announced an increase in its fees from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for the year 2008-09. The decision was taken on Tuesday in the meeting of the Board presided by its chairman Mukesh D Ambani.

“We have decided to hike the fee from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for 2008-09,” IIM-B director, Pankaj Chandra said after the meeting.

Comparitive to other three IIMs, hike in Bangalore IIM is higher. Chandra said the increasing infrastructure as one of the reasons for the hike. The students who would be going into the second year (2009-10) will now have to pay Rs 5 lakh as fee.

IIM-B officials told that group discussions and personal interviews are already on for the selection process of the incoming batch. It will be completed on April 4 and the list will be displayed on April 11.

Meanwhile, for the first time in the history of IIM-B, the whole PGP (Post Graduate Program) batch, comprising 250 students, have contributed their caution deposit of Rs 9,000 each to “CLASS of 2008 Fund”. This fund will be used for infrastructure development of the college and will be contributed towards the social service organisation “IIMB-VIKASANA”.

Chandra also told that the scholarship amount is also increased from Rs 91 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore for the current session, however the criteria is not yet decided.

Tags: Ambani, Bangalore, IIM, IIM-B, Management

We are living in a competitive global environment. English is an all time preferred language all over the world. It’s the only international language accepted world wide. This only language can provide you a taste of wisdom in today’s world. Communication is a critical quality of a person which enhances his personality and ability. Better communication needs a good knowledge of the language to be used. English has acquired an independent identity across the country. In coming years all the updated knowledge and wisdom will only be available in English only. This is a caution to all non-English speaking people not only in India but world wide.

In India English language is inherited from the British who colonized the country and their language permeated through some of the most important parts of society: the government, the media, the education system, the legal system, and gradually the social sphere as well. India is a vast nation and in terms of number of English speakers, it ranks third in the world after USA and the UK. Around 4 percent of the population use English covering a small number of about 40 million people which controls domains that have professional and social prestige.

People are very emotional and sentimental regarding their regional language in India. They feel comfort and satisfy their ego by talking in their regional languages wherever they go. They can not believe the fact that it can ever extinct easily. But they have to accept the fact that their regional language knowledge is not enough to set their position in the global world. Whatever be the knowledge level and their local position in the area, they have to accept this global language to be a successful person in their field. People who lack English knowledge found themselves very inferior in the run of life.

Though it is not classified as one of the 15 languages of India, English remains the associate official language along with Hindi, which is the official language. In fact English is proffered for speeches and in official letters over Hindi. The reason for this is the large number of languages and that several people are unfamiliar with Hindi. There are several English news channels and many English mews papers are published from almost every state. So there are plenty of opportunities. Old traditions, ethos and even languages cannot help the society to develop in the world of outsourcing and globalization.

Hence there is a great need of knowledge of English for present and coming generations of India. Still racial discrimination can be seen in education which makes the people deprive of knowledge of this language. Only nine of the 28 states and three Union territories in India have introduced English as compulsory subject from Class I.

All modern equipments and job assignments along with latest technologies, websites and wisdom come from US only. There is no other way. With Indian students going to the US in bulk, the American accent will surely plague India. Using American English is a kind of fashion among young generation of India. Yup dude, you’re bang on! D’oh…” etc are the common saying among young Indians.

In higher education English is the premier prestige language. Careers in any area of business or commerce, or within the government, or in science and technology require fluency in English. English should be introduced in primary schools across the country. We must give due importance to English as it is an international language. Only those students who are good in English can perform better in every sphere of their life.

Learn this global language and find the way towards globalization!

Tags: English Language, Learning, Literature