Sibal proposes to launch 'Connect to India' initiative in US

Washington: Union Human Resources and Development Minister Kapil Sibal proposed to launch a "Connect to India" initiative to attract more American students to study in India.
 
US already has a similar "Passport to India" programme for facilitating US students to go to India for studies.
 
"While the world is coming together through technology, we must learn to appreciate, manage and preserve our diversity through education and learning by experience. No country on this planet is more diverse than India.
 
I am sure that global students would understand and learn about management of diversity in India far better than elsewhere in the world," Sibal said.
 
"Towards this end, I propose, to launch a "Connect to India" initiative that will make available opportunities for students that will make available opportunities for students in the US to spend some time in our quality institutions for learning about our life, society, culture, economy polity and business," Sibal said.
 
The minister made these remarks at the opening session of the India-US Higher Education Dialogue which he co-chaired along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
 
As "Passport to India" programme of the US, Clinton announced that seven companies have agreed to support internship to service linked projects for 225 American students over the next three years.
 
"American students would soon be doing cutting edge research with Microsoft in Bangalore, developing new energy solutions at Honeywell in AP (Andhra Pradesh), and working on several projects with local NGOs," Clinton said.
 
The Secretary of State lauded Indian government for sending junior faculty for post-doctoral research. 

Passport to India programme to send more US students to India

Washington: The United States has come out with a "Passport to India" programme to encourage more and more American students to go to India for studies.

A public-private initiative, the programme is part of the US efforts to increase people to people relationship and build on next generation of leadership who are well versed in each other's culture.

"The goal of Passport to India is to significantly increase the number of Americans who visit India for a study and learning experience abroad. The most recent data showed that while nearly 104,000 Indians study here in the United States, fewer than 4,000 Americans study in India," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert Blake said.

However, that number is far too low, Blake conceded in his remarks at an event organised by US-India World Affairs Institute in association with the Asia Society and East West Centre.

"Indian students in American communities and American students in Indian communities create the friendships and linkages we are working to build. Secretary (of State, Hillary) Clinton and I see expanding opportunities for American students in India as a major investment in three key areas," he said.

"It's an investment in US-India relations, it's an investment in the American and global economies and it is an investment in our young people so they have the skills and experience they need to succeed in their professional lives.
 
"For our rising generation to be globally competitive, they must know and understand India," Blake said.  

"The Passport to India initiative is a public-private partnership. To date, we have pledges from both US and Indian private entities to support 225 internship opportunities for American students over the next 3 years in India-based
organisations and we are working hard to generate more," he said.

Blake said that Interns will work side by side with their Indian peers to work on software development in IT companies, on innovation and management practices in manufacturing firms and on the needs of the marginalised and  nderserved with local NGOs.

"It all comes down to one thing: By building the next generation of leaders who are well versed in each other's culture, language and business, we will be better prepared to work together and resolve common challenges for the benefit of
not only our two countries, but for the international community as well," he said.

"All of you have already done so much to support the collaborations between Americans and Indians from which ideas come to life. You know the United States and you know India and you know the limitless potential that exists when we get together.

"Last month in New Delhi, Secretary Clinton re-emphasised that the United States and India are "two great  democracies with common values and increasingly convergent interests," Blake said in his remarks. 

Indian professionals welcome, says US

Washington: With India threatening to drag the US to the WTO against its discriminatory visa fee hike,a senior state department official has said professional Indians are welcome in America.
     
"We understand that the demand (for professional visas) is even greater. We're working through those issues. But we continue to fully support the admission of qualified Indians under these programs," spokesperson of the US State Department Victoria Nuland said.
     
She said Indians are the greatest beneficiaries of both L-1 visa and B-1/H-1 visa programmes of America.
     
India has warned that it proposes to seek consultations with the US under WTO rules against the latter's visa fee hike, which discriminates Indian software companies against American firms.
     
"I've heard that there is something out there, but I haven't heard that there is an affirmative decision by the Indian government on this front. We did have a good and thorough discussion, in the context of the Secretary's visit there, of these visa issues," Nuland added.
     
Meanwhile in India, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said in Parliament that the government is in dialogue with the US and Canada for facilitation of movement of people, professionals and business travellers. 

US announces changes to troubled visa programme

Jackson (US): The US State Department announced major changes to its premier student-exchange programme following an investigation that found widespread abuses.

The agency issued new rules for the J-1 Summer Work and Travel Programme, which brings more than 100,000 foreign college students to the United States each year.

It was meant to foster cultural understanding, but it has become a multimillion-dollar international business.

The changes are the latest in a series of steps the State Department has taken to fix the programme since an AP investigation in 2010 revealed widespread abuses.

The investigation found some participants working in strip clubs, and not always willingly, while others were put in living and working conditions they compared to indentured servitude.

In one of the worst cases of abuse, a woman told the AP she was beaten, raped and forced to work as a stripper in Detroit after being promised a job as a waitress in Virginia.

More common than sex trade problems were shabby housing, hefty work hours and paltry pay. In August of 2011, dozens of workers protested conditions at a candy factory that packs Hershey chocolates in Pennsylvania, complaining of hard physical labour and pay deductions for rent that often left them with little money. 

10 mn vacant positions in global manufacturing sector: Report

New Delhi: Faced with severe talent crunch, as many as 10 million job positions in the global manufacturing sector are lying vacant, says a report.

The report titled 'Future of Manufacturing: Opportunities to Drive Economic Growth' has been prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and global consultancy Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.
    
"The future of global manufacturing is turning into a competition for global talent... 10 million manufacturing jobs worldwide cannot currently be filled due to a growing skills gap," it said.
    
According to the report, the shortage is pervasive despite high unemployment levels in many developed economies where companies are struggling to fill manufacturing jobs, such as highly trained workers and engineers.
    
"The skill gap that exists today will not likely close in the near future, which means companies and countries that can attract, develop and retain the highest skilled talent from scientists, researchers and engineers to technicians and skilled production workers will come out on top," Craig Giffi, who was involved in authoring the report, said in a statement.
    
Giffi is Vice Chairman and Consumer & Industrial Products Industry Leader at Deloitte LLP in the US.     

Innovation would remain the key for manufacturers to stay ahead of competition.
    
Further, the report said that affordable clean energy strategies and effective energy policies would be a top priority for manufacturers and policymakers. 

No change in visa policy towards Indian students: US

Washington: The US has said that there is no change in its policy towards issuing visas to Indian students.
 
"I don't think we've changed our policy with regard to the way we interview applicants," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference.
 
"I think what we are doing is making sure that the sponsoring organisations truly are what they say they are in the United States; that if they say that they are bringing students over to educate them, that they intend to educate them, not put them to work, et cetera," she said.
 
Nuland said the US supports the recent initiative of opening community colleges in India on the pattern of those here.
 
Last week, education ministers of four Indian States Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, visited several US cities to have a first hand experience of the community colleges here.
 
"Well, obviously, we support this initiative. We have been working with the Indian side to flesh out the initiative that was agreed between the President and the prime minister through our Education Bureau here. And obviously, we are responsible for the visa issuance for the various folks studying in the United States," Nuland said. 

US county honours Indian doctor

New Hyde Park(US): A US county has honoured a leading Indian surgeon C Palanivelu for his contribution to medicine and creating awareness on lifestyle diseases presenting him with the 'Living Legend of Laproscopy Award' here.

Zahid Syed Chairman/Commissioner Nassau County Commission on Human Rights and founder of South Asian Political Action Committee, Long Island, who represented Nassau County Chief Executive Edward Mangano at the event described Prof Palanivelu as a pioneer in his field and welcomed him to the US on behalf of his county in the New York state.

He presented the Nassau County proclamation to Prof Palanivelu honouring him.

New York City Council has also commended the service of Palanivelu, founder-chairman of Gem Hospital and Research Centre in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu for his service to medicine and obesity control leading to better and healthier life of people.

A Certificate of Recognition signed by New York City Council Member Peter Koo (District 20) on behalf of the City Council was issued to Palanivelu.

The City Council hailed his contribution to medicine for creating awareness on lifestyle diseases and for being a pioneer in weight loss surgery in Asia.

A third award, "Living Legend of Laproscopy Award" for his pioneering works in the field of medicine was also presented at the function, where a galaxy of speakers showered praise on Palanivelu for his contribution to the world of laproscopy in the global arena.

Palanivelu is also the recipient of the highest honour of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, United Kingdom in appreciation of his scientific contribution in the field of minimally access surgery at global level. 

US ready to help India in education sector

WASHINGTON: The United States is ready to help India in the education sector in a variety of ways, a top Obama administration official has said. 

"I've met repeatedly with my counterpart, the education minister from India. He's a remarkable man. We think we have challenges ... I've said repeatedly, whatever we can do to be helpful we want to do that," education secretary Arne Duncan said at a White House news conference yesterday. 

Duncan was responding to questions on the visit of four Indian states education ministers to visit the community colleges in the country. 

"Whatever we can do to partner with the leaders from India, we want to do that. It's a very, very ambitious goal, and we want to see them achieve that," he said. 

"I really believe a rising tide lifts all boats, and the more we have an educated workforce here in America, the more we have an educated workforce in India, the more we have that next generation of both employees and consumers, that's great for the world," Duncan said. 

"So we want to partner together. We have, I think, still the best system of higher education in the world. We have amazing, amazing community colleges," he said. 

"I was at there over the past two days in Wisconsin and Iowa. And whatever best practices we can share, whatever we can do to help India as they go on this very ambitious growth pattern, growth trajectory, we want to do that," said the Education Secretary. 

No hike in H-1B visa fee for next year, says US

Washington: The US government has clarified that there will be no hike in fee for H-1B work visa for professionals next year.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had on March 28 in a press release detailed application procedure for H-1B visa for fiscal year 2013 which was wrongly interpreted as hike in visa fee.
    
Subsequently, USCIS as well as Indian IT industry body Nasscom have clarified that there is no hike in the visa fee.

The US immigration agency announced that applications for the most sought after H-1B work visa used extensively by Indian IT professionals for the fiscal year 2013 would be accepted from April 2.

The congressionally mandated numerical limitation on H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2013 is 65,000, as has been in the previous year.

Additionally, the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals who have earned a US masters degree or higher are exempt from the fiscal year cap.

The USCIS said H-1B applications will be considered accepted on the date it takes possession of a properly filed petition with correct fee and not the date on which it was sent.

"If the number of applications received exceeds the numerical cap, USCIS will randomly select the number of petitions required to reach the numerical limit from the pool of petitions received on the final receipt date," USCIS said in a statement, adding that it will reject cap-subject petitions that are not selected, as well as those received after the final receipt date.

Petitions for new H-1B employment are exempt from the annual cap if the beneficiaries will work at institutions of higher education or related or affiliated non-profit entities, non-profit research organisations or governmental research organisations, USCIS said.
    
The department also listed out the details of fees to be filed by the applicants for H-1B visas, which starts from a base fee of USD 325 for fiscal year 2013.

It is charging USD 750 for employers with 1 to 25 full-time equivalent employees, and USD 1,500 for employers with 26 or more full-time equivalent employees.

There is another USD 500 listed as fraud prevention and detection fee.
    
A fee of USD 2,000 is to be paid by the petitioner who employs 50 or more employees in the US - where more than 50 per cent of its workers in the US are in H-1B or L-1 non-immigrant status. 

H-1B visa applications to be accepted from April 2

Washington: Applications for the most sought after H-1B work visa – used extensively by Indian IT professionals – for the fiscal beginning October 1, would be accepted from April 2, a federal immigration agency announced.

The congressionally mandated numerical limitation on H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2012-13 is 65,000, as has been in the previous years.

Additionally, the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals who have earned a US masters degree or higher are exempt from the fiscal year cap.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said H1B applications will be considered accepted on the date it takes possession of a properly filed petition with correct fee and not the date on which it was sent.

"If the number of applications received exceeds the numerical cap, USCIS will randomly select the number of petitions required to reach the numerical limit from the pool of petitions received on the final receipt date," USCIS said in a statement, adding that it will reject cap-subject petitions that are not selected, as well as those received after the final receipt date.

Petitions for new H-1B employment are exempt from the annual cap if the beneficiaries will work at institutions of higher education or related or affiliated non-profit entities, non-profit research organisations or governmental research organisations, USCIS said.

Petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries who will work only in Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are exempt from the cap until December 31, 2014.

Employers may continue to file petitions for these cap-exempt H-1B categories seeking work dates starting in FY 2012, it said.

USCIS said that up to 6,800 visas are set aside from the cap of 65,000 during each fiscal year for the H-1B1 programme under the terms of the legislation implementing the US-Chile and US-Singapore Free Trade Agreements.

Unused numbers in this pool are made available for H-1B use for the next fiscal year.

The federal agency cautioned applicants from filing duplicate applications.

To ensure fair and orderly distribution of available H-1B visas, USCIS will deny or revoke multiple or duplicative petitions filed by an employer for the same H-1B worker and will not refund the filing fees submitted with multiple or duplicative petitions, it said.

In another statement, USCIS listed out the details of the fees to be filed by the applicants for H-1B visas. It starts from a base fee of USD 325 to USD 2,000 by the petitioner which employs 50 or more employees in the US where more than 50 per cent of its workers in the US are in H-1B or L-1 non-immigrant status.

Such a move is expected to hit majorly Indian IT companies.

USCIS this year is charging USD 750 for employers with 1 to 25 full-time equivalent employees, and USD 1,500 for employers with 26 or more full-time equivalent employees.

There is another USD 500 listed as fraud prevention and detection fee.

And employers seeking premium processing service, in which application is processed within 15 days, need to submit an additional USD 1,225, it said. 

Gateway to study in US

Chennai: Educational institutions in United States attract scores students from India and across the globe for its advanced education set up and its worldwide recognition.

Speaking exclusively to kalvimalar.com, an official from United States India Education foundation, provided minute details on the various steps to make it to educational intuitions in United States. 

“There are more than 7 lakh international students currently pursuing their education in the United States, out of which a little more than 1 lakh are from India according to the Open Doors report. The excellent academic curriculum, wide range of courses, flexibility, facilities, faculty profile, availability of scholarships and assistantships, Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) options are some of the factors attracting  millions of people from around the world to study in the United States. 

The application process to US universities can be summarized through five easy steps. Here are some tips for you to make your journey to a U.S. university easier and simpler.

Step 1 Research your options There are more than 4000 accredited colleges and universities in the United States offering a wide range of programs (courses) in all major fields of study. Accreditation is a concept in the U.S. by which universities are tested for quality and only those that meet certain high standards are given accreditation. It is important that you choose an accredited college/university. Log on to the website of Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org) or the Association of Specialized & Professional Accreditors (www.aspa-usa.org) to check the accreditation status of a university/college. Websites like www.educationusa.state.gov and www.petersons.com are also important resources to know about different universities and colleges and the programs offered.

Almost all the colleges and universities in the United States require scores from SAT and TOEFL for undergraduate studies and from GRE/GMAT and TOEFL for graduate studies in most of the disciplines. Registrations for these tests can be done online at www.collegeboard.org, www.ets.org and www.gmac.com. 

After completing the tests, narrow down your choice of universities by carefully researching the accreditation, program description, course content, faculty profile, cost and the acceptance rate of the colleges. We recommend that you apply to at least 6 to 8 universities.

Step 2 Complete your Application Now that you have short listed universities, your next step will be to complete your application. An application package includes a completed application form (online), attested academic transcripts, standardized test scores, college application essay/ statement of purpose, two or three recommendation letters, a resume or CV and financial support documents. Make sure that the entire application including the test scores reaches the university before the deadline which begins as early as December of the previous year for the Fall (August-September) intake.

Pay close attention to the statement of purpose/essay and letters of recommendation, because they give a unique perspective to a students application and helps differentiate between candidates with similar marks and academic background. They are as important as your academic marks and test scores and can influence your chance of admission to a university.

Step 3 Finance your studies Calculate the cost of your undergraduate/graduate education and work out a plan. Start by pooling in all your resources and consulting your parents.  Apart from your own funds, universities may provide scholarships and assistantships to help fund your education.  Scholarships are highly competitive and are purely based on academic merit.  Assistantships are also competitive and are available for teaching, research and graduate or administrative purposes. You could also explore educational loans offered by banks in India.

A years tuition fees may range anywhere between $15,000 and $40,000 (or higher) excluding living expenses. Living expenses vary according to the place of stay; the cost of living in the coastal areas is typically higher than the interior parts of the U.S.  You can also choose from a range of public universities which may charge less tuition and fees when compared to private universities. Websites like http://www.fundingusstudy.org/ and http://www.educationusa.info/financial-aid are good sources of information on scholarships that are available to international students.

Step 4 Apply for your student visa After receiving an I-20, that confirms your admission at a university, you can start the student visa process.  The official website for information on student visas is http://Chennai.USConsulate.gov for people in South India. The American Library, U.S. Consulate Chennai conducts an orientation every second Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. which includes FAQs on Visas and is open to all. Interested students and parents are welcome to attend this orientation. Visitors are required to present an original valid photo Identity like a driving license or passport to enter the American Consulate, Chennai.

Step 5 Prepare for your departure After getting your visa, you can start making arrangements for your travel to the United States.  Book tickets , assemble the necessary documents like your passport, visa, mark sheets with degree certificate, medical records, birth certificate, acceptance letter, I-20, SEVIS receipt etc. EducationUSA centers conduct Pre-departure orientation sessions during the first week of July every year where student alumni and other experts give advice on academic and cultural life in the  United States, immigration formalities and port of entry regulations. Pre-departure orientations also provide an opportunity to network with students going to the same university", she said. 

In India, United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF) is the official source for information on higher education in the U.S. For over six decades, the EducationUSA advising centers at USIEF have been guiding thousands of Indian students interested in pursuing higher education in the United States. EducationUSA is a global network of more than 400 advising centers supported by the U.S. Department of State

To know more about USIEF services to students, please contact the USIEF Chennai office on tel. 044-28574423/4131 or email: usiefchennai@usief.org.in.  You can also call the USIEF toll-free help-desk number: 1-800-103-1231 from Monday to Friday between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to speak to a trained Education USA Advisor, who will answer your basic questions on studying in the USA. 

US school declares hug-free zone

New York: Lesson of the day at one New Jersey school: "No hugging."
 
The principal at Matawan Aberdeen Middle School, which teaches more than 900 children of 11 to 14 years old, has caused a ruckus with his announcement that from now on they part of a "no hugging school".
 
The measure aimed to iron out what the regional school district delicately called "incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions".
 
When the hugging fatwa triggered a wave of media snickering, officials backtracked and said hugging was OK sort of.
 
"There is no policy specific to hugging and we have not nor will we be suspending students for hugging," David Healy, superintendent of schools in the district, said in a statement.
 
"It is unfortunate that there are those who find purpose and humour in sensationalising such a routine school-related issue." 

Latest US census report reveals new education milestone

Washington: In an important milestone in US history, more than 30 per cent of adults older than 25 had a college degree, according to latest data released by the Census Bureau.
     
As recently as 1998, less than one-quarter of Americans older than 25 held a degree.
     
The findings are published in a new report, "Educational Attainment in the United States: 2011."
     
"This is an important milestone in our history," US Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said, commenting on the achievement reached in March 2011.
     
"For many people, education is a sure path to a prosperous life. The more education people have the more likely they are to have a job and earn more money, particularly for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree," Groves was quoted as saying by CNN.
     
The Bureau also published "Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009" which reveals that in 2009, 85 per cent of adults age 25 or older had at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. 

US to bring out new education initiative

Washington: The US government announced a new initiative designed to spur community engagement in turning around persistently low-performing schools.

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the initiative, dubbed "Together for Tomorrow", during a town hall meeting at Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida.

"Community and family involvement can be the make or break factor in successfully turning around low-performing schools," he said.

"Together for Tomorrow will provide real-life examples of how to effectively transform our struggling schools, and build a community-to-community support system that can help take this critical work to scale."

The initiative will focus on community and family partnerships in boosting key measurable student outcomes - attendance, behaviour, course performance, and college access, the ABCs of improving low-performing schools, according to the White House.

US varsity offers doctorate for education professionals

New Delhi: As India emerges a global education market, the University of Southern California (USC) is offering a new doctorate course aimed at professionals in the field of education.
The programme, being launched by USC Rossier School of Education, is a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) aimed at working professionals aspiring to be high-level practitioners in the field.
"The highlight of the programme is it will be training professionals in global education with a focus on making global leaders in the field of education," elaborates Mike Diamond, professor in the USC Rossier School of Education.

Diamond was in India along with Dominic Brewer, Rossier vice dean for partnership and research, to talk with prospective candidates for the new Global Executive Ed.D. programme.

The university is also setting up an office in Mumbai.

"It will be on the lines of MBA (master of business administration) programmes," he says.

Unlike the traditional Ph.D., which is for students planning to go into professional teaching, this course is for professionals. Around 25 people will be chosen for the course from around the world, of which three to four will be from India.

"An Ed.D. is a professional doctorate aimed at working professionals aspiring to be high level practitioners in education as opposed to a Ph.D. which is aimed at individuals aspiring to be future academics," says Diamond.

"We have interest in establishing relations with countries in the Pacific rim and India," he says.

"India is a major country with tremendous education needs and a huge education market. Students from the US and India can work together and solve many problems education is facing," he says.

"The idea is to focus on global issues and not just country specific issues," he says.

Diamond adds that the University of Southern California already has a large number of Indian students, with courses in engineering, technology and business being the most popular courses.

"The school of engineering is our most established programme, a number of our students come from India," he says.

Indian students make the second largest group of foreign students in the US after China, consisting of almost 14 percent of foreign students, according to the Open Doors Report.

The report also revealed that a small one percent fall in the number of students going to US was registered in 2011. In 2010-11, 103,895 Indian students took admission in US universities, while the number was 104,897 in 2009-10, marking the first such decline since 1998-99. IANS