Lesser cut-off marks this year: Jayaprakash Gandhi

Puducherry: In Tamil Nadu, cut-off marks for Engineering, Medical studies this year will surely come down, told Education Counselor, Jayaprakash Gandhi.

Speaking at Dinamalar's "Vazhikatti" programme for plus students in Puducherry, Jayaprakash told, " This year there will be close competition for admissions in four Engineering studies such as Computer, Science, Information Technology, Electrical and Electronics and Civil Engineering. 94 % of the students completing Engineering studies get employed in IT sector. Opt studies that have good scope for growth. 

Presently, many talk about Energy and Atomic Energy. This year, the Center has allocated 8% more funds towards Energy sector. This sector is on the expanding mode.

With very less investment in the field of Civil Engineering, it will be possible get returns in Crores. In the future, demand for Civil Fabrication jobs will be high.  

Those completing Mechanical studies will get less salary. There are only 8% of woman working in this field. Women will get more employment opportunities in this field, as the companies are forced increase women employment ratio in accordance to men.

Companiy officials say that a diploma studies is enough for Automobile field.      

Beyond than the course, the institution where you are going to study is more important.  Job opportunities are very less in the field of Biotechnology and Aeronautics. Statistics reveal that 70% of those completing Aeronautical studies are employed in IT sector.  

In Tami Nadu, this year the cut-off marks will certainly come down. Question paper of Physics was very tough is the main reason. I appreciate those who set this question paper. Like Chemistry and Mathematics, what would happen if Physics question paper was also easy. This year, number of students getting centum in Chemistry and Mathematics will be high. 

In Mathematics, if you happen to loose even one mark will result in the shift of 1200 places lower in the cut off.  Getting even one mark more in physics will result in better cut off mark, which will help in getting admission in good colleges. 

This year, the cut-off mark for Medical entrance will be lower by only one mark. Although the cut-off will be less, last year students will also be applying. Hence, students of this year are likely to have tough time with good competition. So, only if your cut off is more than 196, it will be possible to get a seat in Government Medical colleges. Similarly, to join, leading 30 Engineering colleges in the state, your cut-off should be more that 185 ".  

High Court bench quashes DSE's order

Madurai: The Madurai High Court bench has quashed the Director of School Education's order, taking over the administration of an aided minority school in Kanyakuamari district and said any power exercised to do so is barred under provisions of the Tamil Nadu Recognised Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973.
    
The aided Linguistic Minority Sarojini Memorial Higher Secondary School at Orappanavillai was established in 1947.    

An anonymous letter was sent to the Collector, alleging that school staff were ill-treated and forced to do personal work for the Correspondent. A junior assistant had also charged the Correspondent with sexual harrasment.
   
Later a show cause notice was issued on Aug 20 2007 by the DEO, directing the correspondent to explain why staff should not be directly paid, based on complaints against him.      

The DSE had passed another order on Nov 8, 2008, whereby the rights of the Manager-cum-Correspondent was taken away. Hence the correspondent filed a petition, seeking to quash the order of DSE.
    
Disposing the petition, Justice K.Ravichandra Babu said the school was admittedly, a linguistic minority school, protected under Article 30 of the Constitution. Though the department was entitled to make direct payment even in respect of such schools, the power of taking over the managements is barred under Section 36 of the Tamil Nadu Recognised Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973, he said.
    
Stating that the DSE's action was totally erroneous and without jurisdiction, the judge said it was a violation of the principles of natural justice and quashed the impugned order.
  
However, the judge said it is open to the authorities to proceed against the correspondent afresh after strictly following the principles of natural justice. 

Odisha to get new medical college, two ITIs

Bhubaneswar: Assuring allotment of 50 per cent of electricity to Odisha from the two proposed mega power projects in the state, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde announced establishment of a medical college in Sundergarh district.

"The state government had been asking for establishment of a hospital in Sundergarh district. But the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) would set up a medical college with 400 bed capacity there," he told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

Noting that tribals of Sundergarh district should avail quality health services, he said capacity of the proposed medical college could go up in coming days. "Now the work for the medical college will begin," he said.

Two Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), one each at Angul and Sundergarh would be established for imparting vocational training to local youths. "As a power hub in coming up in the state, there is requirement of a large number of skilled manpower here," he said.

The union power minister, however, informed chief minister Patnaik that it would not be possible on part of the Centre to allocate additional 700 MW of electricity from Ultra Mega Power Project at Bedabahal. The state was presently entitled to get 1300 MW of power from the UMPP at Talcher.  

"Since the Centre has signed power purchase agreement with other states, it will not be possible to allocate additional 700 MW for Odisha," he said, adding that the state would receive 2,000 MW power each from the two proposed UMPPs.

Describing his discussion with the chief minister as "very good," Shinde said that the dispute over the price fixation for the proposed Super Thermal Power Station at Gajamara in Dhenkanal district had been solved.

"Both of us had agreed that the issue will now be solved at the regulatory commission," he said.

Noting that Rs 60,000 crore would be invested in the power sector in coming days, Sindhe said Odisha would soon emerge as a power hub. 

Big boom in CBSE schools

COIMBATORE: The much hyped international schools in the city offering multi-cuisine food and water sports facilities among other luxuries are no more winning the fancy of parents. Coimbatore, which had witnessed a boom in such schools last year, offering the ICSE and IGCSE syllabus, is now leaning towards CBSE schools. Even the matriculation schools which ruled the roost for the past few decades are now opening up their own CBSE wings, keeping in tune with the trend.

"In these competitive times, parents can no longer remain complacent about the academic performance of their wards. Many city parents have moved their children from Matriculation to CBSE schools as they perceive the latter would help their children score better in the public examination,'' points out Santhya Vikram, an educationist.

Till last year, the city had very few CBSE schools. However, with the introduction of the Uniform Syllabus System, many parents were not comfortable with the state board due to the controversies surrounding the new system. This contributed to the growing popularity of CBSE schools.

"There is a trend towards the CBSE schools. A host of reasons can be attributed to this from the inclusion of Hindi in the CBSE syllabus to the uncertainties of the state syllabus. There is also the assumption that the central syllabus is far superior,'' says Sera, principal of Vidya Niketan Matriculation School.

"The CBSE syllabus is accepted worldwide. Besides, till class 7 we can choose our own text books, allowing us to adapt to the needs of the children," says Anusha R Mahesh, CEO of the Park Group of Institutions. Besides, many CBSE schools offer courses in foreign languages, an added attraction, she says.

The proliferation and popularity of CBSE schools has led many state schools to worry about enrollment. The headmaster of a government school says that although, they have no problems now, they may face a shortage of students in the future. However, district education officials do not accept this argument. PA Naresh, Joint director of Higher education says: "Last year, only 1.5 lakh students chose the matriculation syllabus over the state syllabus. The number of enrollments in CBSE may even be less. I don't think the state schools will face any problems," said Naresh.

"The CBSE syllabus certainly has its advantages. Students from this system perform better in competitive exams. Officials have tried to update the state syllabus to make it comparable with the CBSE syllabus, but teachers are not able to cope with the higher standards," said a senior education officer on conditions of anonymity.

Nalini Shastry, a former teacher who takes private tuition for school students, says that CBSE students struggle with the syllabus because the teachers are not up to the mark. "It is unfortunate that many teachers are not qualified to teach the CBSE syllabus. This is apparent because even the bright students struggle to cope with the syllabus," she said.

K Sathyanarayanan, principal of Mani Higher Secondary School says that state schools are as good as CBSE schools. "The only advantage of CBSE is that it helps students compete better in national level exams. This is because the questions are framed based on the NCERT syllabus. Up till class 10 I feel that both state and CBSE schools are equally good. But at the higher secondary level, CBSE does offer an advantage," he said.

D Vijayalakshmi moved her son D Harshnarayan from Carmel Garden Matriculation School to the Indian Public School which offers the ICSE syllabus as she was worried about the controversies surrounding the Samacheer Kalvi. Although he finds it a bit difficult to adjust to the changes of the new syllabus, his parents are confident that with time, he will be able to manage just fine.

IGCSE and IB schools call themselves international schools, but some of these international courses are yet to get recognition in India. Most of these schools just follow the international syllabus, but are not affiliated to any board of education in India or abroad. In addition, these schools do not come under the scanner of either the central or state school education departments. With building approvals from local bodies, it is relatively easier to start an international school without going through the bureaucratic  maze,'' points out S Arokiaraj, a parent.

Maharashtra may start aviation courses for tribals

MUMBAI: Overwhelmed by the response to its programme of training 100 tribal girls for an airhostess course, the state is considering the introduction of full-fledged aviation related courses in its Industrial Training Institute (ITI). 

"Of the 100 tribal girls selected by the Maharashtra government for airhostess training, 64 of them have joined the aviation sector, while the remaining 36 girls have conveyed to the administration that they are not willing to join the services. The file proposing to start such a syllabus is pending with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's office," Babanrao Pachpute, tribal development minister, said in the state legislative council on Monday. Pachpute was replying to a query raised during the question hour session in the council. The query was raised by leaders of the Opposition, Vinod Tawde, and council member Sanjay Kelkar (both BJP). 

Participating in the debate, Tawde said that private aviation institutes are charging huge amounts for the courses they offer. "The government should start these courses in its ITI, so that students from rural areas can take the benefit of it," said Tawde. During the debate, he also asked how many of the 64 girls who have joined the aviation sector are attached to Kingfisher Airlines. "KFA is in trouble. We should know how many of the 64 girls will have to give up their jobs if they are working with KFA," Tawde added. 

In his reply, Pachpute said, "Tawde's suggestion of starting the courses in ITI will be considered seriously. Of the 64 tribal girls, not a single girl is attached to KFA, so the question of anyone losing their job does not arise," the minister added. 

According to government officials, the state government had spent Rs 1 lakh on each of the girls, who were  given airhostess training at a private academy in Pune.