Category Archives: Education

In the right direction

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai, Mike Nithavrianakis presenting the scholarship to Natasha Bopaiah. P.M.Belliappa looks on. / Photo: V. Ganesan / The Hindu

British Deputy High Commissioner, Chennai, Mike Nithavrianakis presenting the scholarship to Natasha Bopaiah. P.M.Belliappa looks on. / Photo: V. Ganesan / The Hindu


Pemananda Monappa Scholarship helps deserving students pursue higher studies abroad

A twenty-year-old law graduate from Coorg has won The Pemanda Monappa Scholarship this year. Natasha Bopaiah, a graduate from Symbiosis Law School (Pune) will be leaving for Cambridge University this September to pursue her Masters degree. The scholarship is being offered by the Pemanda Monappa Trust and has funded four students in the last four years. Offered by P.M. Belliappa in the name of his late father, the scholarship, is awarded to Indian citizens who have completed a first degree at a recognised university in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala or Tamil Nadu, have been admitted to graduate studies in Cambridge, and have demonstrated financial need. It covers university tuition fees, college fees and allowances paid to scholars for living expenses in Cambridge. “I hope she returns home after her studies to contribute to society in a manner resembling what my father did many years ago,” Belliappa said at an event recently, where the scholarship letter was handed over to Natasha by Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner.

Natasha, a gold-medallist from Symbiosis, will be pursuing a degree in corporate and environment law at the University. “I would like to focus on issues such as the impact of climate change on human beings and also on farmers in particular,” she said, “Initially, I will be working on litigations but I hope to eventually handle politics.”

N. Ravi, Director, The Hindu Group of Publications Ltd., said “People from Coorg, though small in number are high achievers. There are so many names you can quote in the field of sports and academics. So it comes as no surprise that the scholarship, this year, goes to Natasha, who hails from there.” While Leela Samson, chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Central Board of Film Certification, who presided over the event added, “Everything we have to offer the world is influenced by who we are. And they are unmistakably Indian… The wise explore and accept each new idea in their merit and with the holistic learning that Natasha will go through in another country will help her discover her strengths and weaknesses.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Anusha Parthasarthy / Chennai – August 08th, 2013

Mangalore University to offer five new courses

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Vice-Chancellor T.C. Shivashankara Murthy, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, and Higher Education Minister R.V. Deshpande at inauguration of a job fair at SDM Business Management College in Mangalore on Sunday. / Photo: H.S. Manjunath / The Hindu
Vice-Chancellor T.C. Shivashankara Murthy, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, and Higher Education Minister R.V. Deshpande at inauguration of a job fair at SDM Business Management College in Mangalore on Sunday. / Photo: H.S. Manjunath / The Hindu

Extend last date for admissions for the courses till August 15, says Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R.V. Deshpande

Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R.V. Deshpande said here on Sunday that the government has permitted Mangalore University to offer five new courses, including post-graduate, diploma and certificate, from the academic year 2013-14.

Addressing presspersons, the Minister said the university has been permitted to offer post-graduate courses in Bharatanatyam (Master of Arts) and Food Science and Nutrition (Master of Science), certificate courses in radioisotopes in biological science and visual arts, and diploma and post-graduate diploma courses in Kodava language and culture.

Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College, a constituent college of the university at Madikeri, would offer the diploma and post-graduate diploma in Kodava language and culture. Any other colleges affiliated to the university can come forward to offer the two post-graduate courses. The certificate courses would be offered by the university.

Mr. Deshpande said that as the admissions for the current academic year at the university would close on July 31, he had directed the university to extend the last date for admissions for the five courses until August 15 as they were sanctioned recently.

According to P.S. Yadapadithaya, Registrar (administration) at the university, the University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC) on the university campus would offer three-month certificate course in radioisotopes in biological science. N.G. Pavanje Chair in Fine Arts, an endowment chair, would offer a 16-week certificate course in visual arts. The diploma and post-graduate diploma in Kodava Language and Culture were of one-year duration each. The college would also offer a six month-certificate course in Kodava Language and Culture. The post-graduate courses were of two-year duration, but the university would not offer them in the current academic year.

Another official at the university said the university was yet to receive the formal approval letter to this effect from the government.

LOAN MELA

Mr. Deshpande said that 53 lakh students aged between 18 years and 25 years were out of higher education in the State and only 17 lakh were pursuing further studies. To increase the enrolment ratio of youth to higher education, the government would organise educational loan melas to provide financial support to youth to purse higher education. He did not make it clear when and how many such melas would be organised.

Earlier, he addressed a gathering at a job fair organised by the Department of Collegiate Education to graduates of government degree colleges of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts in the city.

source:http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangalore / by The Hindu, Special Correspondent / Mangalore – Julu 29th, 2013

Mangalore varsity abuzz with PG admissions

Education

Students throng the Mangala auditorium at Mangalore University for PG admissions./ Photo: H.S. Manjunath / The Hindu
Students throng the Mangala auditorium at Mangalore University for PG admissions./ Photo: H.S. Manjunath / The Hindu

456 students admitted against the available 664 seats for the science courses on Day 1
456 students admitted against the available 664 seats for the science courses on Day 1
Admissions for postgraduate courses of Mangalore University for 2013-14 began on a smooth note with processes for 21 science courses of 15 departments under way on Monday.

In addition to science courses in the university campus, admissions were available for courses under the two constituent colleges of the university – University College at Hampankatta and Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa College at Madikeri.

The centralised admissions with counselling were conducted in Mangala auditorium in the university campus.

According to Central Admission and Counselling Committee chairman K. R. Chandrashekar, 456 students were admitted against 664 seats for the science courses.

He said the Chemistry department received the highest applications – 750 – for 130 seats covering Applied Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Chemistry. Among that, three seats at the University College remained vacant. All 52 seats of the Physics department, which had received 320 applications, were filled. Likewise, all 55 seats of Mathematics (180 applications); 26 seats of Applied Zoology (116 applications); and 26 seats of Applied Botany (100 applications) were filled.

No takers

He said that only eight students joined the Microbiology department at Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa College at Madikeri against 26 seats. There were 13 takers for Yogic Science in the university campus against 32 seats and 12 takers for Geo Informatics against 32 seats. In Marine Geology 10 seats were filled against 22 seats.

The admission process would close on July 19. Vice-Chancellor T. C. Shivashankara Murthy, who visited the auditorium at noon, said that simplification of admission procedure this time had helped many students.

He said the university had opened a counter for issuing eligibility certificates to students who wanted it on the spot. In addition, there were four bank counters. Adithi K. T. who graduated from Vivekananda College, Puttur, with B.Sc. said that initially she was disappointed to see that her name was in the waiting list of the Physics department. However, later she was happy to get the subject of her choice under merit category. Ms. Adithi, daughter of former president of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat K. T. Shailaja Bhat, said she was not interested in politics but in teaching.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangalore / by Special Correspondent / Mangalore – July 16th, 2013

Giving voice to the unheard

Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Science & Technology

Linking the world of hearing and talking, Radhika Poovayya / By Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Linking the world of hearing and talking, Radhika Poovayya / By Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Speech and behaviour analyst Radhika Poovayya says people with communication disorders are often neglected because their problems aren’t obvious to the eye

As Radhika Poovayya peeps into each little colourful nook, there’s Yogi, and there’s Nishita — one sitting diligently at a table with the sweetest smile on his face, the other running in abandon around colourful toys — but both trying to give voice to words that the speech therapist is enunciating with great care. Radhika knows what’s happening with each child, what needs to be done next for the smiling four-year-old , and what to do after the three-year-old learns to say her name.

“No one considers a person’s inability to communicate to be a serious problem. It can really harm that person,” says Radhika. It’s been the premise of her work for over 26 years. Radhika Poovayya is many people rolled into one comprehensive resource — a speech pathologist, a consultant specialising in autism, communication disorders, and behaviour analysis for children and adults. “All human beings are the same. Our behaviour has a law. And the behaviour of every child can be set right,” believes Radhika.

At her Samvaad Institute of Speech and Hearing in Hebbal, Radhika’s therapists work with children with hearing impairment, stuttering and stammering problems, cerebral palsy, voice and speech clarity problems, developmental disabilities, patients of head injuries in accidents and patients of stroke who’ve lost their cognitive and speaking abilities. “Because people can’t ‘see’ their disability they do not get empathy. Our approach is right-based, not sympathy-based. We provide organised and individual therapy. We want to give good therapy that is accountable. We set targets, record data regularly, and are goal driven,” explains Radhika. The role parents play in the training and therapy of such children is really huge, reiterates Radhika. So she allows parents to be part of the therapy sessions and trains parents too to help the child at home. “Parents need to have a different approach to raise such kids. Some come to us, having decided already that the child is incapable of doing anything or believing the child is incapable of speaking.”

What got her going in the field was her love for children and a desire to work with them. She completed her masters at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysore, and then got married immediately. Her planter husband’s posting with Tata Tea in Munnar turned into a boon — she set up a speech and hearing rehabilitation unit at the estate’s hospital, helping children of estate workers. “It was the first-of-its-kind department in a plantation,” she beams. “I would drive 30 kilometres thrice a week to work in the hospital.” Once her husband moved to Bangalore, she started working at the Dr. SRC Institute for Speech and Hearing in Lingarajapuram, where she also did PR, and helped raise funds for the organisation. “But I missed my clinical work, so after seven years at the Institute, I moved to Hosmat hospital. It was here that I came across 21-year-old Sharath, who had a head injury from an accident. The left side of his brain that controls speech was completely damaged and neurologists had given up on him, but after working with him for one year, he started talking. He gave me the confidence that this field was worth it.”

She started her private practise in 2002 in Indiranagar. But there weren’t too many therapists in the field; her staff moved often. Her family set up a trust and she started the Samvaad Institute with the help of experienced colleagues she had worked with earlier, to offer B.Sc and M.Sc courses in speech pathology and audiology. The courses are affiliated to Bangalore University and recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India.

During the course of her private practise, she felt her skills as a speech pathologist were inadequate, because children with communication disorders also had behaviour issuesShe came across the concept of ABA — Applied Behaviour Analysis — through some parents she was working with. So at 40, she set out to learn online from the University of Florida, with more than 1,500 hours of mentored practical classes. “It took me four years to save up for the course, but I knew it would be effective. ABA works towards achieving socially-acceptable behaviour,” says Radhika, who’s one of five ABA-certified behaviour analysts in the country.

Speaking of the kind of barriers she faces in helping people with disorders, Radhika says that in the upper middle class, accepting that their child has a problem is the hardest thing. “They live in denial, believing their child is ‘alright’. The middle class is more willing to accept the problem, but lack time and resources for training heir child.” Caregivers very rarely are persistent in bringing their child consistently for therapy. Being an NGO, at the Institute, she’s able to offer nominal and discounted rates to people, depending on their income group. Stroke and head injury patients are rehabilitated free of cost.

Radhika can be reached on 9845018302 or check www.samvaadinstitute.org for details.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Bhumika K / July 09th, 2013

Mangalore University to open its second PG centre in Belapu

Education

Mangalore University has decided to open its second post-graduation study centre at Belapu in Udupi district, provided the government allots land for it. Its first post-graduation study centre is coming up at Chikkaluvaru in Kodagu district.

The syndicate, the highest decision making body of the university, at its meeting on Saturday, decided that the university could open its second post-graduation study centre on 25 acres of land at Belapu, sources in the university said.

The syndicate accepted the recommendations of a committee headed by K.K. Achary, former acting vice-chancellor of the university and chairperson of the Department of Statistics. The committee, constituted by Vice-Chancellor T.C. Shivashankara Murthy to identify the land for the centre and study other feasibility factors, had recommended that the centre could come up at Belapu instead of on 15 acres in Kolalagiri in the same district, sources said.

They said that after inspecting both the places, the committee had concluded that instead of the hilly Kolalagiri, the relatively plain Belapu area was a more suited for the centre.

Sources said that immediately after the syndicate’s approval, the university sent an e-mail to the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi conveying the decision of the syndicate and seeking the allotment of land.

MU to offer PG in more subjects

Mangalore University will offer post-graduation courses in chemistry, economics, and commerce at its post-graduation study centre at Chikkaluvarau in Kodagu district from 2014-15, said Vice-Chancellor T. C. Shivashankara Murthy.

Initially, the university wanted to open a post-graduation course in environmental sciences at Chikkaluvaru centre. But considering that it would not have much takers and scope, the university has decided to offer a course in chemistry as there are more takers for the subject and its post-graduates have wide scope for employment.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangalore / by The Hindu Special Correspondent / Mangalore – June 24th, 2013

Coffee Board of India Post Graduate Diploma in Coffee Quality Management

Business & Economy, Education

Coffee
Coffee

Coffee Board of India Post Graduate Diploma in Coffee Quality Management (PGDCQM) admissions 2013

Coffee Board of India invites applications for Post Graduate Diploma in Coffee Quality Management (PGDCQM) for 2013 session.

Eligibility: Candidates must hold a Bachelors degree with at least one of the subjects namely Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Bioscience, Food Technology, Food Science, Environmental science or a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural sciences. Preference given to candidates sponsored by export/Curing establishments/coffee plantations.

Selection by committee based on academic record, personal interview and sensory evaluation test.

Application forms can be downloaded from our website or collected personally from Coffee Board, Bangalore. – http://www.indiacoffee.org/userfiles/pgdcqm13-14(1).pdf

Filled in application form along with a demand draft for Rs.200/- payable to “Coffee Board General Fund Non Plan Account” and a self-addressed envelope (9″ x 6″) should reach Head (Quality Control Division), Coffee Board, No.1, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Veedhi, Bangalore-560001 by 15th July 2013.

Date of Interview and selection: 31st July 2013

source: http://www.hosuronline.com / Hosur Online / Home / by A Soosai Prakash / Friday – June 14th, 2013

Decline in literacy rate in Kodagu district

Education

About 1.13 per cent population growth is registered in 10 years

Though the Centre and the state governments have been initiating several programmes to increase the literacy rate, the programmes have not been successful in increasing the literacy rate in the district.

According to the census report of 2011, there has been decline in literacy rate by 3.55 per cent. About 74.45 per cent of the population are literate.

Out of the total population of 5,54,519, atleast 4,12,877 are literates. This includes 2,15,302 (78.04 per cent) males and 1,97,575 (70.58 per cent) females.

The literacy rate in 2001 census was 78 per cent.

Compared to three taluks, Virajpet taluk has registered low literacy rate. The literacy rate in each taluk are Madikeri (79.61 pc), Somwarpet (73.62 pc) and Virajpet taluk (71.55 pc).
Distribution of free textbooks, uniforms, concession in fee, cycles and mid day meals programmes have not had any impact on the literacy rate.

As Kodagu is a hilly region, several forest dwellers have remained away from school portal. At the same time, those who complete their primary education move out of the district for higher education. This might be the reason for decline in literacy rate.

BEO K V Suresh said “decline in literacy rate is a serious issue. The government or the education department alone can not increase the literacy rate. Teachers, parents and community as a whole have a greater responsibility.”

Population

Kodagu district’s population has grown to 5,54,519 in 2011 from 5,48,561 in 2001. According to data from the census 2011 report, the district has 2,74,608 males and 2,79,911 females. Female out number male in the district. The district has registered 1.13 per cent growth in population in the last 10 years.

The sex ratio is 1019 women to 1,000 men in the district.

The number of male population was more in 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001.

The population of the district in 1961 was 3,22,829 and the sex ratio was 862 women to 1,000 men. This gradually increased to 910 women to 1,000 men (1971), 933 women to 1000 men (in 1981), 979 women to 1,000 men (1991) and 996 women to 1000 men (2001). The population in Madikeri taluk has increased by 4,517 while there was decline in the growth of population in Somwarpet.

The total population in Madikeri taluk was 1,46,583. This includes 72,966 males and 73,617 females. The total population of the taluk was 1,42,012 in 2001.

Virajpet taluk has a population of 2,01,431 with 99,754 males and 1,01,677 females. Somwarpet taluk has population of 2,06,505 with 1,01,888 males. About 85.39 per cent of the population resides in rural areas.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Srikanth Kallammanavar, Madikeri / DHNS – May 28th, 2013

80.82 p.c. students clear II PU exams in Kodagu

Education

4,005 students out of 4,955 have passed

Kodagu has recorded 80.82 pass percentage in the II PU examination, finishing fourth in the State, according to information received here on Tuesday. Of the total 4,955 students who wrote the examination, 4005 have passed.

In the Arts section, V.R. Shalini from the government junior college, Ponnampet, finished first in the district scoring 544 marks (90.66 per cent) followed by P.L. Poojitha from the same college with 538 marks (89.66 per cent) and S.I. Noufia of the Vigneshwara PU College in Shanivarasante with 534 marks (89 per cent). In the Commerce section, N.N. Sonia from the St. Annes PU College Virajpet and K.M. Prema from the St. Michaels PU College in Madikeri emerged joint toppers scoring 581 marks at 96.83 per cent. K.R. Poojitha from the Coorg PU College in Gonicoppa scored 580 marks (96.66 per cent) followed by S.E. Anjali from St. Joseph’s PU College in Madikeri with 576 marks (96 per cent).

Science stream

In the Science category, C.B. Subbaiah from the Coorg PU College in Gonicoppa and B.K. Hemavathy from the Vidyaniketana PU College, also in Gonicoppa, scored 584 marks (97.33 per cent) to share the top place. B.D. Riya of the Vidyaniketana PU College and J.J. Spandana of the St. Joseph’s PU College in Madikeri scored 577 marks each (96.16 per cent) to become joint second. A.P. Ponnanna from the Vidyaniketana PU College in Gonicoppa scored 571 marks (95.16 per cent) to finish third.

100 per cent results

St. Joseph’s PU College in Madikeri, Aishwarya PU College in Kushalnagar, Sampaje PU College in Sampaje and Bharati PU College in Maragodu secured 100 per cent results.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Madikeri – May 08th, 2013

Mangalore varsity set to begin teachers’ hiring process

Education

‘It will place advertisement inviting applications to fill 70 posts’

Meritorious postgraduates looking for a career in teaching at Mangalore University and its two constituent colleges will have to wait only for five days for an opportunity opening up for them. It is because the university will publish an advertisement for mass recruitment of teachers next week, according to sources in the university.

Sources told The Hindu that the university would publish an advertisement either on Monday or Tuesday for recruiting as many as 70 teachers. The mass recruitment of teachers would be done after a decade.

Those teachers would have to teach postgraduate students on the university campus at Mangalagangotri and at the university’s two constituent colleges – University College at Hampankatta and at Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa College at Madikeri.

BACKLOG POSTS

The 70 posts of teachers would include 13 “backlog posts” reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates.

The total posts include that of assistant professors, associate professors and professors, sources said.

In addition to about 70 teachers, the university would recruit two principals for its two constituent colleges which do not have full time principals. An advertisement to this effect would also be out next week.

Sources said that the university was ready to publish an advertisement to this effect a month ago. As the model code of conduct came into force after the Election Commission announced elections to the State Legislative Assembly the university sought the clarification from the commission whether it could publish the advertisement or not. The commission asked the university not to go ahead with the advertisement till the process of election completed on May 10.

They said the university would publish an internal advertisement (next week) meant for only its serving teachers inviting applications from them for their promotions. This process is technically called career advancement scheme. The promotions are from assistant professor to associate professor and from associate professor to professor.

PROMOTIONS

About 80 teachers in the university are eligible for promotions. But they have to apply for it in the prescribed format of the University Grants Commission. The promotions would be based on academic performance indicator points prescribed and obtained by teachers, sources said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangalore / by Special Correspondent / Mangalore, May 08th, 2013

Kodagu shows steady improvement

Education

Out of 4,955 students who appeared for the examination, 4,005 students have passed.
A total of 1,854 students had appeared for examinations in Arts stream out of which 1,394 students have passed. Percentage of results in arts stream was 75.18.

In Commerce stream, out of the 2181 students, 1,875 students have passed with a pass percentage of 85.96 pc . In science stream 736 students out of 920 students have passed the examination. The pass percentage in science stream was 80.

The pass percentage in PUC examination has seen steady increase in the last three years. It was 73.11 pc in 2012 and 72.14 per cent in 2011. The results of 2013 show an increase of 8.68 per cent.

Top scorers

V R Shalini, a student of Ponnampet Government PU College scored 544 (95.64 pc) and topped the arts stream. P L Poojitha who scored 538(94.68 pc) and S I Naufia, student of Vigneshwara PU College, Shanivarasanthe who scored 534 (94 pc) came second and third respectively.

In commerce stream St Annamma PU College student N N Sonia and Madikeri St Michael PU College student K M Prema scored 581 out of 600 and topped the district. Gonikoppa Coorg PU College’s Poojitha K R scored 580/600 and St Joseph PU College’s Anjali S E Kudthekar scored 576 and came second and third in the district respectively.

In Science stream Gonikoppa Coorg PU College’s C B Subbaiah scored 584, Gonikoppa Vidyanikethan PU College’s B K Hemavathi, Riya B D and St Joseph PU College’s Spandana P J scored 577 marks and secured joint second place in the district.

Cent pc colleges

Four colleges have secured 100 per cent results in PUC examinations. They are St Joseph PU College in Madikeri, Aishwarya PU College in Kushalnagar, Sampaje PU College and Maragodu Bharathi PU College. Students from rural areas have outshone their counterparts in cities.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri, DHNS – May 07th, 2013