Aviation courses to take off at Mumbai University this year

Considering the growing demand for professionals in aeronautics and the aviation industry, the University of Mumbai has introduced two novel courses, namely Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics (Mechanics) and Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics (Avionics) in the academic year 2011- 12. The three- year course, which is divided into six semesters primarily concentrating on the developments in aeronautics, was approved in the Academic Council meeting of March 11.

Currently, the aeronautics industry is prominently expanding career fields, with new inventions riding on immense technological expansion on their way.

While sophisticated training, including theory and practical, is the need of the hour, the fast growth of the industry is playing a major role in attracting students to these courses. Further, the country's Open Skies policy has led to a significant increase in air services, thereby opening gates of parallel growth in infrastructure.

The two courses aim at providing jobs to students in the aviation industry like Traffic Control, Crew and Manpower scheduling, in- flight Service Department, Security, Civil Works department and Line and Major maintenance department of Engineering.

Commenting on the development, BCUD Director Dr Rajpal Hande said,"University of Mumbai has already introduced a course in aviation four years back which was a huge success. Taking into consideration the response for the course in aviation, we evolved this novel idea of introducing special degree course in the field of aeronautics. After the university introduced the course in aviation, we received several letters from students and education institutions demanding a course in the field of aeronautics."

BHU get nod to become IIT, Eight new IITs also approved

The Lok Sabha on Thursday cleared the Institutes of Technology Amendment Bill, paving the way for incorporating the eight new IITs under the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.

The Bill also gave the goahead for the Institute of Technology under the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to be converted into an IIT. The eight new IITs in Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Hyderabad, Indore, Mandi, Jodhpur and Ropar were set up in 2008. Incorporating these new IITs would now confer legal status on these institutes enabling them to give degrees to students.

These institutions can now be declared as those of national importance. Even as HRD minister Kapil Sibal presented the Bill, there were protests from some BSP members that the conversion of the Institute of Technology – BHU into an IIT would diminish the character of the university.

Sibal assured the members of the House that according to the amended Bill, the BHU vice-chancellor would head the board of governors of IIT-BHU, so that there was no question of the institute being bifurcated or diminished in importance.

3-fold fee hike in govt medical colleges soon

There is a proposal to triple the amount of course fees of 44 state government- funded medical colleges across the State from the next academic session 2011- 12. The Department of Medical and Technical Education is going to put up the proposal before the state cabinet on Wednesday.

At present, the medical fee in the first year MBBS course is Rs 18,000 which is proposed to be tripled to Rs 45,000. The amount will comprise academic fee worth Rs 40,000 and Rs 5000 towards development charges. There are 14 allopathic medical colleges out of which 4 are in Mumbai alone.

Earlier, the dental colleges used to charge Rs 15,000 as course fee which now would increase to Rs 33000. There are four dental colleges funded by the government. Ayurveda colleges used to charge Rs 7500 as course fee which would now increase to Rs 1800. Nursing course fees would be doubled from Rs 3000 to Rs 6000.

Interestingly, so far no fee was charged to the students doing bachelor in paramedical technology ( BPMT) degree course at 18 government and corporation- run medical colleges. But the department has proposed that they should be charged at least Rs 18000 per year. This will affect over 4500 students.

There are four government run and 16 grantin- aid colleges in Maharashtra that offer degree course in Ayurveda medicine with the capacity of 1030 students. Besides there are 3 Unani colleges with the students capacity of 800.

There is also a proposal to increase by ten percent the course fee every year besides increasing the library deposit amount. Interestingly, the state government spends an annual amount of Rs 4.88 lakh per student in medical college. In private medical colleges, the students are charges Rs 3.15 lakh per year while in dental college the fee amount is Rs 2.5 lakh.

State okays common curriculum in schools

The State Education Department on Tuesday finally surrendered and agreed to convey a visible change in the education system by providing common school curriculum to children hailing from all strata of society.

Dr Vivek Korde, President of Forum Against Commercialization of Education ended his hunger strike on Tuesday after the government decided that the education department shall frame a committee to increase the financial limit of Ecnomically Backward Class (EBC). A 10- member delegation of Forum Against Commercialisation of Education, met Education Minister Rajendra Darda on Tuesday to place their demands.

Dr. Korde has been protesting against the commercialisation of education for the past seven years. Welcoming the decision Korde said, " The minister has agreed to conceptualise a skeletal administration to maintain transparency in the admission procedure.

Also, he stated that the ministry has been working on the Fee Regulation Act to counter the abrupt fee hike by schools. In 1992, a committee was framed to contrive the Fee Regulating Act as well as to increase the EBC limit, which had fixed the EBC limit at Rs. 15, 000." He further added, " the education minister had now promised to place the EBC demand before the committee which was framed in October 2010 under the chairmanship of School Education Secretary to regulate the fee structure as well as increase the EBC limit at Rs 1, 00, 000, per annum. Centralising the admission procedure will pave the way for poor parents who wish to admit their children in schools.

The State Government has also agreed to regulate the fee structure for the pre- primary education system. We are here to build an egalitarian society with the motive of common school and curriculum to children." The ten- member delegation comprised Dr. Shyam Pokhle, Dr. Deven Naik, Hema Shirke, MLA Prashant Thakur, Appa Terde, Sushila Raka, Jayant Diwan, Principal P. G. Chavan, Jaytundi Pothirwale and Atmaram Patil.

Advanced post masters course in law mooted

The Department of Law, University of Mumbai will soon be inducting an advanced course in law after LL. M, which is aimed at expanding the horizons of law. In its Golden Jubilee ear, the department is conducting a three- day workshop from December 20 to December 22, aimed at creating best teachers to teach at law schools, as well as ensuring proper mechanism in acquiring highly- skilled law teachers.

Eminent law professors, professional lawyers, deans of law colleges, teachers, stakeholders in quality legal education and researchers in law will be a part of this grand workshop.

Prof. Upendra Bakshi, Ex- Vice- Chancellor, University of Delhi, Prof. Madhava Menon, Former Director National Law School, Bangalore, Prof. Joga Rao, Bangalore Law School, Prof. Krishnamurthy, SNDT- Vice- Chancellor and judges of the Bombay High Court are the esteemed speakers for the seminar.

The workshop, Intensive Study on Building capacities for Quality Improvement in Legal Education is being specially conducted for full- time law school principals and teachers, professors of post graduate law colleges and law members of, board of studies, research and recognition committees and academic council.

“ The main aim of conducting such a huge event is to bring to fore, improvisation in the field of law. The subject which is to be discussed will soon be inducted as an advanced course after LL. M. This course will focus on the teaching abilities of students who will be qualified as professional teachers. This course will help to generate excellent quality teachers, which we lack today,” said Dr. Suresh Mane, Head of Department of Law, Mumbai University.

He further added, “ The seminar will also design the curriculum for the course after which the proposal will be placed before the board of studies. The new course shall be implemented from June.

This course will surely help students to explore the depth of law and understand the subject in a more detailed manner.” The participants will have to register their names for the seminar by attaching a one- page bio- data along with their confirmation of participation form and a fee of amount Rs. 1000. The last date for registration is December 15.

City low on pass percentage in October SSC exams

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Pune, declared the October results of Secondary School Certificate examinations based on the best of five policy. The results were declared after taking prior opinion from lawyers since the case of best of five is pending in the Supreme Court.

A total number of 1,56, 945 had registered for the examination out of which 1,55,570 had appeared and 23,958 passed the examination. In Mumbai, out of the 31,341 who had appeared for the exam, 4,099 passed. The passing percentage of Mumbai is 13.08 percent.

According to citywide statistics, Nashik stands first with a passing percentage of 27.47. Second in line is Amravati with a passing percentage of 23.75 along with Nagpur in the third place with 21.18 percent.

Mumbai marks the sixth position with 13.08 percent. The Latur pattern has considerably failed, with the lowest passing percent of 7.90.

The printed results will be distributed on December 10 at 3 pm at the respective centres for students to collect. Students who wish to apply for revaluation of marks should apply for the same between December 11 to Dec 20 respectively.

Students who have failed in this examination and wish to reappear for the March exam will have to submit their applications on December 20. Students filing applications after the declared date will have to apply on Dec 28 along with late submission fine.