General Awareness

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION - December 2018

Dec 2018

Nov 08, 2022

Lab-grown Blood Given to People in World-first Clinical Trial

Scientists in the UK have infused blood cells grown in a laboratory into people in the first such clinical trial in the world.
If proven safe and effective, manufactured blood cells could in time revolutionise treatments for people with blood disorders such as sickle cell and rare blood types.
It can be difficult to find enough well-matched donated blood for some people with these disorders.
The team, including researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK, said the blood cells were grown from stem cells from donors. The red cells were then transfused into healthy volunteers.

Nov 07, 2022

UGC Issues Revised Guidelines for 'Deemed to be Universities'

The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced modified regulations for deemed to be universities to make them in tune with the broader policies of higher education as contained in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to the revised regulations, multi-disciplinary institutions with minimum five departments (either UG/ PG/ integrated/ research or a combination of these) or a cluster of institutions offering a minimum of five departments located in the same city/town will be eligible to apply for Deemed University status.
Additionally, the eligibility criteria will be NAAC 'A' grade with at least a 3.01 CGPA for three consecutive cycles or NBA accreditation for two-third of eligible programmes for three consecutive cycles or in top 50 of any specific category of NIRF for the last three years continuously or in top 100 of overall NIRF ranking for last three years continuously.
According to the new guidelines, now UGC will be providing approval for off-campus centre(s), and not Ministry of Education (MoE).

IIT Madras, Purdue University Join Hands to Offer Dual-degree Programme in Semiconductors

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras, in collaboration with Purdue University (US), will develop a dual-degree programme in semiconductors. The two institutions, as per the institute, will also be undertaking international cooperation in education and research in the areas of semiconductors and microelectronics.
The two institutions signed a letter of intent. In order to meet the growing needs of the industry, the proposed dual-degree programme will focus on an innovative and cooperatively-developed curriculum.
Undergraduate students with strong academic credentials with a deep interest in working on topics related to semiconductor devices, chip fabrication, and circuit and system will be selected for the proposed master's programme to enable a quick ramp-up of skilled talent, preparing the next generation of the semiconductor workforce.
The programme aims to prepare a workforce to tackle global challenges arising from the increased needs for microelectronics and shifting manufacturing trends.

Education Ministry forms Panel to Strengthen Assessment, Accreditation of Higher Educational Inst...

The Ministry of Education set up a high-level panel to strengthen the assessment and accreditation of higher educational institutions.
The panel is headed by K. Radhakrishnan, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur. He is also the chairperson of the Standing Committee of IIT Council.
The mandate of the committee includes strengthening the assessment and accreditation processes and preparing a road map for the National Accreditation Council envisioned in the National Education Policy, 2020.
Other members of the committee include Mridul Hazarika, Vice-Chancellor, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, Assam; Bharat Bhasker, Professor, IIM, Lucknow and Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

Nov 06, 2022

Prof Ciza Thomas Appointed as Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam University, Kerala

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, using his powers as Chancellor of the universities in the state appointed Professor Ciza Thomas as Vice Chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in Thiruvananthapuram. The Governor made the appointment of Thomas, who is the senior joint director of the Directorate of Technical Education. This is additional to her normal duties till further orders.

Nov 05, 2022

Gender Wealth Gap (GWG) in APAC Largest in India at 64%

A new study revealed that India has the widest gender wealth gap (64%) as compared to other APAC countries. This is largely due to the higher burden of caregiving responsibilities. The 2022 WTW Global Gender Wealth Equity report found that opportunities for women in leadership positions are also limited, with only 3% of women in the workforce occupying senior positions in India.
South Korea has been found as the best performing country in the APAC region in terms of gender wealth gap. "In South Korea, the earnings limits embedded in social security benefits limit the accumulation of male relative to female wealth," the report said. The report highlights that across the 12 markets in the APAC region, the gender wealth gaps ranges from 64 per cent in India to 90 per cent in South Korea.

Nov 04, 2022

"Permacrisis" is Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year

Permacrisis was chosen as the Collins Dictionary's word of the year. The word means an extended period of instability and insecurity. "Permacrisis sums up just how truly awful 2022 has been for so many people," Alex Beecroft, head of Collins Learning told.
Permacrisis' is a word that describes living in an age of continued upheaval; Collins defines the noun as 'an extended period of instability and insecurity.
It is the top word in the annual compilation of the 10 new or noteworthy words from the 18-billion word database monitored by Collins and from other sources like social media. Permacrisis is also one of six new words on the list added to CollinsDictionary.com.
Notably: Permacrisis beat off competition from the likes of "Kyiv", "sportswashing" and "partygate", the term "permacrisis" was named as Britain's word of the year in recognition of a dismal 2022.

Education Ministry Releases Report on Performance Grading Index for States

Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh have emerged as the best performers in school education across indicators such as learning outcomes, equity and infrastructure in the 2020-21 Performing Grade Index (PGI) of the Ministry of School Education.
These six states and the UT of Chandigarh were placed at level-II of the index, which was launched by the Centre in 2017-18.
The index measures the performances of states and UTs on a uniform scale and helps them in prioritising areas for intervention. Since its launch, no state or UT has attained level-I.
The prime objective of PGI is to promote evidence-based policymaking and highlight course correction to ensure quality education for all.
The index is drawn up based on 70 indicators covering the areas of learning outcomes, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, and governance process.

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