General Awareness

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION - August 2020

Aug 2020

May 06, 2023

Kerala Becomes First State to Launch Its Own Institutional Ranking Framework

Kerala made history by becoming the first state to introduce its own ranking system for higher education institutions. The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) launched the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF), which is based on the lines of the National Institute of Ranking Framework (NIRF).
KIRF aims to introduce a more democratic and secular approach to the ranking system in the state.
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a ranking system created by the Indian government in 2015 to evaluate higher education institutions across India.
However, the government of Kerala felt the need to develop its own ranking system that would reflect the socio-cultural heritage and values of the state. As a result, the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF) was born.

Govt. Likely to Bring IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs under New Higher Education Regulator

As per reports, Institutes of National Importance (INIs), including IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs, are likely to be brought within the ambit of the proposed single higher education regulator, Higher Education Commission of India.
Currently central universities and INIs are governed by their own Acts of Parliament and are not answerable to the University Grants Commission or the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). While the central universities are still dependent on UGC for release of their budgetary grants, the IITs, IIMs and NITs deal with the ministry directly on financial matters.
According to sources, the Education Ministry, while deliberating on different provisions and powers of the proposed HECI, also considered bringing INIs and BUs within its ambit. The move, if implemented by the government, is likely to cause heartburn especially among the IIMs which have been very protective of their autonomy, especially since the passage of the IIM Act.

US FDA Approves World's First RSV Vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration approved an RSV vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline for use on adults ages 60 and older.
The approval, the first ever globally by a regulatory body for an RSV vaccine, is a decisive victory for GSK in a race against drug makers Pfizer and Moderna to bring to market a shot that targets the respiratory syncytial virus.
GSK's shot is also inching closer to approval in the European Union.

May 05, 2023

Allen Career Institute Appoints Nitin Kukreja as Chief Executive Officer

The Allen Career Institute appointed Nitin Kukreja as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Last year, Bodhi Tree invested $600 million in Allen Career Institute and Kukreja's appointment as the CEO is a rare instance of an investor nominee director being appointed as the CEO of the investee company.
Nitin Kukreja has been associated with Bodhi Tree Systems (a joint venture between James Murdoch's Lupa Systems and former Walt Disney Asia Pacific chief Uday Shankar) that invested fresh capital in Allen last year. Nitin was appointed as a Director on the Board of Allen in June 2022. As a Director, he has worked closely with the leadership team at Allen and has been instrumental in shaping the business strategy and laying the foundation of the digital team. His appointment as CEO is a testament to the experience and credibility of the Bodhi Tree team.

IFSCA inks MoU with IHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad

International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and IHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad signed an MoU at IIIT Hyderabad campus.
This MoU aims to put in place a framework for cooperation and understanding between IFSCA and IHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad to collaborate in supporting and facilitating FinTech and TechFin entities.
IFSCA is responsible for the development and regulation of international financial services, including that of the insurance sector, in the IFSC, which is treated as a separate international financial jurisdiction, distinct from the rest of India. IFSCA aims to develop a strong global connect and focus on the needs of the Indian economy as well as to serve as an international financial platform at the regional/ global level.
IHub-Data is a Technology Innovation Hub for Data Banks, Data Services, and Data Analytics (IHub-Data) at IIIT Hyderabad which was established by IIIT Hyderabad under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) scheme funded by DST, Govt of India with an objective to bring closer different stakeholders – research community, academics, government officials, NGOs, industry leaders, incubating start-ups and social science critics -for enhancing or exploring mutual collaboration.

May 04, 2023

IIT Madras Hosts National Workshop on 'Next Generation Laser Technologies'

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) hosted a workshop on Next Generation Laser Technologies as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR), IIT Madras.
The key objective was to bring together experts from across the country and discuss how India can advance in the field of Laser Systems and develop the technology indigenously.
The workshop was organised by the DRDO Industry Academia – Ramanujan Centre of Excellence (DIA-RCoE), IIT Madras, and the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras. It provided an opportunity to the research scholars, scientists, next-generation faculty, and industry captains to know about this disruptive technology which is going to be a game changer in defence technology.

India Edges Past China to Send more Students to US in 2022

The number of Indian students heading to the United States rose in 2022, as compared to the previous year, and Asia emerged as the most popular continent of origin, a new report has shown.
As per the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement annual report, the number of students from China and India made Asia the most popular continent of origin. Comparable to the drop from the calendar year 2020 to 2021, China sent fewer students in 2022 compared to 2021 (-24,796), while India sent more students (+64,300).

May 03, 2023

IIT Madras Researchers Develop Tool to Detect Tumours in Brain, Spinal Cord

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras developed a machine learning-based computational tool called GBMDriver to improve the detection of cancer-causing tumours in the brain and spinal cord. The tool is freely accessible and was primarily developed to identify driver mutations and passenger mutations in glioblastoma, a rapidly proliferating tumour.
The researchers found that GBMDriver can detect driver mutations in glioblastoma with an accuracy of 81.99%, which is superior to current computational techniques. The approach relies entirely on the sequence of proteins, and the study identified the crucial amino acid characteristics that distinguish cancer-causing mutations.

IIT Kanpur Launches New eMasters Degree Programme on Sustainable Construction

The construction industry's rapid growth, along with concerns over sustainability, led to a rise in demand for skilled professionals who can manage sustainable construction projects. To cater to this need, IIT Kanpur launched an eMasters degree programme in sustainable construction practices and project management.
This comprehensive programme will help professionals gain the expertise to build and manage sustainable construction projects, while also covering environmental management, legal and regulatory frameworks, and sustainability consulting.
The eMasters programme offers the flexibility to complete the program in 1-3 years, making it a preferred choice for working professionals. There is no requirement for a GATE score for selection, making it accessible to all.
The programme is taught by world-class faculty and experts from the forefront of cutting-edge research at IIT Kanpur.

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Celebrates Diamond Jubilee

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on its 60th Foundation Day in May 2023. On the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of IIFT Prof. Satinder Bhatia released the commemorative issue of Foreign Trade Review (FTR) Journal.
Since its establishment in 1963, IIFT has proactively seized all available opportunities to emerge as an acknowledged centre of excellence in international trade and business. During this period, it has diversified its role from being a think tank institution to a key repository of knowledge in international trade, apart from being the premier business school in the country. The IIFT has grown at a phenomenal rate in the first two decades of the new millennium.
In the journey of 60 years, IIFT has added many feathers to its cap from being ranked consistently amongst the top business schools, achieving AACSB accreditation to offering an impressive array of innovative MDPs/EDPs offered by the Institute.

UGC Launches CU-Chayan, a Unified Portal to Smooth Recruitment Process

UGC Chairman, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar launched portal called CU-Chayan (Chayan is Hindi for selection) for unified recruitment at central universities.
The portal is intended to ease the process of recruitment in all central universities. The portal will act as a common platform to list all vacancies, advertisements, jobs across all central universities. The portal makes the recruitment process completely online.
Here are the key features of the portal:
Single applicant login for applications to all/any central universities
The portal allows real-time tracking of applications
Each applicant will have a personalised dashboard that will facilitate various recruitment-related functions
The portal will simplify the recruitment process for not just applicants but also recruiters. It will provide the facility of real-time tracking of applications. It enables a completely online process along with a payment gateway, built-in email communication tools, and online feedback and reference options for referees.
The CU-Chayan portal has been developed after discussions with the VCs of all Central Universities.
All the central universities will deactivate their independent recruitment portals and will switch to the unified portal.

May 01, 2023

IIT Roorkee Organises Informative Session on 'Study, Scholarship & Job Opportunities in Japan'

The Career Development Cell (CDC) at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) organised an informative session titled " Study, Scholarship & Job Opportunities in Japan" in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan and Japan Foundation.
The event attracted more than 200 participants, including faculty, students, and staff members from IIT Roorkee. Yasuhiro Yonehara spoke about the Japan Foundation and how it helps students to find the perfect institution and scholarships for pursuing their higher studies.

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