The state government has awarded 178 computer laptops to meritorious students who excelled in their class X and XII board examinations of 2016 conducted by the Meghalaya state, Delhi-based CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) and CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education). Addressing media personnel in Shillong on January 20, Ampareen Lyngdoh, the state’s information and technology minister, said: “Education is capital investment and a permanent asset for all. We honour your dedication and hard work and through these awards, we wish to send out a strong message to the state’s youth.” Explaining how her department is helping to build IT skills in Meghalaya, she added that the state government has launched “several innovative programmes to provide IT training to students in line with industrial requirements”. Haryana Fake universities outed In an initiative to prevent fraudulent technical colleges from duping students by offering diplomas and degrees for unaccredited courses, the state government has published the names of several impugned institutions in the state on its website. Addressing a media conference in Chandigarh on January 20, a spokesperson of the education ministry said a list of technical education institutions “not approved” by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has been uploaded on the council’s website (www.aicte-india.org). Similarly, a list of fake universities is also available on the University Grants Commission (UGC) website at www.ugc.ac.in, he added. Conversely, a list of approved technical education institutions in Haryana is available on the website of the technical education department, Haryana (www.techeduhry.gov.in). Jharkhand Full literacy plan Chief minister Raghubar Das says the state government will distribute tablets uploaded with the ‘e-vidya vahini’ software — developed by the state’s school education and literacy, information technology and e-governance ministries — for real-time monitoring of all government schools starting from the new academic year in June. According to the chief minister, the state government has drawn up a plan to make Jharkhand a fully literate state in the next two-three years. To this end, the government has signed MoUs with several teacher training and development institutions to upskill teachers and students. Addressing a meeting in Ranchi on January 16, Das said technical education plays a critical role in the future of children and any “carelessness” won’t be tolerated. “I have directed government officials to make surprise visits, and work with honesty and commitment to help Jharkhand become a prosperous state in the near future,” he said. Gujarat IIM-A’s e-PGP The top-ranked Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A, estb. 1961) is set to launch a two-year postgraduate programme in management (e-PGP) via distance learning using satellite-based education technology. The ticket price of the programme — the first by an IIM and essentially for working executives and entrepreneurs — is Rs.17 lakh. The first e-PGP programme will commence in June 2017 on an interactive onsite learning (IOL) platform. “We invite junior, middle and senior working professionals and entrepreneurs to enroll in the programme,” said IIM-A director Ashish Nanda in Ahmedabad on January 16. According…
