Students question HRD minister over 8 new IITs

June 7, 2014

Pilibhit, Jun 7: Union human resources development minister Smriti Irani's decision to set up eight new IITs has sparked an interesting debate. Students from the older IITs have begun an online petition seeking review of the move, and 6,000 signatures were gathered in less than a week.

The petition, submitted to the minister online by IIT Kharagpur student Digvijay Patil, sought that the infrastructure of existing IITs — there are now 16 of them — be strengthened and upgraded first, before new institutes are started.

HRD ministerThe petition received overwhelming support from the student community, and messages have been pouring in endlessly on social websites like Facebook and messaging network Whatsapp.

IIT students are making all out efforts to project nationwide unanimity in this matter. Among the issues raised by the students are acute shortage of competent teaching staff, and inadequate facilities.

Available reports indicate that existing IITs in India have 6,591 sanctioned posts. Only 4,079 have been filled, a mere 62% of total requirement. Among these faculty positions are also teachers on visiting, adjunct and contratual arrangements.

What is more, the eight IITs set up in 2009 have not yet shifted to permanent campuses.

Students fear that if eight new institutes are set up in such a situation, they will be no better than the eight struggling IITs set up in 2009. Such a state of affairs would result in the dilution of the IIT brand, said Manu Agarwal, a student of IT at the Benaras Hindu University-IIT.

Agarwal pointed out that the average strength of any IIT is around 1,000 students, while the eight IITs set up in 2009 have confined the maximum number of students to 500.

What this means is that these eight IITs have been running at half capacity because of the lack of teachers and necessary infrastructure.

In many IITs, students share rooms meant for single occupancy in the hostels, and three students are sometimes expected to live in rooms meant for only two. Laboratories and classrooms are inadequately furnished, Agarwal said.

Given that the HRD minister has expressed willingness to scrap the controversial four-year undergraduate study programme in Delhi University, IIT students too hope their petition will be heard.

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February 25,2020

The Post Graduate Department of English, St. Agnes College (Autonomous) organized COSMOPOETICA – a Two-Day International Poets Conference, transcending the boundaries of language and bringing together scholars from English, Hindi and Kannada languages. The key-note speaker was Dr Hima Urmila Shetty and the Panel of Experts included Maggie Harris, a Commonwealth short stories award winning poet of Broadstairs, Kent; Dr Kathryn Hummel, a visiting professor at IIT Hyderabad; Prof Raj Rao, acclaimed poet and novelist, former HOD of English, Savithribai Phule University; Lata Chouhan from Bangalore; Vijay Tiwari from Ahmedabad; Dr. Nagaveni Manchi, an acclaimed Poet and Professor, Govt College, Carstreet and Ms. Chandrakala Nandavara, former Principal of Ganapati PU College.

Dr Sr Jeswina A.C., the Principal; Dr Sr Maria Roopa A.C. the Superior and Dr Sr Vinora A.C., graced the occasion.

Dr Geralyn Pinto, the Staff Convenor; Dr Malini Hebbar, the HOD and Ananya Sneha the student Convenor organised the Conference.

The highlight of the Conference was the Poetry Workshop, Slam Poetry Competition in three languages and paper presentations on various aspects of poetry.

Overall the conference drew together poets and academicians to discuss poetry as a genre and practice with ignited minds.

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Media Release
March 15,2020

First Steps Pre-School, Kudroli celebrated Red Day on Friday, 14th March 2020 with elegance. To mark the celebration, all the tiny tots wore Red clothing and brought Red coloured fruits, vegetables & toys to share with the class and each pre-schooler briefly described his or her Red item brought to the class. 

The classroom was decorated with red streamers, balloons and table settings. The bulletin board was designed with the word ‘Red’ with pictures of Red animals, vehicles, plants and foods.

The Bloomings were asked to bring Red coloured objects for a ‘Show and Tell’ activity.

The teachers collected the objects from the children and displayed them on a table and taught the names of the objects to the children and also introduced many other facts about them. Students were given a thorough understanding of the colour red through different activities.

The kids actively participated and were very happy and excited. Parents were equally thrilled and overwhelmed due to their child’s participation.

Career Guidance Counsellor, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Shameer Ahmed was the chief guest of the event. He addressed the students on the importance of colours and explained the purpose of conducting such an event to boost the confidence and creative culture in kids.
 
Headteacher Himna S. Ahmed enlightened the importance of colour in our life. She further added that Red is the best colour to create enthusiasm for life and can awaken greater confidence & optimism. In the meaning of colours, Red inspires original thought and inquisitiveness. 

Red is the colour of energy, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense colour. Children learnt the significance, importance and identification of the colours.

The teachers Himna, Azeema decorated the classrooms with red objects that children can easily identify with. They created beautiful red tables, red drapes, red balloons, red toys, red boxes, red balls, red fruit and vegetable cutouts etc. Everywhere the kids looked, they found something or the other in red. Learning was fun on red day and the children are looking forward to learning about yet another colour.

Event coordinator Shehzan S. Ahmed arranged the event in a skilled manner, which added a feather to the event.

In the end, each child was sent home with a bright Red smiley prop. and the colouring sheets which they coloured as an indoor activity to commemorate the Red day.

The event magnificently concluded with refreshments for the kids of pre-school.

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