Today I saw an interesting HRD ministry interaction with media on its 100 days accomplishments, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewtw1pbnt18, 53 min. 45 secs, streamed live Sept. 11th 2014.
I added the following comment on the youtube page:
Very happy to see such interaction between Hon'ble HRD minister & team and the media, as well as the public via the Internet. Some notes related to my interest areas, from my viewing of the video:
PPT Presentation:
*) Terrific to see data made available on schools without access to toilets. Now those who would like to help in this regard know where their help is needed.
Shri R. Bhattacharya, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (http://mhrd.gov.in/whoswho) talk:
*) Efforts initiated in past 100 days of the (new NDA) govt. shown in PPT presentation
*) Around 7:03 in the video, "The first item, as you would have seen, focuses on quality. Learning outcomes are a cause of concern and therefore, in this last three and a half months, the highest focus has been there on how to improve quality outcomes. And for this you are aware that the minister has released on 26th August the program, Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat Abhiyaan. It was the first item in our presentation (in) this short film and its focus is on quality. Its a twin track approach to focus on the areas where learning deficits come, both in terms of time and in terms of subject. In terms of time, learning deficit in classes 1 and 2 contribute to all deficits in learning later because it is difficult to catch up. And in terms of subjects it is early reading, writing, numeracy and mathematics. So these are the main areas."
[Ravi: Thank God MHRD is focusing on learning outcomes. It is the urgent need of the hour, IMHO.]
*) Around 9:15, "If learning outcomes contribution is there, they have to be assessed. And assessment has not been a focus area in many of the states though the NCERT does it every three years, it is required for each state to do it every year because of the requirement of a third-party assessment. The normal assessment which takes place is by the teacher and the school environment. We have had consultation with the states and the states are now convinced. Each and every state will now take up a third party assessment every year so that corrective measures are taken on an annual basis on improvements of the outcomes."
[Ravi: Third-party assessment seems to be a great initiative.]
*) Around 10:52, "Along with this, encompassing everything is the ICT in education. And you would be happy to know that this four week Massive Online Open Education (MOOC) on open education resource has been launched on 5th September. More than 1500 people have registered for it. It is there on the NROER web site (http://nroer.gov.in/CourseOnOER/) which has been released a couple of months back. On this NROER website we have completed training in the last three months for all the states for creating, sharing and translating of content. And you would be happy to know that content is now available in 29 languages and 14 tribal dialects. Dialects such as Galoj, Jharkand Kartha Santhali ... You would also be happy to know that the textbooks of the NCERT have been put on the NROER website in open education system resource format. And its for the first time that this has been done. This was done about three weeks back."
Shri R. P. Sisodia, Joint Secretary, Higher Education (http://mhrd.gov.in/whoswho) talk:
*) Around 22:55, "Coming to the fact that, in this country, there is (a) lot of shortage of teachers, and good teachers, specially in the backward areas. We need to ensure that the talented academics and good teachers are made available whether they are from India or from abroad. So we have initiated a scheme by which we would ensure that eminent scholars, scientists or even from other backgrounds would come, from within the country or from abroad, who are interested in coming, staying in our institutions, teaching our students, guiding our research. So this scheme we are calling GIAN which is Global Initiative for Academic Networks, and we are shortly going to announce this."
*) Around 23:57, "The next is - we have not been able to utilize the Information Communication Technology resources that are available at our command. In order to ensure that we leverage the existing gross effort that is taking place on the education (front). Now there is a very ambitious program that we have launched and that has different components. But the essential objective of this is that we must utilize ICT resources to reach out to the last student that happens to be there. Each student should be able to access best of the knowledge that is available in the world, best of the content that is available, best of the teachers and teaching that is happening in the world. As part of that process, we started a few schemes. First of all it is SWAYAM which is the Indian version of what we keep calling as MOOCs. This will be available shortly to the Indian not only students but Indian citizens. Anyone who feels like undergoing or taking a particular course, out of sheer interest or in order to become gainfully employed, or for any other reason, he or she may simply access (it). And this will be similar to the world class delivery systems, online delivery systems that happen to be existing. And for that purpose our institutions - IITs, IIMs and central universities, they would be taking up core disciplines, their subject areas and also create content, create courses which will be available online. And if required, even certificates will be issued."
[Ravi: What will be the difference between SWAYAM and NPTEL? Or will it be NPTEL renamed?]
*) Around 25:49, "The second scheme which our honourable president had announced (in) his speech to Parliament is national e-library. The national e-library would ensure that it is an online portal to make available to everyone - students, researchers - the digital content that is there - be it books, be it journals, be it their theses, their research papers, everything should be available in the e-library. Then AICTE has started a portal which is know your college portal by which every student or a parent who is there can figure out what this college is about, what the strengths of this college, what are the weaknesses. How many teachers are there, how many students. What is the curriculum, what is the content, what are the classes taking place and all that. All that information at the click of a button would be available. Then we have started a program which is called Campus Connect. Campus Connect would essentially be a program by which our overall idea is that all the institutions of higher learning in this country should be Wi-Fi enabled, should be connected, with each other, with the national system of knowledge and for that, we have prepared a scheme by which resources available at our command, we would be eventually connecting all the universities, all the colleges with each other. And within each institution there would be a wi-fi network so that each and every student can access whatever is available on the Internet."
*) Around 30:08, "Enhancing employability: For vocational education, UGC and AICTE have started (a) scheme by which they are supporting community colleges. The UGC has also announced a new scheme which is be vocational in which a person can obtain a degree in a vocation of his/her choice and (become) employable. Similarly, in order to ensure that there are bridges built between industry and academia, a council for industry-higher education collaboration is being operationalized to identify initiatives to promote research, mobilize resources and undertake socially relevant research."
[Ravi: Community colleges seems to be an interesting initiative.]
Around 32:21: Hon'ble HRD minister, Smt Smirti Irani talk:
* Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming and partaking in our journey of the past 100 days (through) the MHRD. I thank Mr. Bhattacharya and Mr. Sisodia for the presentation vis-a-vis school education and higher education. I think that the presentation in itself was pretty exhaustive. Hence I will only restrict myself to thanking the officers in the MHRD who have assisted us in ensuring that the 100 days have not only helped us initiate some new programmes but also helped (us) draw the path forward vis-a-vis science, technology and research. Since today is the 11th of September, a day where Swami Vivekananda gave that historic speech in Chicago, I also take this opportunity through the media to appeal to all vice-chancellors across all central universities, state universities and deemed universities, that the UGC has proposed a plan whereby chairs can be set up in the name of Swami Vivekananda so that Swami Vivekanada's philosophy, teaching and life can be researched upon and studied. I appeal to all these institutions to avail this particular grant by the UGC. Ladies and gentlemen, now I am open to questions from you. Thank you."
[Ravi: I very much support the idea of Swami Vivekananda chairs in some universities of India to study & research his teachings & life. Over time, perhaps we can have similar chairs for other powerful Indian spiritual personalities from all the religions of India.]
I added the following comment on the youtube page:
Very happy to see such interaction between Hon'ble HRD minister & team and the media, as well as the public via the Internet. Some notes related to my interest areas, from my viewing of the video:
PPT Presentation:
*) Terrific to see data made available on schools without access to toilets. Now those who would like to help in this regard know where their help is needed.
Shri R. Bhattacharya, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (http://mhrd.gov.in/whoswho) talk:
*) Efforts initiated in past 100 days of the (new NDA) govt. shown in PPT presentation
*) Around 7:03 in the video, "The first item, as you would have seen, focuses on quality. Learning outcomes are a cause of concern and therefore, in this last three and a half months, the highest focus has been there on how to improve quality outcomes. And for this you are aware that the minister has released on 26th August the program, Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat Abhiyaan. It was the first item in our presentation (in) this short film and its focus is on quality. Its a twin track approach to focus on the areas where learning deficits come, both in terms of time and in terms of subject. In terms of time, learning deficit in classes 1 and 2 contribute to all deficits in learning later because it is difficult to catch up. And in terms of subjects it is early reading, writing, numeracy and mathematics. So these are the main areas."
[Ravi: Thank God MHRD is focusing on learning outcomes. It is the urgent need of the hour, IMHO.]
*) Around 9:15, "If learning outcomes contribution is there, they have to be assessed. And assessment has not been a focus area in many of the states though the NCERT does it every three years, it is required for each state to do it every year because of the requirement of a third-party assessment. The normal assessment which takes place is by the teacher and the school environment. We have had consultation with the states and the states are now convinced. Each and every state will now take up a third party assessment every year so that corrective measures are taken on an annual basis on improvements of the outcomes."
[Ravi: Third-party assessment seems to be a great initiative.]
*) Around 10:52, "Along with this, encompassing everything is the ICT in education. And you would be happy to know that this four week Massive Online Open Education (MOOC) on open education resource has been launched on 5th September. More than 1500 people have registered for it. It is there on the NROER web site (http://nroer.gov.in/CourseOnOER/) which has been released a couple of months back. On this NROER website we have completed training in the last three months for all the states for creating, sharing and translating of content. And you would be happy to know that content is now available in 29 languages and 14 tribal dialects. Dialects such as Galoj, Jharkand Kartha Santhali ... You would also be happy to know that the textbooks of the NCERT have been put on the NROER website in open education system resource format. And its for the first time that this has been done. This was done about three weeks back."
Shri R. P. Sisodia, Joint Secretary, Higher Education (http://mhrd.gov.in/whoswho) talk:
*) Around 22:55, "Coming to the fact that, in this country, there is (a) lot of shortage of teachers, and good teachers, specially in the backward areas. We need to ensure that the talented academics and good teachers are made available whether they are from India or from abroad. So we have initiated a scheme by which we would ensure that eminent scholars, scientists or even from other backgrounds would come, from within the country or from abroad, who are interested in coming, staying in our institutions, teaching our students, guiding our research. So this scheme we are calling GIAN which is Global Initiative for Academic Networks, and we are shortly going to announce this."
*) Around 23:57, "The next is - we have not been able to utilize the Information Communication Technology resources that are available at our command. In order to ensure that we leverage the existing gross effort that is taking place on the education (front). Now there is a very ambitious program that we have launched and that has different components. But the essential objective of this is that we must utilize ICT resources to reach out to the last student that happens to be there. Each student should be able to access best of the knowledge that is available in the world, best of the content that is available, best of the teachers and teaching that is happening in the world. As part of that process, we started a few schemes. First of all it is SWAYAM which is the Indian version of what we keep calling as MOOCs. This will be available shortly to the Indian not only students but Indian citizens. Anyone who feels like undergoing or taking a particular course, out of sheer interest or in order to become gainfully employed, or for any other reason, he or she may simply access (it). And this will be similar to the world class delivery systems, online delivery systems that happen to be existing. And for that purpose our institutions - IITs, IIMs and central universities, they would be taking up core disciplines, their subject areas and also create content, create courses which will be available online. And if required, even certificates will be issued."
[Ravi: What will be the difference between SWAYAM and NPTEL? Or will it be NPTEL renamed?]
*) Around 25:49, "The second scheme which our honourable president had announced (in) his speech to Parliament is national e-library. The national e-library would ensure that it is an online portal to make available to everyone - students, researchers - the digital content that is there - be it books, be it journals, be it their theses, their research papers, everything should be available in the e-library. Then AICTE has started a portal which is know your college portal by which every student or a parent who is there can figure out what this college is about, what the strengths of this college, what are the weaknesses. How many teachers are there, how many students. What is the curriculum, what is the content, what are the classes taking place and all that. All that information at the click of a button would be available. Then we have started a program which is called Campus Connect. Campus Connect would essentially be a program by which our overall idea is that all the institutions of higher learning in this country should be Wi-Fi enabled, should be connected, with each other, with the national system of knowledge and for that, we have prepared a scheme by which resources available at our command, we would be eventually connecting all the universities, all the colleges with each other. And within each institution there would be a wi-fi network so that each and every student can access whatever is available on the Internet."
*) Around 30:08, "Enhancing employability: For vocational education, UGC and AICTE have started (a) scheme by which they are supporting community colleges. The UGC has also announced a new scheme which is be vocational in which a person can obtain a degree in a vocation of his/her choice and (become) employable. Similarly, in order to ensure that there are bridges built between industry and academia, a council for industry-higher education collaboration is being operationalized to identify initiatives to promote research, mobilize resources and undertake socially relevant research."
[Ravi: Community colleges seems to be an interesting initiative.]
Around 32:21: Hon'ble HRD minister, Smt Smirti Irani talk:
* Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming and partaking in our journey of the past 100 days (through) the MHRD. I thank Mr. Bhattacharya and Mr. Sisodia for the presentation vis-a-vis school education and higher education. I think that the presentation in itself was pretty exhaustive. Hence I will only restrict myself to thanking the officers in the MHRD who have assisted us in ensuring that the 100 days have not only helped us initiate some new programmes but also helped (us) draw the path forward vis-a-vis science, technology and research. Since today is the 11th of September, a day where Swami Vivekananda gave that historic speech in Chicago, I also take this opportunity through the media to appeal to all vice-chancellors across all central universities, state universities and deemed universities, that the UGC has proposed a plan whereby chairs can be set up in the name of Swami Vivekananda so that Swami Vivekanada's philosophy, teaching and life can be researched upon and studied. I appeal to all these institutions to avail this particular grant by the UGC. Ladies and gentlemen, now I am open to questions from you. Thank you."
[Ravi: I very much support the idea of Swami Vivekananda chairs in some universities of India to study & research his teachings & life. Over time, perhaps we can have similar chairs for other powerful Indian spiritual personalities from all the religions of India.]
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