Who stole my admission?

Much heartburn in college admissions can be reduced with greater computerisation

Imagine a situation where thousands of people are trying to get a confirmed seat by a particular date. They are desperate, and much depends on them getting the desired seat. Different people have different preferences and flexibility. Some are rigid about their desired choices, some have second, third or even fourth choices. Some want their seats or berths in groups, and some don’t mind going alone. Some are willing to pay a premium to get a confirmed seat. These people are from all over, not just one locality. The number of such people is not in thousands, but in lakhs or even millions. And this fervent search for a confirmed seat goes on every day in all parts of India.

Yes, we are talking about railway booking. And we solved this problem 20 years ago. The computerised railway reservation system is an unmitigated success, and was driven wholly by indigenously developed software, intellect, innovation and desire to succeed to solve a peculiarly

Indian problem. Today, an ordinary labourer from Muzaffarpur, or a businessman from Madurai or a trader from Kutch is a thankful and satisfied user of this system. The influence of touts and corrupt ticket window clerks is minimised (though not eliminated). Knowing someone senior in the Railways, or using influence to manipulate the booking system can’t get you far. Most importantly, there is a perception of fair play among millions of Railway customers.

If such be the case, why is it that we have been unable to solve the problem of college admissions? Even after two decades of using computerised reservation systems, based on user-supplied preferences and fallback choices, we are unable to adapt this to college admissions. Something is seriously amiss. Of course this year, parents of SSC kids were spared the agony of lining up outside colleges twice. They just had to do it once, i.e., to submit completed forms, and pay the advance fees. The downloading of blank admission forms (the first step) was largely computerised and centralised. This was a big relief. We now need to move to the central problem of allotment of seats to eligible and deserving candidates.

This problem in the context of medical admissions has been solved successfully for the US. Every year, candidates across the country fill out preference forms online before taking the national entrance examination called the MCAT. The algorithm (i.e., mathematical model) which optimally assigns candidates to their desired colleges is very complex, and was devised by expert mathematicians. We can adapt parts of this methodology for our college assignment problem for SSC kids.

Of course, we have the additional complications like domicile requirement, multiple boards with differing curricula and testing standards, and finally the dreaded 70:30 rule of favouring local vicinity students. But most of these criteria can be inbuilt into the system. And this needs to be tweaked and fine-tuned throughout the year, not just in June or July. The problem with the set of aggrieved parents every year is that they are no longer a vested interest lobby next year. Next year, we have a newer set of ‘victims’, so that a sustained lobby of ‘unionised’ parents cannot keep up the pressure and momentum to improve the system.

There are far too many weaknesses in the current system, least of all is the risk of losing non-refundable deposits in multiple colleges. No one is claiming that this is purely a software problem. Nor does a solution address the greater challenges of vastly differing teaching quality, funding, teacher supply and curricula obsolescence. But a hefty dose of computerisation will surely make the kids’ journey feel like Rajdhani, rather than cattle class.

Complications in the admission system need to be tweaked and fine-tuned throughout the year, not just in June or July

Ajit Ranade on the wheels that make Mumbai run — money and economy

Emotional robots!

Research aims to create robots with empathy; project envisions automatons that will learn from experience how to respond to emotions displayed by people around it…

Arobot with empathy sounds like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but with the aid of neural networks, European researchers associated with the ‘Feelix Growing project’ are developing robots in tune with human emotions.

The project involves itself with developing software that will lead to robots that can learn when a person is happy, sad or angry.

The learning part is achieved through the use of artificial neural networks, which are well-suited to the varied and changing inputs that ‘perceptive’ robots would be exposed to.

Using cameras and sensors, the simple robots being built by the researchers – using mostly off-the-shelf parts – can detect different parameters, such as a person’s facial expressions, voice, and proximity to determine emotional state.

The technology combines together research in robotics, adaptive systems, neuroscience, developmental and comparative psychology – and ethology, which is all about human behaviour.

ARE YOU FEELING OK?
Much like a human child, the robot learns from experience how to respond to emotions displayed by people around it.

“If someone shows fear or cries out in pain, the robot may learn to change its behaviour to appear less threatening, backing away if necessary,” said project coordinator Dr Lola Canamero. “If someone cries out in happiness, it may even detect the difference, and one day, finetune its responses to individuals. It’s mostly behavioural and contact feedback.”

The three-year project involves six countries and 25 specialists who are building demonstration robots as proof of concept.

One demo follows the researchers around like a young bear cub might its mother, learning from experience when to trail behind or stick close to her. A robot face is also in development which can express different ‘emotions’.

“The main idea is, by being more in tune with human emotions, giving the impression of empathy, the robots should be more readily accepted by the people they may one day serve,” Canamero said.

NOT EXACTLY I, ROBOT
Automatons that can adapt to people’s behaviours are needed if machines are to play a part in society, such as helping the sick, the elderly, people with autism or house-bound people, working as domestic helpers, or just for entertainment, according to Canamero.

The work is still well shy of an I Robot scenario with emotionally complex machines taking matters into their own hands, but the empathy empowering software being developed by Feelix Growing is a big step forward for robotics.

And gauging by the attention the project has garnered in leading international press, such as the BBC, Wired and Engadget, Feelix Growing is maturing very well. ICT RESULTS

One of Feelix Growing‘s desktop emotive robots

Artist makes 17-ft cardboard Gandhi

Joseph DeLappe’s do-it-yourself sculpture recreates the Mahatma’s Dandi March at his exhibition in New York
NEW YORK: Mahatma Gandhi and his famous Dandi march have come alive once again thanks to an American artist.

Joseph DeLappe unveiled the Mahatma’s sculpture, complete with glasses and walking stick, at the Eyebeam gallery in New York.

Delappe built the 17 feet sculpture using cardboard, and then recreated the salt march with the help of a treadmill and the online world Second Life.

DeLappe, a professor at University of Nevada, spent 26 days walking with a digital Gandhi across the game’s virtual landscape. After that he decided to create the statue.

“After walking with Gandhi for 240 miles I decided it would be interesting to recreate him in monumental scale,” the Telegraph quoted DeLappe, as saying.

He has now also published a nine-step guide on the internet, which would allow model enthusiasts to build their own Gandhis.

Gandhi undertook the 248-mile salt march in India in 1930 in protest against unjust British taxes. AGENCIES

MONUMENTAL TASK: Joseph DeLappe (top right) spent 26 days walking 240 miles with a digital Gandhi (right inset) online.

Distance education results delayed, students yet to decide subjects for TYBcom

The students are undecided on subjects for TYBcom as second-year results are yet to be declared; official says delay due of shortage of staff

MUMBAI MIRROR BUREAU

The Institute of Distant Education (IDE) of Mumbai University has left the students of SYBcom stranded as their results are delayed because of which they cannot decide what subject to choose for specialisation in their final year.

Colleges across the city have already started the new session for TYBcom, but hundreds of IDE students are yet to get their results.

Many of them have currently taken admissions in private coaching classes in subjects of their choice, but are clueless about getting admissions in that subject at the University after the results are declared.

Mitul Mehta, 22, a distant education student, has completed nearly 10 per cent of the syllabus in accounts at the coaching class that he has joined. “Though I have chosen accounts at the coaching classes, I am not sure of getting admission in accounts at the University as it totally depends on the marks.”

Another student, Aman Kokate, 20, said, “I had joined the distant education as I wanted to work as well as complete my studies simultaneously. I regret my decision of joining distant education.”

Manish Desai, 20, said, “I want to opt for exports as a specialisation subject for TYBcom. But as the results are yet not declared, I cannot join any coaching class as I may end up wasting money if I don’t get admission in the subject that I have opted for in the coaching class.”

Meanwhile, worried students are approaching other colleges for admissions in TYBcom. Uday Mashelkar, Principal of Patkar College, who was approached by a few IDE students said, “Around three to four students from IDE approached me recently for admissions. Though we have seats for TYBcom, I could not help them as they did not have their marksheet.

Colleges have already commenced the TYBcom class. IDE students are sure to lose almost two months.”

An IDE official said that the results would be declared by the end-July. “Students will get admissions in the subjects they want. There is no need to panic. The delay is just because we have a shortage of staff to evaluate the papers,” he said.

Only 14, but brilliant at mindgames

Podar’s Karan Will Represent India At World Youth Mind Games in Beijing

Nitin Naik | TNN

Mumbai: Fourteen-year old boys are usually boisterous with a capital B. They have a good eye for the ‘birds’ and the bees and of course love outdoor sport, preferably something which allows them to have contact with fellow fourteenyear olds. Karan Sharma, a standard X student of Lilavatibai Podar School in Mumbai is 14, but displays none of the above characteristics.

He loves playing games, but more of the cerebral variety. His straight, neatly cropped hair and reasonably thick glasses advertise that.

What they don’t is how good he is at mind games. Karan is one of the six participants to represent the country in Bridge at the World Youth Mind Games in Beijing from October 3 to 18. “At 14, the is the youngest ever to represent the country in the tournament meant for under-26 year olds,’’ informs father Vinay, also a noted bridge player who represented India in the World Youth Mind Games in Nottingham, England in 1989.

Like father like son they say and it is from Vinay that Karan picked up the nuances of the sport. “I started playing seriously about a year and a half ago and now I have fallen in love with it,’’ says Karan.

Karan is the sole representative from the city of Mumbai. The other five participants are from Chennai (3), Kolkata (1) and Delhi (1).

While Karan is gung-ho about his Beijing trip, the youngster is also aware that he will have to give studies a miss for about a month and that too in October, a time when the midsemesters are held.

“Yes, it’s a crucial period and studying will be impossible during the Games. But I’ll have to manage,’’ says Karan.

Apart from bridge, Karan also likes chess and football. “I love Ronaldinho and I think he played his cards smartly and moved to AC Milan,’’ he says, not realising that even while speaking about football, he’s going ga-ga over a pack of cards.

Didn’t we say, Karan’s good at mindgames.

MIND BENDER: Karan Sharma, 14, is the the is the youngest ever to represent the country in the World Youth Mind Games meant for under-26 year olds.

Mandela at 90 plumps for poor

Qunu (South Africa): Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday on Friday by calling on the wealthy to share with the poor and wishing that he had been able to spend more time with his family during the long anti-apartheid struggle.

In an interview at his home in rural southeastern South Africa, the icon was asked if he had a message for the world. “There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty,” Mandela said.

Sitting with his wife Graca Machel in a lounge of the large home he built in Qunu, Mandela said he was fortunate to have reached 90, but the poor are unlikely to live that long because “poverty has gripped our people.”

Mandela also said he wished he had had more time with his family during a life spent fighting apartheid and then leading South Africa. “I am sure for many people that is their wish,” he said. “I also have that wish that I spent more time (with my family). But I don’t regret it.”

Mandela was imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against apartheid. He was released in 1990 to lead negotiations that ended decades of racist white rule. He was elected president in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.

While Mandela celebrated quietly in Qunu, there were events across the country to honour him. Two runners holding South African flags circled Robben Island, where Mandela spent most of his 27 years in jail. In Johannesburg, children celebrated with a cake at the offices of the foundation Mandela founded after stepping down as president in 1999. His African National Congress hung giant banners with his image at its headquarters. And a school choir rehearsed a song they created for him. Mandela helped raise funds for the school to build new classrooms and move out of a dilapidated mud structure. AP

An alien’s-eye view of Earth and Moon

Nasa Movie Shows World From 50M Km Away

Washington: A spacecraft sent on a mission to inspect comets has filmed the Earth and its Moon from 50 million kilometres away, making an alien’s-eye view of our world.

The two brief sequences show the Moon passing in front of the Earth as it orbits. “Making a video of Earth from so far away helps the search for other life-bearing planets in the universe by giving insights into how a distant, Earth-like alien world would appear to us,” said University of Maryland astronomer Michael A’Hearn, who leads the project using Nasa’s Deep Impact spacecraft.

“Our video shows some specific features that are important for observations of Earthlike planets orbiting other stars,” added Drake Deming of Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

“A ‘sun glint’ can be seen in the movie, caused by light reflected from Earth’s oceans, and similar glints to be observed from extrasolar planets could indicate alien oceans,’ Deming added.

“Also, we used infrared light instead of the normal red light to make the color composite images, and that makes the land masses much more visible.”

That’s because plants and some microbes reflect near-infrared light — apparently because absorbing it would cause them to overheat during photosynthesis — and that causes land masses to appear bright at these wavelengths.

“To image Earth in a similar fashion, an alien civilization would need technology far beyond what Earthlings can even dream of building,” added Sara Seager, a planetary theorist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. REUTERS

AN OUT-OF-THE-WORLD VIEW: A still from a video sequence of the Moon passing in front of the Earth, shot by Nasa’s Deep Impact satellite.

Panama Canal fossils give clue to the formation of Americas

Panama City: Scientists in Panama have unearthed hundreds of animal fossils dating back 20 million years, which could shed more light on how and when the American continent became connected.

Geologists from the US Smithsonian Institution, which has a permanent base in Panama, say engineers digging to widen the Panama Canal have uncovered more than 500 fossils including teeth and bones of rodents, horses, crocodiles and turtles that lived before a land bridge linked North and South America.

“With these discoveries we will be able to get more information about the process by which the continual land bridge was formed,” Smithsonian geologist Camilo Montes said. Since February, the geologists accompanied engineers on excavations to expand the canal, having been invited by the government to make sure nothing of value was destroyed.

Scientists believe the South American and Caribbean tectonic plates collided around 15 million years ago, causing volcanic activity that eventually formed a thin strip of land linking the Americas and separating the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The bridge was probably fully formed, in a way that mammals could walk over it, some 3 million years ago.

By comparing the Panama Canal discoveries to fossil records from each continent, paleontologists hope to determine where individual species came from. Volcanic debris embedded in the same layer of rock as the fossils will help pinpoint the time when the animal was found on either side of the land bridge.

“We will be able to get a much more precise date for when the continents started to close together,” said Montes.

The forging of the Americas resulted in a mass migration of animals, while the separation of the two oceans transformed the world’s climate and prompted the development of new species.

Montes said determining exactly when this closure happened could be key to understanding
the link between major changes in ocean currents and our climate, providing some insight into the impact of global warming. REUTERS

SEED OF INFORMATION: A fossilized seed that was recently discovered by the Panama Smithsonian Research Institute

Diplomas can get you jobs, degrees

Hemali Chhapia | TNN

Mumbai: Having trouble getting a junior college seat, or detest the idea of following the herd and going for the usual arts, science or commerce streams? Well, there are other options out there for those who have completed Class X and have a relatively clear idea of what career they want to pursue.

Professional courses, which take anywhere from three to four years to complete, can prepare you for employment in a variety of traditional as well as modern fields.

Additionally, the diplomas achieved from many of the professional courses can allow students to later gain lateral entry into an engineering degree college if their scores are high enough.

From automobile and mechanical engineering to more trendy courses like footwear technology, garment manufacturing and food technology, you can choose what suits your taste from hundreds of colleges that offer diploma courses designed by the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE). The courses vary from man-made textile technology to travel and tourism, and petrochemical engineering to knitting technology.

The four-year, full-time automobile engineering course prepares you to plan, design and manufacture automobile structures and their components. The course encompasses everything from consultation and servicing to setting up one’s own garage and workshop.

GOING TO ENGG COLLEGE
The lateral entry into degree colleges has come as a boon to engineering aspirants. Ten seats in every engineering college in the state are set aside for students with a diploma. However, the few seats mean that it is not easy to get admission.

“There is competition for these 10 seats. Entry is on merit alone and students get admission directly to the second year of the degree course,’’ said an MSBTE official.

This means that after completing a three-year diploma in, say, computer engineering, you can get into the second year of the degree course if you secure a first class in the final diploma examination.

The good news is that the number of seats available is growing. Even the autonomous institutions in Mahrashtra have now begun setting aside seats for diploma holders.

CLASS X NOT NEEDED
The Maharashtra State Board of Vocational Education also offers short-term courses that can be pursued by those who have not even cleared Class X. The board office is at Bandra (phone: 22621775).

COURSES: Electrical assembling and TV technology (6 months) | desktop publishing (6 months) | photography (1 year) | basic food processing technology (1 year) | garment manufacturing and fashion designing (1 year) | computer accounting and office automation (6 months) | information technology (6 months) | web page designing (6 months) autocad (6 months) | multimedia and animation technology (6 months) | call centre management (6 months) | life support care assistant, SSC science compulsory (6 months) | yoga and naturopathy (1 year) £ physiotherapy (2 years) | agro farm management (6 months) | gems identification and diamond grading (1 year)

OVER 62,000 SEATS
There are 393 diploma institutes that offer 3- and 4-year diploma caourses and can take in 62,765 students across the state In Mumbai, there are 35 institutes with a combined capacity of 6,205 seats Some of them are Father Agnel’s Technical College, S K Somaiya College, Government Polytechnic, St Xavier’s Technical Institute and VJTI The Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education office is at Mahanagar Palika Marg. Phone: 22641150

COURSES: automobile engineering | computer engg | civil engg | chemical engg | computer technology | civil and environmental engg | civil and rural engg | construction technology | architect assistantship | chemical technology | construction engg | dress designing and garment manufacturing | digital electronics | electrical engg | electronics engg (industry integrated) | electronics and telecommunication | electronics | electrical power systems | electronics and communication engg | electronics and video engg | electronics engg | food technology | foundry technology | fabrication technology | garment technology | instrumentation and control | industrial electronics | infotech | instrumentation | industrial electronics | knitting tech | leather goods and footwear tech | leather tech | mechanical engg | mechanical engg (industry integrated) | medical laboratory technology | metallurgy and material technology | mine engg | manmade textile technology | mining and mine surveying | metallurgical engg | medical electronics | man-made textile chemistry | national diploma in textile design | petrochemical engineering | plant engg | production engg | packaging tech | printing tech | polymer and plastic engg | plastic engg | production tech | surface coating tech | sugar technology | technical and analytical chemistry | textile manufacturers | textile technology | travel and tourism

MAPPING A CAREER PATH: Students can attend diploma schools and then get lateral entry into an engineering degree college

TENSE ROAD TO JUNIOR COLLEGE

Not all new colleges are ready for the show

Urvashi Sharma & Sumaiya Ali | TNN

Mumbai: The state government has declared that 154 new junior colleges are going to take in Class X pass-outs from this academic year. But a visit to a couple of them on Friday showed that not all of them may be prepared to handle the rush this year.

Ratnabhoomi Vikas Mandal Vidyalaya in ghatkopar (West) has started the admission process and has already taken in six students.

The junior college has an intake capacity of 80 but all the students will have to be crammed into the lone classroom that this college has managed to set aside. There are four members on the faculty and the college will offer commerce to students.

TOI spoke to college principal S P Mahajan on Friday and he appeared confident that the college would be able to handle the situation. “Students who have not got a seat elsewhere can get admission in our college and we will increase the number of seats if required,’’ he said.

But the infrastructure at the institution might need some improvement as TOI found classes with broken windows and furniture.

The other junior college that TOI visited on Friday was Dominic Savio Vidyalaya in Ghatkopar (East).

A staffer at that college office said that the institution is still waiting for written permission from the Maharashtra education department, despite the state having announced that it is one of the 154 new junior colleges. The college, therefore, is not having any session this year, said the staffer who also said that the principal was unavailable. The college also needs to appoint faculty and arrange for equipment for the proposed science and commerce streams.

toireporter@timesgroup.com

INTERVIEW WITH THE EDUCATION SECRETARY

‘I’m thinking of 15L students who benefit’

Anahita Mukherji | TNN

TOI caught up with education secretary Sanjay Kumar on Friday to ask him about this year’s troubled junior college admission process. Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Admissions have been chaotic this year and a lot of students have been affected. A: Don’t pass judgments. Ask questions of you want to. It is very unfair of you to pass judgments. When you say a lot of people have been affected, have you done a plebiscite to find out how many?

Q: Why was the percentile system introduced after the admission process began?
A: The matter is sub judice. I will not comment on the percentile system.

Q: Your government resolution (GR) says that in areas where there is a centralised system of admission the top five or ten scores from each board can be considered while calculating percentiles, while everywhere else only the top ten scores are considered. In Nagpur, the top five scores are being considered. In Mumbai, the top ten scores are being used. Why the difference?
A: I am not aware of this (in Nagpur).

Q: The GR is ambiguous. It is worded in such a way that it suggests that the percentile system should be introduced at the college level. In other words, colleges should use the top ten scores of each student from a particular board who apply to that college.
A: I told you that I will not comment on the percentile system. The matter is sub judice.

Q: I’m simply asking you to clarify what’s on the piece of paper that the government has come up with.
A: But this piece of paper is being contested in court.

Q: A lot of people think the percentile system is unfair to some boards.
A: I am thinking of the 15 lakh students who will benefit, not just the 10,000 students over here. If you only speak to ICSE students, you will get one side of the picture. If you speak to SSC students, you’ll hear
something else.

Q: If the state government feels its own education board is losing out as students from other boards are scoring higher, why not ask the state board to be more liberal with corrections instead of introducing the percentile system?
A: How can we ask the board to give students more marks?

Q: Wouldn’t that be fairer than the percentile system?
A: You have not understood the percentile system. I will not comment on the percentile system.

Q: As far as the 70:30 policy is concerned (where 70% of seats in junior college are reserved for students from the same district), why was the circular sent to colleges after the first merit list was already out?
A: The circular was based on a 2003 government resolution. We were only reminding colleges to implement a rule already in existence.

Q: But why didn’t you remind colleges before admissions began?
A: We only reminded them when we received a complaint that the rule was not being implemented. It is not our duty to remind colleges. The rule already exists.

Q: But this rule has not been implemented for the last five years.
A: So what if it has not been implemented. We will only issue circulars to colleges when there is a complaint against the system.

Q: Do you have the machinery to check whether the system is being implemented?
A: I will not comment on it.

Q: Isn’t it important to study the geography of a region like Mumbai before implementing a district-wise quota for students. Many popular colleges in areas like Matunga and Sion fall in the South Mumbai district, though they are located on the border of South Mumbai and the suburbs. Why should a student from Colaba be given preference while applying for a seat in these colleges instead of a student from a neighbouring suburb like Bandra?
A: But we are not preventing students from outside the district from seeking admission to these colleges.

anahita.mukherji@timesgroup.com

43,000 SEATS OPEN IN MUMBAI REGION

Three Guidance Centres In Mumbai, Nine In Thane To Help Students In Second Round Of Junior College Admissions Next Week

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Class X pass-outs who are still hunting for a junior college seat can gear up for the second round of admissions scheduled to begin next week. There are 26,115 vacant seats in Mumbai, 15,925 in Thane and 871 in Raigad, according to figures collated by the education department on Friday. That means 42,911 seats are still up for grabs.

Interestingly, while a total of 2,59,293 students cleared the SSC exams in the Mumbai region this year, there were a total of 2,69,655 available junior college seats—2,51,735 in existing colleges and approximately
17,920 in new colleges.

What this means is that on paper at least there appears to be a seat for every student, though s/he might have to compromise on their first-, or even second-choice college. And it remains to be seen if every new junior college is capable of operating to full capacity.

The state government has sanctioned 36 new colleges for Mumbai with over 50 divisions. Thane has 104 new colleges with 154 new divisions while Raigad has 14 new colleges with 18 divisions. Each division is a stream—arts, science and commerce—at each college and can accommodate 80 students.

On Friday, the Mahrashtra government finished collating information on the number of filled seats as well as those that are still vacant. On Monday, the government will open guidance centres for students who have been left without a seat. There will be three guidance centres in Mumbai, nine in Thane and one in Raigad. The guidance centres are scheduled to open at around 11 am.

These guidance centres will have a detailed list of all colleges in the region that have vacant seats. The number of vacant seats for the various streams in each college will also be mentioned.

Students will then have to apply directly to the junior colleges that they want admission in. After that, the colleges will draw up and release a one final merit list.

If there are still vacancies even after this round of admissions, or students are still left without seats, the state education department may once again publicise the names of colleges that have seats that remain to be filled.

Only students who do not have a seat in any college are eligible for the second round. For this round, students will have to furnish their original marksheets and school leaving certificates. If they do not have these documents, it’s assumed that they have already taken admission in another college, where they have submitted their original documents. Students should not use this round of admissions to upgrade to a better college.

RACE FOR A SEAT: THE HOMESTRETCH

26,115 junior college seats in Mumbai, 15,925 in Thane and 871 in Raigad are yet to be filled in existing colleges

On Monday, the government will open three guidance centres in Mumbai, nine in Thane and one in Raigad

Students can get details of colleges with open seats at the centres

Apply directly to the colleges, after which they will put up final merit lists

Students who already got admission in the first round can’t apply again. You can’t upgrade to a better college in this round too

Have your original marksheet, school leaving certificate and fees ready to seal the admission

In addition, many seats are also expected to be vacant in new junior colleges, which started admissions later. There are 36 new colleges in Mumbai, 104 in
Thane and 14 Raigad

The Mumbai colleges have over 50 divisions, Thane 154 divisions and Raigad 18 divisions. Each division is a stream that accommodates around 80 students

Med colleges told to charge 60% of last year’s fees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The Shikshan Shulka Samiti, the body that regulates the fees for professional courses, has decided not to declare an interim fee for health sciences and engineering programmes this year.

Instead, medical colleges have been directed to charge 60% of last year’s fees, while technical institutions, including those offering engineering courses, have been told to charge 80% of the fees set for the 2007-08 academic session.

A notice sent by the Samiti to the institutions in the first week of July states, “The Samiti directs colleges not to charge any other fees, otherwise it will be treated seriously and disciplinary action shall be taken against such colleges, which may include heavy penalty.’’

Every year, the Samiti declares an interim fee that is about 7% more than that of the previous year’s final amount. The final fee is declared after assessing the audit reports of the college managements.

Fees for professional courses in the state have shot up over the past few years, making Maharashtra one of the most expensive places to pursue a health science course. The annual cost of an MBBS course in a private college in Maharashtra ranges from Rs 1.68 lakh to Rs 4.75 lakh.
toireporter@timesgroup.com

Volunteers queue up for Teach India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: On Thursday, at 4 pm, officials from Door Step School had a pleasant surprise—about 30 people of all ages and from different walks of life, twice the number they had expected, turned up to volunteer their time and effort to the Teach India movement.

Door Step School, a voluntary organisation, has been helping street children find their potential and get an education. Shashikant Jadhav, one of the members of Door Step School, made a concise presentation that helped the volunteers grasp the basics of what they were expected to do as part of the programme. Those attended were, however, worried about the language barrier (many were not comfortable with teaching in Hindi), the time that they could spare and the subjects they’d be expected to teach.

Bina Lashkari, one of the founders of Door Step School allayed their apprehensions and assured them that they would be offered time slots they would be comfortable with, as well as the chance to teach children of the age group they would like.

As Panna Parikh, a doctor at the Bombay Hospital, put it, “If I don’t know, I will learn and teach whatever it is.’’

Many of the volunteers were teachers, who felt that in spite of their efforts for so long, they had been unable to reach the ‘heart of the society’.

While this programme was one, nine volunteers sat in raptured silence at King George V Memorial as Hilary Goji, office manager of Vatsalya Foundation, told them about the three-month journey they were about to embark on.

The Vatsalya Foundation currently shelters 50 street children and helps them with studies as well as extra curricular activities. “Please talk to them only in Hindi,’’ said Goji. “This will make them feel comfortable.’’ Goji reminded volunteers that they had to dress modestly, preferably in Indian clothes.

Another rule set for the volunteers was that the children should not be asked about their backgrounds. It was decided that learning should not be restricted to classrooms and the study hours should not exceed more than an hour at a time as the kids already attend regular school.

LEARNING TIME: The orientation programme of the Teach India campaign was held at the TOI building on Thursday

UNEASY CALM AFTER 70:30 STORM

Principals Pick Up Pieces After Admissions Limp Back On Track. Those Who Implemented Quota Face Tough Decisions

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Junior colleges could have resumed admissions on Monday itself, according to state education secretary Sanjay Kumar. After the government withdrew its decision to implement 70% district-wise reservations, resulting in the lifting of the Bombay High Court stay on admissions, Kumar said admissions could have reopened the same day.

However, college principals told TOI they were waiting for instructions from the state
government before they knew how to proceed. When Kumar was informed of this, he said a circular would be sent to colleges on Monday evening. Till 7pm, many principals said they were still awaiting the circular. It is expected they will receive the communication by Tuesday morning, by which time admission counters would reopen.

The first order of business would be to finalise admissions on the third merit list. After that, several colleges are expected to put out their fourth lists on Tuesday evening itself.

HR College of Commerce and Economics principal Indu Shahani said that she would start admissions only after receiving instructions from the deputy director of education’s office, as she needed some clarity on how to proceed with the process. Jai Hind College principal Kirti Narain said her college would admit students short-listed in the third list from Tuesday.

Dilemma for a few
While the outcome of the case has come as a relief to most colleges, which are at the tail-end of their admissions, it has brought added confusion to a handful of colleges that actually took the trouble to implement the 70% reservation in their second and third merit lists. Most city colleges simply ignored the rule altogether.

“Those colleges that implemented the 70:30 policy are free to do whatever they want. They can continue with the fourth and fifth merit lists or they can redo the second and third lists for which they implemented the quota,’’ Kumar said.

Colleges that implemented the 70:30 quota, however, are not too thrilled with the decision to put the ball in their court. “The government should have decided on whether we should redo admissions or go ahead with the process, and how. If we take the decision on our own, we will be criticised irrespective of what our decision will be,’’ said one principal.

The principal added that redoing admissions for the second and third lists is not a good option. “That would mean telling students who have already made it to college based on the 70% quota that they will have to give up their seats. This would cause chaos,’’ said the principal.

Principals said the next thing they can do is continue with admissions by using the cut-off for the 70% as the overall cut-off. However, this figure is lower than the 30% cut-off, so several students who have a percentile over the 70% cut-off have to be admitted before the fourth list is made. “The government would have to sanction extra seats to accommodate students. So we’re caught in a dilemma right now,’’ said another principal.

State’s catch-22
When asked why the state government decided to withdraw its own decision to introduce the 70:30 quota system, Kumar said it was because admissions were almost complete. When asked why the government implemented it in the first place, he said the state was caught in a catch-22 situation.

“There is a 2003 government resolution on the 70:30 policy. This year, we received complaints that the reservation was not being followed. We had to issue circulars to colleges asking them to implement it. Otherwise we could have been taken to court for not following our own GR,’’ said Kumar.

On to academics
St Xavier’s College went ahead with its orientation programme on Monday. HR College will hold warm-up sessions for first-year students on Wednesday and Thursday. Orientation will be on Friday and Saturday. Classes will begin as per schedule on July 21.

STATE OF UNCERTAINTY: Many junior colleges wore a deserted look on Monday as principals awaited government instructions

ADMISSIONS UNLOCKED: Aspirants are expected to resume doing the rounds of junior colleges today

CHILDREN OF A LESSER BOARD

Non-SSC Students Look To Bombay HC For Succour As It Decides What To Do With The State’s Normalisation Plans

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Tuesday is likely to be one of the most important dates of the academic calendar for about 17,000 students from Mumbai who have just passed out of class X this year from the ICSE and CBSE boards.

All the action, however, is going to take place outside the classroom and inside one of the rooms of Bombay High Court. Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar is likely to take up for judicial scrutiny the state government’s attempts to “normalise’’ marks of all class-X pass-outs across boards after parents of some ICSE students filed a public interest litigation against it. These parents have alleged that the process is not fair to ICSE and CBSE students and gives SSC students a headstart in the race for a seat in a Mumbai junior college.

More than 12,000 city students have passed out of class X from schools affiliated to the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education this year; the number of students who passed out of the Central Board of Secondary Education-affiliated schools was 3,345. Many of these students have suffered because of the state government’s efforts at standardising marks, say their parents and educationists.

The formula the government worked out led to an average rise of 4 per cent in marks of Mumbai’s 2.72 lakh SSC students; but marks of ICSE and CBSE students went up by only around 2 per cent after the “normalisation’’.

Besides the vagaries of the formula, the way the state education department went about the whole process left hundreds of high-scorers in the ICSE and CBSE examinations high and dry. The plans were announced only after junior colleges in Mumbai started selling admission forms and, by the time the sale of forms was over, very few ICSE and CBSE students — or even their parents — had realised what was happening.

They went by last year’s cut-offs in colleges and found that the rules of the game had changed drastically, thanks to the state government’s attempts at “normalising” marks of students of boards that had different syllabi and different marking systems.

Hundreds of students found themselves nowhere on the merit list of colleges of their choice or failed to get a seat in the subject of their choice. And, worse still, they had no way of going for lesserknown colleges as the sale of forms was already over.

The situation, say parents of the affected students, is particularly worrisome at homes where an ICSE or a CBSE passout has failed to get into a college of choice despite scoring in the 80s or 80s. TOI, over the past few days, has spoken to dozens of these students.

More than 650 Mumbai students, of schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary
Education, have scored 90 per cent or above and 1,021 have scored in the 80s. The percentage of high-scorers would be similar in case of those from schools affiliated to ICSE as well, say teachers and principals of schools affiliated to the ICSE board in Mumbai.

But it is not only ICSE and CBSE students who are unhappy with the state’s “stepmotherly attitutde”. Students of Mumbai’s international schools, too, have complained of a getting a raw deal.

Their class-X scores will only be out in August and so colleges are giving them provisional admission on the basis of their “projected scores’’ or the grades they have scored in their mock exams. But these scores are not converted into percentiles as colleges say it’s difficult to convert mock exam grades into percentiles.

LEFT IN THE LURCH
The way the state education department has gone about ‘normalising’ marks of students has resulted in all-round chaos

DARKNESS AT NIGHT
The government website announces on 27 June its plans to normalise marks of students from all the boards, the same day junior colleges start selling admission forms. The notice, say students and principals alike, is first seen on the website only after college hours.

UNFOLDING DRAMA
The details of how the government plans to normalise scores break out gradually over the next day. A section of the media talks of a strange formula that is going to be used: 10 top scores of all three boards (ICSE, CBSE, SSC) are going to be added up and then divided by 10 to give that board’s ‘representative’ marks. The formula works out to 100 multiplied by the total marks of a student divided by 97.8 (for an ICSE student) or 97.74 (for a CBSE student) or 96.12 (for an SSC student).

THE SECRET FORMULA
Newspapers across the city report in detail about the new formula. But, even then, there is no official briefing by the state education department to explain the intricate details of the formula.

IT’S TOO LATE
Colleges close their sales counters for admission forms on 1 July (Tuesday) even as students (and their parents) try to decipher the government formula. Hundreds of ICSE, CBSE students with high scores do not go the the second-rung colleges at all because they are confident of getting a seat in a college of their choice.

CUT OFF FROM COLLEGE
Colleges announce their first merit list on 3 July and only then do ICSE, CBSE students realise what has hit them. Very few of them are on that first merit list despite scoring high marks. Anxious parents move Bombay High Court for justice. 89% but vocational science remains out of reach

Sixteen-year-old Pranay Bhargav is not just an average student. He slogged for over a year to score 89 per cent in his class-X exams. But he is learning the hard way that, in these days of “normalised’’ marks’’, even 89 per cent is not enough to guarantee him a seat in a college or subject of his choice. Bhargav has just about managed to scrape through into Jai Hind College in the third merit list and, even there, has failed to get the subject of his choice. The ICSE student from Lilavatibai Podar School has taken admission in biology in Jai Hind College after not getting vocational science.

Bhargav’s first choice was Mithibai College or Ruia College and had also applied to D G Ruparel College, Sathaye College and Jai Hind College. “Two of my friends who scored about 89 per cent got into Mithibai science (vocational) last year. The normalisation process has benefited SSC students much more. But the ICSE syllabus is very tough and I, too, have worked a lot for the score I have got,’’ he said. 82% and still without a berth

Astudent from a Bandra school, affiliated to the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education board, has gone into depression after failing to secure admission in any college in Bandra despite getting 82.71 per cent in her class-X examination. “We are anxious and frustrated and we are now just banking on the Bombay High Court order. We applied to all the colleges in Bandra and actually went according to the cut-offs that colleges used till last year. We never thought in our wildest dreams that the scenario would change so drastically this year,’’ the girl’s mother told TOI on Monday. She felt that it was unfair to compare two very different boards (ICSE or the Central Board of Secondary Education with the state board) and try and put the marks on par. “ICSE is actually much tougher than SSC and requires a lot more knowledge and analysis from students and a lot less mugging,” she said on Monday. The court needs to know that this is morally wrong. We feel so helpless right now. All we can do is wait for a favourable order,’’ she added. 92% but refused by 4 colleges

Rahul Nagpal has always been among the top three or top five students in his class in school. And that consistency is evident in his class-X performance as well; he has scored 92.28 per cent in his Indian Certificate for Secondary Education board examinations. But Nagpal, who applied to five colleges, got through into only one of them. He had applied to Sathaye College, D G Ruparel College, Mithibai College, Ruia College and National College for science (vocational). And only one of them, Bandra’s National College, had a place for him. Nagpal is already preparing to take the Common Entrance Test for engineering next year. “What I have scored, 92.28 per cent, is a good score. I thought that I would get into any college of my choice with a score like that,’’ he trailed off. He said he was keen on getting into Sathaye College and confessed that he had never thought that the fall-out of the government’s marks-normalisation scheme would be so disastrous.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Teaching is a unique experience but it also brings with it huge responsibilities. For those turning teachers, here are some guidelines...

Code 1 RESPECT
It’s important to treat all children with respect and pay heed to their ideas & opinions. Also, respect their privacy. Personal information shared by them should be kept confidential. Volunteers should not take photographs of children.

Code 2 PROFESSIONALISM
Volunteers need to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Expletives and profanities should not be used. Physical disciplining of the child is to be avoided. Volunteers should be aware of their function as role models and present a positive image. Arriving for a class on time is a must. The names — TOI or UN Volunteers (UNV)— should not be used by volunteers for any purpose.

Code 3 NO DISCRIMINATION
Volunteers should not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, caste, language, religion, wealth and ability. They should not use prejudiced language or behave in an improper manner with children during the campaign. They should be impartial.

Code 4 AVOID CONTACT
Volunteers should refrain from any inappropriate physical contact with the children taking part in the campaign. It is not advisable to be in contact with the children beyond teaching hours and after the campaign period. No single volunteer should be alone with a child during the period he has volunteered to teach, except with the permission of the host NGO.

Code 5 REPORT
Volunteers should report any incident of child abuse that they happen to come across during the campaign. They should also report any inappropriate behaviour while dealing with children. They should report to the TOI regional co-ordinator, UNV programme officer or the TOI HQ team. Breach of any other code should also be reported.

Sign on only if you can stay on

Don’t Treat It Like A Sprint, It’s A 3-Month Marathon, Say NGOs. And Conditions Can Be Tough

Amrita Singh | TNN

Volunteering can be both fulfilling and fun. It leaves one with a warm glow inside. After all, what can be better than giving back to society, especially in a country like India with such distressing disparities. But while volunteering should certainly start with this altruistic impulse, say social workers that are in the business of nation building, it takes more than desire to stay the course. Therefore, signing on for Teach India in a flush of enthusiasm is one thing, running the full three month marathon quite another.

Those in non-profit organizations say that being a volunteer is a bit like being a civil soldier—the conditions are not always pretty. Tents in slums and down-at-heel municipal classrooms are going to be where the action is, not air-conditioned offices in glass buildings. This could be a world quite removed from the comfortable home-to-office rut most of us move in. But if you don’t allow these superficial downers to get under your skin, there couldn’t be a better fit than you for the job.

C K Mathew of Dipalaya, a Delhibased NGO in education, says, “Sometimes when young volunteers come face to face with poor working conditions—no air conditioning, no electricity and not even a chair to sit on, they simply drop out and stop coming from the next day itself.’’

Mathew hastens to add, however, that this is perfectly okay as long as the volunteers know what they want and don’t expect the NGOs to be overly grateful to them for having spared time from their busy lives for poor kids. NGOs are also wary of volunteers who come to them with a slightly more dubious motive—buffing their CVs so that they get into a posh US college or land a job with the NGO itself. “Some people come to us and say they want to volunteer, and later, they say they want to join us. So when we have a vacancy, they get the job and then go away to study abroad. That’s been a pattern with many young volunteers,’’ says Mathew.

Jerry Pinto, a Mumbai-based writer and child rights activist, says more than anything else volunteers should have a very clear purpose and motive. “While there may be spin-offs of volunteering like emotional satisfaction or perhaps blessings in the next life, they should understand that their primary purpose is to give back to society in whatever little way they can,’’ says Pinto, who is a consultant to the NGO Butterflies. “Only someone who truly comes with that kind of motive can build a rapport with us and remain motivated in the long run.’’

At Dipalaya, Mathew intends to use volunteers for the personal contact programme—a sort of bridging school for children who are self-learning or are from the open school. However, he would also welcome specialist volunteers. “Besides regular subjects, we would be glad if some of the volunteers can give their time to making life a little more colourful and fun for these kids by teaching music, dance or painting,’’ says Mathew.

Shubhra Chatterji, director of Kolkata-based NGO Vikramshila, is particularly happy about the response from housewives. “A lot of them have signed up, which I think is a very positive thing. Housewives, usually don’t have the time constraint that working people have and so they can be of immense help to any NGO.”

NGOs are also hoping their relationship with the volunteers continues even after the Teach India programme and becomes a long-term one. “We are hopeful that after being sensitized to the problems of poor kids, at least a few will continue to give us their time and support,’’ says Mathew. As Wesley, programme officer with Chennai-based NGO World Vision, says, “Interacting with professionals is hugely motivating for these kids and makes a huge difference to their lives.”

WANTED: Volunteers For Weekdays
While the response to the Teach India outreach has been tremendous, most people have signed up for evening weekend sessions. While this is under-standable and commendable—taking time out from your one Sunday is not easy—there are many weekday slots, which could do with more volunteers. What’s more, weekdays work better for the children since these dovetail with their schoolgoing hours. “We hope our volunteers will also consider signing on for weekday sessions,’’ says Mathew. Most NGOs would prefer their volunteers to join the morning 8 to 11 sessions but weekdays between 4-6 pm is also good. Chatterji of NGO Vikramshila says, “We have a lot of options for a volunteer who wants to give time.”

US firm turns CO2 emissions into Green Carbon

Washington: A small company in the US is developing an alternative for carbon sequestration that takes carbon dioxide (CO ² ) and tailings from mining operations and turns the mix into materials of a “higher order” for use in a variety of industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications, which has been dubbed as ‘green carbon’.

According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), Carbon Sciences, founded by CEO Derek McLeish, has developed a relatively simple technology that puts the brew under pressure and temperature to create PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate). Traditionally, calcium carbonate is produced through an energy-intensive process using expensive materials such as limestone.

The ‘green carbon’ technology takes this normally exhaustive process and simplifies it, thus producing a useful, benign material while transforming carbon emissions instead of simply sequestering it.

Carbon neutral operations don’t release any additional CO ² into the atmosphere, nor do they reduce CO ² levels either. When applying green carbon technology to a carbon neutral process, say an ethanol plant, that process actually reduces the amount of CO ² , thus making it carbon negative. Not only is Green Carbon a method for removal and transformation (as opposed to storage) of CO ² , McLeish contends that the technology can produce PCC at a lower cost than traditional processes and also points out that as carbon credit markets come online, users will automatically realize additional cost reductions when the CO ² consumed in green carbon is sold as carbon credits.

From paper to plastic, wallboard to fertilizer, PCC is a common component of many everyday products, materials, and industrial processes. ANI

Govt’s normalisation order has ‘ambiguities’

Anahita Mukherji | TNN

Mumbai: The state’s government resolution (GR) on marks normalisation for junior college admissions appears to be ambiguous and open to interpretation on a couple of counts.

Point 4 of the GR, which is put up on the state government website, states: “Ya sutramadhye kanishth mahavidyalaya staravareel pravesh prakriya hot aahe he gruhit dharun kanishth mahavidyalayastareeya percentile paddhati suchvili aahe.’’ This means that the percentile system should be implemented at the college level.

However, a parent with a law background who scrutinised the GR said the line could also mean that each college should implement its own percentile system. In other words, a college should consider the scores of the top 10 applicants to it from a particular board when calculating percentiles, and not the scores of the overall 10 toppers of that board. Incidentally, this is what the government had initially planned.

The next line in the circular adds to the confusion. “Kendriya Paddhateene pravesh hot aslelya arjancha vichar karoon pahilya 5 kiva 10 vidyarthyanchya gunanchya sarasareene uprokt paddhat vapraata ye-eel.’’ Translated, this means: For a centralised admission process the scores of the top 5 or top 10 students must be taken into account while calculating percentiles.

It is unclear why a centralised admission process is brought up at all. The process is currently used in cities like Pune and requires a central body to admit students to all colleges.

“Why is there a special mention of how to calculate percentiles for the centralised admission procedure. The circular seems to clearly state that this is the rule for the centralised system. Then, for a decentralised system, like in Mumbai, where admissions are done at the college level, the colleges should calculate their own average of the top percentiles,’’ said one parent.

When TOI read out the concerned lines in the GR to a principal, he said the ambiguity was present. State education secretary Sanjay Kumar said it was not possible for the GR to talk of the top 5 or 10 scores for centralised admissions. “You are not looking at the correct GR,’’ he said. However, the GR that TOI referred to is on the Maharashtra government website and the link to it is tagged “Normalisation in 10th standard students’ marks.’’ It is dated June 27, the night the GR was issued.

Kumar said the government was clear on the fact that percentiles would be calculated on the basis of the top 10 scores at the board level.

LOOKING FOR HELP: Many students hope the admissions reopen today.

Approach govt, not media: Edu secy

Mumbai: Education secretary Sanjay Kumar told TOI that if anybody had a problem with the marks normalisation process they should approach the government and not the media.

Principals and parents said the system is unfair because the normalised scores—or percentiles—of ICSE and CBSE students go up by an average of 2 points over the actual percentage, and for an SSC student by as much as 4 points. However, the actual percentages of students from the boards of other states and the IGCSE are used. Percentiles are calculated by dividing a student’s score by the average of the top 10 scores in his/her board and multiplying the result by 100.

The principals and parents refused to be named as they feared repercussions. A parent initially brought the flaw to TOI’s notice. ICSE parents expressed surprise when told of the drawback. A college principal said the entire normalisation process was flawed.

Many students from other states apply to Mumbai’s colleges, especially to minority institutions with quotas. For instance, a number of students from the Gujarat board apply to colleges with a Gujarati quota. TNN

KEEPING THEIR FINGERS CROSSED

Students seek end to doubts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Parents and students who still need to secure admission to junior colleges are keeping their fingers crossed in the hopes of a favourable court verdict today. A week after the Bombay High Court stayed admissions, many students—those who made it to the third list but didn’t finalise admissions and those still waiting to get in—are expected to do the rounds of colleges today.

“We don’t know what is going to happen. It is rather uncertain,’’ said Mekta Goel, who passed out of JB Petit School with 85%. “My friends and I have decided to keep tabs on what the order is and we will spread out to different colleges accordingly. We are hoping admissions begin again soon,’’ she added. Goel missed getting into HR College’s third list by 1%

Parents are worried too. Many plan to take time off from work or leave early to reach colleges in time. “After all these complications, my son Piyush has become very nervous. He scored 65% and has applied to several colleges for commerce but has not made it yet. Usually, with this score, it is not very difficult to secure admission in commerce,’’ said Hanita Khosla. “I will go to colleges in the morning and am hoping that the admission process begins quickly so colleges can begin the year in time,’’ she added.

For Sanjana Athalye’s (name changed) daughter, who studied in AVM School, the wait has been endless.

“We have been praying that the court decides quickly and our uncertainty ends. My daughter missed the second list at National College by 0.6 percentile. Moreover, the normalisation was a bigger problem for her because she passed out from ICSE,’’ she said. “We are very helpless now. I hope this frustrating experience comes to an end.

“If the 70:30 quota is scrapped, colleges may have to redo their second and third merit lists, and chances of us losing seats cannot be ruled out,’’ said Sani Qureshi, who got into the third list of Jai Hind College but is yet to seal his admission.

toireporter@timesgroup.com