Education News – August 2015

20 INDIAN AMERICANS AMONG GMS PROGRAM RECIPIENTS

* United Negro College Fund, during its f lagship scholarship program The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) program, recently announced that over 20 Indian American youth were among its class of 2015 high school student recipients.
* According to an UNCF press release, each of the students will be awarded a scholarship that can be used to pursue a degree in any undergraduate major and selected graduate programs at accredited colleges or universities.
* Set up in 1999, the GMS program is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It aims to remove the financial barriers to education for students coming from low-income backgrounds, but have an excellent academic track record.
* Every year, 5000 students attend and graduate from a select 800 private and public schools in the country. Some of these also include Ivy League colleges, flagship state universities, UNCF member institutions and other minority-serving institutions.
* To find out more about the GMS program and see if you’re eligible,
go to: https://www.gmsp.org/

JAMNABAI SCHOOL OPENS IN MUMBAI

* The inauguration of the school was done by Amitabh Bachchan and trustee Sujay Jairaj and Jairaj Thacker.
* The new school would provide education from the Primary school years to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) at the High School level.
* JNIS will provide the IGCSE curriculum through the University of Cambridge International Examination (CIE).
* A team of International Architects from Netherlands designed the building with latest global concepts, for the classrooms, labs and laboratories.

NEW FAKE UNIVERSITIES LIST BY UGC

* For the benefit of students and to aid them in making a sound academic decision, the University Grants Commission recently published a list of fake universities in the country.
• A total of 21 universities have been listed by the UGC. Uttar Pradesh fared the worst, with eight of its Universities listed as being bogus.
• There were also six in Delhi, including United Nations University and ADRCentral Juridical University.
• Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal have one fake
university each.
• As per the section 23 of the UGC act, only an institution established by the Central/State/Provincial Act
can be termed as a university.

RUIA AND SK SOMAIYA TO GET AUTONOMY

* Ramnarain Ruia and S K Somaiya College add on to the list of colleges about to be granted autonomy by the academic council of Mumbai University.
* Along with being autonomous, both the colleges are now permitted to offer one Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) subjects in each undergraduate programme.
* Increasing number of colleges are seeking autonomy as once the autonomy is granted, the colleges have the liberty to decide their own curriculum, set up their own evaluation pattern, commence new courses and also conduct admission as per their criteria.
* St. Xavier’s was the first college to be awarded autonomy by Mumbai University.

MAGMA FINCORP OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP FOR 50 STUDENTS

* Magma Fincorp Ltd., a leading NBFC, has recently announced scholarships for undergraduate students hailing from families having monthly household income of less than Rs 10,000.
* Applications from across the country are invited and 50 selected students will be offered scholarship of Rs 5000 per month.
* Along with the economic background, the applicants should have secured minimum 80% marks in school passing out board exam (class XII) in their respective state boards.
* Scholarship will be granted to students for 3-year degree courses in general stream or professional/specialized courses in science, engineering, commerce, business and finance.
* For more information, email: ghosh.sar@magma.co.in

MALDIVIAN STUDENTS GET SCHOLARSHIP FROM INDIAN GOVT

* The Indian government, through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), recently awarded scholarships to 41 Maldivian students who are willing to pursue their tertiary education in India.
* The scholarship was handed out to the students by The Indian High Commissioner, Rajiv Shahare, on the behalf of Indian government.
* Students awarded this scholarships will be given the opportunity to continue their post secondary education and pursue various courses in India at the Under-Graduate, Post Graduate, M.Phil and Ph.D levels in almost all the fields, except medical, physiotherapy and fashion courses.
* According to Shahare, awarding this scholarship to local students hailing from Maldives is a testament of the age-old special bond between Maldives and India.
* For more information: http://www.hci.gov.in/male/?pdf2831?000

 

Volume 5 Issue 2