After a 17-year trial, a Delhi court has ruled against the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for undue delay and negligence in declaring the revised Class XII board exam marks of a student. CBSE did nothing to put an end to the shock, humiliation and trauma suffered by the complainant by delaying retotalling of his marks. The Board cannot escape its liability to pay damages for the agony and depression caused to him, additional district Judge G P Mittal said while fining CBSE Rs 10,000 for negligence of duty. Complainant Rajneesh Chandra Narang, presently a homeopathy practitioner and resident of Tagore Garden, had in the year 1988 appeared for his Class XII board exams held by CBSE. When the results came out, he found that he had scored high marks in all subjects except physics (52%), much against his expectations. He applied to the CBSE for retotalling his physics marks on May 23 the same year, on the condition that the Board would inform him of the outcome within 10-12 days. However, they got back to him only after 54 days (July 18), hampering the complainants chances of applying for any professional course.

News of CBSE

The Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) is promoting a research and development tech park at Taramani that will match international standards. We have already acquired six and a half acres of land for the 4 lakh square feet first phase and work has already started. Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, professor of electrical engineering, IITM, has been put in charge of the entire project and when completed, it will be on the lines of the Stanford research park in the U.S. Professor M.S. Ananth, Director, IITM, said during the presentation of the Distinguished Alumnus Awards to six outstanding former students here on Friday. Though 12,000 students deserved an IIT-quality education every year, only 4,000 out of the 2 lakh applicants could actually be admitted due to a shortage of faculty. The IITM had introduced 100 new courses, besides effecting curricular changes. Efforts were also on to introduce interdisciplinary research in 14 areas and to build bridges with universities abroad to foster industry-research partnership.

Rs. 40 crores earned

The IITM earned Rs. 40 crores annually through sponsored research and consultancy alone and several infrastructural improvements were being undertaken. Apart from academic excellence, IITM also concentrated on enhancing the human resources potential of its students. Apart from the hugely successful cultural fest, Sarang, it regularly hosted Shastra, the only student festival in the entire country to be given an ISO 2001 certification, Dr. Ananth added.

Award winners

The distinguished alumnus award winners this year include Meena Mutyala, vice-president, Nuclear Fuel Engineering Division, Westinghouse Electric Company, U.S.; Parimal R. Desai, vice president, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Development, Wyeth Research, New York; A. Parasu Parasaraman, professor and James W. McLamore chair in marketing, University of Miami, U.S.; A. Jayakrishnan, head of the Polymer Division, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum; Krishna Swaroop Kolluri, executive vice-president and general manager, Security Products
Group, Juniper Networks, U.S. and Kris Venkat, chairman and chief executive officer, Phyton Inc., U.S. In their acceptance speeches, both Ms. Mutyala and Dr. Desai thanked the IITM for giving them a truly unparalleled experience [as students] that could not be had anywhere else in the world.

News of Indian Institute of Technology (Madras)

The Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, is among 15 select Asian varsities partnering the Washington University in launching the McDonnell Academy, which aims to create a worldwide network of top class scholars, and business and government leaders. The Academy will foster international co-operation in education and research to groom leaders capable of dealing with challenges of globalization in a socially sensitive way. At least nine multinational corporations, including Boeing, and several foundations and individuals are supporting the Academy. Established with a $10 million committed by retired chairman of the board of McDonnell Douglas Corporation John F. McDonnell, the Academy will pay all expenses for scholars it selects in various disciplines including arts, sciences, engineering, research and medicine, for study at the Washington University Announcing its establishment, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said more Indian research varsities would be associated with it gradually. The training programme would include leadership training, interactions with experts in key areas. The Academy will also encourage collaboration between the universities on diverse issues. The collaborating multinationals could let the Academy know the fields in which employment is available and that would be kept in view while selecting the scholars. The first batch of 20 scholars would start training in fall next year.

News of IIT

THE IITs have been ranked the third best technology universities in the world for 2005, according to the prestigious Times Higher Education Supplement (THES). The THES said, Peer review of the worlds top technology universities shows that in 2004 the high praise for IITs was no fluke. IIT had been ranked fourth in 2004. Assessments and ratings of THES are highly valued the world over and treated as a guide in the academic and employment circles. Declaring the IITs elevation, the THES said they were a source of Indian national pride as well as of innovation and wealth. The IITs were ranked 36th in the world among science universities. In the golden triangle universities, the Imperial College in London was regarded as the hottest university, ahead of Cambridge, and slotted in the fifth position in the world.

THES explained, Our definition of technology covers the main engineering disciplines including information and communications technology This high praise of the IITs comes along with another glowing tribute which says India is head and shoulders above the competition in global sourcing.

News of IIT

The Supreme Court on 23 Sept 05 has permitted member colleges of the All India Medical and Engineering Colleges Association to admit students on the basis of their 10+2 marks to engineering seats left vacant after the accommodation of all Common Entrance Test (CET) qualifiers. However, these 1,560 colleges will have to abide by the higher standards, if any, prescribed by the governments of the states in which they are located. There are at least 12,000 vacant engineering seats in these colleges. A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Y.K. Sabharwal arid C.K. Thakker gave the order on an application filed by the association seeking modification of an earlier order passed by the court. These private colleges, both minority and non-minority, had alleged that there was a scarcity of CET qualifiers as several deemed universities had taken in more students than their infrastructure permitted. They had also said that if the 12,000 seats went vacant, they would suffer huge financial losses. They had, thus, sought a onetime permission to take in students otherwise eligible and qualified on the basis of their 10+2 marks even though they had not taken the CET conducted by the respective states.

Notification

HRD Ministry Unmoved By Protests, Rules Out Major Changes In Format

The Clamour against the change in IIT admission rules is only getting louder but the ministry of human resource development refuses to budge from its stand. The ministry is willing to concede some ground only in so far as it could allow the students to take a third shot at the entrance test. That suggestion could come up at a meeting of the advisory board of the IITs in Kolkata on Saturday. The meeting has been called primarily to discuss changes in the JEE format. Some of the proposed changes are likely to be applicable in next years IIT-JEE whereas the new format will be adopted in 2007. The decision has been taken after much deliberation and we are not suggesting any changes except giving a chance to students who have already appeared twice in JEE, secretary (education) Sudip Banerjee said. Protests by students have, meanwhile, erupted across the country with demonstrations in Delhi, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna and Kota. The ministry on Monday had decided that only students with 60 per cent marks or above in Class XII would be eligible for admission to the IITs. The screening test was also scrapped. IITians have also been barred from writing the JEE again and has restricted the number of attempts to two. The ministry has got a shot in the arm for its proposal, with the Central Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) ratifying the new JEE format. We feel the decision will help strengthen the Class XII examination system. This will give more focus to the students at senior secondary level. Right now, it is not the best talent but the best-coached students who crack the JEE. It is resolved that this policy be implemented by the IITs in order to strengthen the students at class XII level, said, general secretary of COBSE, D V Sharma. Banerjee, too, argued that the changes are for the better. The question paper will be simpler and will be of Class XII level, he said. The new format could lessen the influence of coaching centres, he added. School education will once again become relevant for JEE. To crack the tests, students concentrate on a definite line at the coaching centres. Therefore, we are getting single-discipline students though the need is for multi-discipline engineers, he said. The ministry believes that the new format of allowing only two chances and not allowing an IITian to appear for JEE will also reduce the average age of students (27) in the IITs. This will help in pushing more IITians towards higher studies. Over 90 per cent of students opting for Masters in Technology are from other engineering colleges, Banerjee added. Students, however, said they have been stranded. We are not against the ministrys decision. But we want the government to implement it in 2007. We are already mid-session and there is no turning back, said Bikesh Kumar, a student protesting outside IIT, Delhi. If they do not consider our demand, we will file a PIL next week. Meanwhile, the BJP and the Communist Party of India have opposed the changes in the JEE. BJPs Pramod Mahajan has asked for a three-year cushion period to introduce the new-look JEE whereas the CPI wants the eligibility criteria of 60 per cent to go.

Notification

The College invites application to fill the vacant seats through DIRECT ADMISSION in the college in BTech/BArch (1st Year) in all the branches i.e. Electronics & Comm., Mechanical, Computer Sc. & Engg., Electrical, Civil, Textile & Architecture and also in BTech. (2nd year) in 3rd semester in the branches as above.

The direct admission for the seats in above branches will be held as per following schedule.

(i) Last date for receiving the Application in the college:-07-09-2005 upto to 3:00 PM

(ii) Date of Counseling:-08-09-2005 2:00 PM onwards.

The interested candidates should apply on a plain sheet of paper indicating Name, Fathers name D.O.B., proof of qualifying examinations, CET/AIEEE Rank & Roll Number/+2%age/ Diploma %age (as applicable).

The admitted candidates shall have to fill the university admission form which is available @ Rs. 500/- from the college. The admission for 1st year BTech/ BArch will be in order of preference as CET, AIEEE, 10+2/Diploma and for 2nd year BTech will be on the basis of merit in diploma course and preference will be given to those who have Punjab Domicile.

The candidate must present himself/ herself at the time of counseling in person and must be in a position to submit original documents at the time of counseling. However, relaxation in submitting original documents may be granted upto 09-09-2005 by 5:00 PM and failing which admission will stand cancelled & amount deposited by him/her forfeited. At the time of admission a candidate must bring Rs.42, 000/- (approximately). (Rs. Forty Two thousand only). (Approximately) on a/c of fees etc.

Notification