Different Strokes

Indian education system and foreign investment

2010-09-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

At present less than 25% of Indian youth under 25 years age is employable. Moreover, India expects 500 million new job seekers between 2007 and 2022. The youngest nation on planet is clearly plagued with a severe job-talent mismatch. This situation is not quit rosy but on the hindsight presents a picture perfect for the Indian Education sector a very promising and crucial business proposition. Buoyed by the opportunity more and more private investors/ venture capitalists are coming out to overhaul the ageing education scenario of the country into a more efficient and productive system.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) of up to 100 percent is allowed under the automatic route in the Education Sector since 2002. However, investment into the education sector has not taken off due to prevailing regulations that require the entity setting up the school or college or a deemed university to be of a non-profit character i.e. a trust or a society or in some cases a Section 25 Company. Result- there is no offshore campus of any foreign university in India. As of April 2007, in India there were 106 institutions running technical programmes in collaboration with over 125 foreign universities and institutions. Of the 106 institutions, only two were approved by AICTE.

It was quite hard to resist the tempting opportunities Indian economy was providing so certain structures emerged to overcome these difficulties. For instances, in certain cases, the company creates a trust (a not-for-profit body) that run the educational institute and further creates a subsidiary that supplies educational services, infrastructure etc., to the trust in lieu of fees. The trust has teachers on the rolls and collect fees from students while the remaining services are outsourced. Foreign investments are then made into companies providing these educational services, infrastructure, etc., to the trusts, societies or Section 25 Companies running the school. The scope of services provided by such companies includes management services, teacher training, curriculum designing, etc.

Recently a US-based venture capital firm Foundation Capital invested $4.5 million in the education services firm Aspire Human Capital Management, which will help them in their expansion programme and new product development. Foundation Capital's General Partner Warren Weiss estimates that there is an opportunity to tap a market of $1.4 billion in the embedded employability education sector in India with over 70million potential students.

Elf Summer camps - a real destination for your children to have adventure, fun and more!

2010-03-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

Summer vacations can be the most exciting time for children. No school, no homework, no tests... there is all the time in the world. However the scorching summer heat forces them to stay indoors, playing video games, or maybe visiting air conditioned Malls. And it very difficult for parents to make children do something constructive.

Well mothers can now take heart. elf summer camps promise to help kids utilise the summer vacations to the maximum. Taking place in the cool refreshing Har Ki Doon Valley, one of the most beautiful places in the world, it offers the children an experience they cannot forget in a hurry.

There are three programmes to choose from. The first being summer elf red panda. This one is a comprehensive programme which encourages the kids not just to have fun but also learn as much as they can in an interactive and highly entertaining format. There’s history, music, environment and of course a host of adventure activities.

The next one is summer elf golden eagle. This is essentially a woodcraft and adventure skills camp. It focuses on learning the ways of nature, testing the wits, stamina and team spirits of the elf. There is also a whole range of fun adventure activities including rafting, rappelling and trekking.

The third programme is summer elf expedition. This takes the children into an exploratory journey into the valley of Har Ki Doon, as mentioned earlier, one of the most enchanting places in the world. The expedition will carry with it tents, food and the spirit of adventure and discovery.

The schedule:

code (red panda)	age	pick up	drop
rp1	9-11	9 may	16 may
rp2	12-14	16 may	23 may
rp3	9-11	23 may	30 may
rp4	12-14	30 may	06 june

code (golden eagle)	age	pick up	drop
ge1	9-11	6 may	13 may
ge2	12-14	13 may	20 may
ge3	9-11	20 may	27 may
ge4	12-14	27 may	04 june

code (expedition)	age	pick up	drop
ex1	15-18	13 may	21 may
ex2	15-18	20 may	28 may
ex3	15-18	27 may	04 june
ex4	15-18	3 june	11 june
ex5	15-18	10 june	18 june
ex6	15-18	17 june	25 june
ex7	15-18	24 june	02 july

Program fee:

Golden Eagle: Rs.14800/-
Red Panda: Rs.17800/-
Expedition: Rs.18800/-

R u intimidated?

2010-01-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

First Karan Johar then Amitabh Bacchan and now who?? Is it turn of Shahrukh Khan? May be he too may surrender to the hooligans in his business interest. We have seen Sachin Tendulkar and Mukesh Ambani raising their voice in different ways and they have conveyed their message that they are not to be intimidated by barking of such goons who consider themselves above law. There is no difference between them and Lalus and Mayavatis of Bihar-UP whom they hate till the extent of their life.

The most disturbing aspect of the whole issue is that the 'so called' hi profile socialites are worried of discussing the issue in public leave alone raising their voice against it. They fear the aftereffect. Rather they should learn from history and stand for the 'right'. BJP rose the ranks on the planks of Hindutwavaad and Lalu on the basis of sheer castism. Today, where are they? They are struggling for their existence. Its not too far away when even these self proclaimed gods will bite the dust. But will we wait for that to happen on its own or we will make that happen. If we are ready to push India years back then its fine. Remember when Bihar-UP-W Bengal decided not to join hands with rest of the country, it affected whole country. We are atleast 10-12 years behind and if the same happens to Maharashtra, it is bound to push India further 15 years down the track.

It's a good time for the new young leaders and judiciary both to prove their credentials by opposing any voice against social discrimination on the basis of language, cast-creed, sex or region and religion. First Karan Johar then Amitabh Bacchan and now who?? Is it turn of Shahrukh Khan? May be he too may surrender to the hooligans in his business interest. We have seen Sachin Tendulkar and Mukesh Ambani raising their voice in different ways and they have conveyed their message that they are not to be intimidated by barking of such goons who consider themselves above law. There is no difference between them and Lalus and Mayavatis of Bihar-UP whom they hate till the extent of their life.

I am not late for home.. r you..

2010-01-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

Late working in office is often perceived in different ways. Sometimes it is considered your are hard worker and other times just opposite- you are lazy. Its very interesting situation with those who work late and then give different explanations to different thinkers. Some times back I encountered a mail trail which deals with similar situation. The mail was addressed as a message from Infosys mentor. And it said late working impacts companies adversely. Believe it or not is does- that is my experience. It affects the morale of your fellow workers. If they want to leave early they feel just because of you your boss may ask them work late. Going other way company has to bear the electricity and other related running cost of the whole office just because of select late workers. Moreover after working late when you reach home late with no energy you wont find any time for your family and kids if you have any. If you don't have a family, worse you are slowly getting into a bad habit which is hard to change later. Late working hours cause sleep apnea which leads to several diseases and heart failure is one of them. Don't panic. This is a fact revealed in recent survey that 93% Indians are sleep deprived and 12% employees take leave just because of the fact that they haven't slept properly. So go home early, as I am doing after posting this blog. Have a good time with your family and friends. Take a fine dinner. And chill till the next early morning when you will have to run to office again in hurry but in a relaxed frame of mind.

A new face of women: SOS mothers

2009-03-08T05:38:00.000-07:00

With the time Women’s Day has become a very celebrated day in the calender. People talk of women achievers and celebrate the day praising their success stories. During this whole episode most of us miss to recognise some silent efforts. One such silent effort is SOS movement.

SOS movement focuses on family based child care to children in need. And a very integral aspect of this family based child care is SOS mothers. SOS mothers are those women who prefer social service than other lucrative jobs. She leaves her family and personal life behind to make a new family with needy children adopted (legally) by SOS Children’s Villages. She supports these children through out her life as legal mother. These mothers do go back to their own family but for few days in a year.

Lets salute the contribution made by these SOS mother’s in bringing up thousands of children in more than 132 countries across the world.

In India too, SOS movement is quite old now. In 1964 the first SOS children’s village was conceptualised since then this movement has spread across the country. Today there are 40 SOS Children’s Villages including facilities for Tibetan children and a new village coming up at Aibaug, Mumbai, 122 allied projects like Kindergartens, Schools, Social, Medical, Vocational Training Centres and Outreach Initiatives spread across the country reaching out to over 15,000 children.

SOS mothers are selected based on their age, education, temperament, background history. The application is invited from interested candidates by giving advertisements in the newspaper/magazines. Then shortlisted cndidates go through two-year training at the Mothers’ Training School. During this time, they also receive practical training. A feedback system ensures that only such ladies are placed as mothers who have the devotion, capacity and temperament to take on the responsibility of a mother.

SOS Mothers

Early morning, running after the children with break fast, packing lunch for them, getting the children ready and seeing them off. Attending to the house chores, meeting the co-workers for guidance or help with any of her children or to just catch up on her hobbies. Preparing lunch and delicacies for children when they are back, assisting them in their homework. As the sun sets, telling fairy tales to the children on their way for a good night smile. A scene every Indian household reflects. A routine day for many but embedded with a sense of satisfaction and great achievement for every SOS mother.

Building up stable relationships and family bonds - this is the goal that SOS Children’s Villages pursues, with the greatest demand lying on the SOS mother: She takes on the tasks of the natural parents on their behalf and becomes the person the children entrusted to her care can rely on. At the same time, she is a childcare professional who, by using her educational knowledge, is able to approach the children and their specific life histories.

Every child accommodated in an SOS Children’s Village is entrusted to the care of a SOS mother who becomes his/her referenced person. She’s the principal actor for the protection and the education of the SOS Family. She lives with the little group of children, contributes to their education and fulfils their needs.

The SOS Mother is a single lady who is fond of children and would like to bring them up as her own children. She is one who has the ability to take stress, mental stability, the ability to build up and maintain relationships coupled with necessary educational skills, knowledge in the field of housekeeping and above all readiness to commit oneself to this profession and raise generations of children in an SOS family. A childcare professional in her own right.

The SOS Mother keeps in touch with her relatives and after acknowledging the director beforehand, she can receive guests in her SOS-home. The SOS Mother and her SOS family are part of the village community and obey the settled rules and standards of life in the village. The Association organizes periodically refreshing qualification courses. In her everyday work the SOS mother can relay on professional pedagogical and psychological assistance and support. The SOS Mother has health and pension insurance accordingly to the Bulgarian legislation. She goes on pension at the age defined by Bulgarian legislation. The world practice shows that the retired SOS Mothers stay in touch with their former SOS children and in many cases they are something like grandmothers to their former grown up sons and daughters’ children.

SOS Children’s Villages looks for women to become SOS mothers whose personalities and ways of dealing with life are such that the children can orient themselves to them. An SOS mother passes on a part of herself to the children through the relationship she builds up with each individual child. She guides the children’s developmental process, and, in doing so, works together with the village director and the other co-workers in the village. Because of the demands that come with her profession she is always walking a tightrope between private and professional life, between family life and the organisation, always having to keep her balance. The SOS mother is paid a salary; she is given a family budget depending on the size of her family and runs her household independently. She is assisted by a family assistant, who is called an “SOS aunt” in many countries