IIM-I partners with 2 foreign varsities for dual degree

IIM-I partners with 2 foreign varsities for dual degree

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.09.2024

 Indore : Indian Institute of Management, Indore, (IIM-I) has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the Corvinus University of Budapest and the Robert Gordon University, Scotland. The collaboration is aimed at developing dual degree programmes and conducting joint research programmes. “The Corvinus University of Budapest, known for its strong emphasis on business and economics, and the Robert Gordon University bring a wealth of expertise and resources to the table. The partnerships will provide IIM-I’s students and faculty with access to cutting-edge research facilities, innovative programmes, and a broader global network,” IIM-I director Prof Himanshu Rai said. Corvinus University executive and PG programmes dean Dr Ákos Varga said, “This MoU will enable us to exchange academic staff and students, allowing for an exchange of experiences through lectures and workshops.”

NEWS TODAY 19.09.2024

 

Happiness dept teaches govt staff how to be ‘people-friendly’

Happiness dept teaches govt staff how to be ‘people-friendly’

Ankur.Sirothia@timesofindia.com 19.09.2024

Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh’s happiness department is set to teach govt employees how to behave well with public and find their inner happiness while they’re at it. After CM Mohan Yadav’s directives, the govt employees that directly deal with the public—such as patwaris, gram sewaks, police personnel, and urban administration employees-are being given this training. 

The three-day training is being held for a batch of 50 people in each five divisions-Sagar, Jabalpur, Indore, Gwalior, and Bhopal. Employees are being taught how they should behave with the public, what inner happiness is, and how to deal with stress. Happiness officials said that after the training of govt employees dealing with the public, next on the card is training for govt squads in tribal-dominated districts.

After CM’s directives, efforts are being made in the direction to make govt employees more people-friendly. It will work in two ways--first, the govt staff would be taught how to deal with stress and behavioural issues, and second, it would make a common man feel better while interacting with a public servant, officials added. While reviewing works of the happiness department on Aug 23, Yadav proposed that every district should have a centre for ideological and creative activities. MP had hit national headlines back in July 2016 when it became the first state in the country to set up a happiness department

Starting early: Pension a/cs for children

Starting early: Pension a/cs for children 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  19.09.2024 

New Delhi : Now parents can start planning for the long-term financial security of their children, setting the foundation even for their retirement. Implementing the FY25 Budget announcement, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday launched the NPS Vatsalya, a pension scheme for minors. The scheme was launched simultaneously at 75 locations throughout the country, and over 250 PRANs (permanent retirement account numbers) were handed over to minor subscribers.

 FM said NPS Vatsalya is a significant step in govt’s endeavour to promote longterm financial planning and security for all citizens. Besides securing the future of subscribers, the scheme is based on the principle of intergenerational equity by providing cover to older and young members of the family. “My appeal to all parents is that when you attend a child’s birthday party, you can take cakes or other gifts, but money to invest in NPS Vatsalya will also be a form of gift. It will be a lifelong contribution to the child’s future,” 

Sitharaman said. the scheme will inculcate the habit of savings among young subscribers, and large wealth can be accumulated through the power of compounding. She asserted that the scheme will allow a dignified life to people in their old age. Nagaraju Maddirala, secretary, department of financial services (DFS), urged all stakeholders, including banks, for effective implementation and outreach of the NPS scheme. He said efforts are being made to include more workers from the informal sector into the pension fold. Deepak Mohanty, chairperson, PFRDA, said for pensions, an early start is a head start: small amounts squirrelled away could yield a substantial corpus by harnessing the power of compounding.

Scolded by customer for being late, 19-yr-old delivery executive dies by suicide

Scolded by customer for being late, 19-yr-old delivery executive dies by suicide

19.09.2024 

Chennai : A 19-year-old food delivery executive died by suicide at his house in Kolathur area here on Tuesday. In his suicide note, he claimed that he took the extreme step as he was dejected as a woman customer scolded him for being late when he went to deliver groceries. According to police, the deceased was identified as J Pavithran, a B Com student. He was a part time delivery executive with a food aggregator. 

On Sept 11, Pavithran went to a house in Korattur to deliver groceries. Police said that the delivery was delayed as he could not locate the house. When he managed to hand over the groceries, the woman customer argued with him for the delay. “Later, the woman raised a complaint with the delivery company and asked them not to send Pavithran again for delivery. We do not know what action was taken from the company’s side,” a police source said. 

Two days later, Pavithran allegedly hurled a stone at the woman’s house and broke a window pane. Following this, the woman lodged a complaint with the police. Pavithran’s parents were called and he was let off with a warning. On Tuesday, Pavithran ended his life at his house. TNN

HC quashes govt’s policy on study leave for engg lecturers

HC quashes govt’s policy on study leave for engg lecturers 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.09.2024

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat high court has quashed the state govt’s circular restricting the study leave for lecturers in govt engineering colleges and polytechnics colleges to a maximum of two years drawing only half of their salary. A division bench has upheld a 2022 order passed by a single judge when some 196 lecturers and assistant professors of govt engineering colleges had challenged the govt resolution issued on Feb 3, 2016. This GR, issued by the Directorate of Technical Education, had fixed the study leave period to a maximum of two years for those lecturers who go to universities across India and abroad to pursue their master's degree courses or for PhD programmes. While the services for these lecturers were to be con tinued without break, they would get only 50% of their salary during the study leave. The single judge had allowed the lecturers’ petitions and held the state govt’s policy invalid. The state govt had appealed against the single judge’s order on the ground that its policy was in consonance with the Gujarat Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 2002, which are framed under Article 309 of the Constitution. 

The lecturers, on the other hand, contended that AICTE guidelines in its Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) prescribe study leave for hig her studies like doctoral programmes up to a maximum of five years without break in service and on full salary. They argued that the provisions made in the state govt’s resolution were repugnant to AICTE’s provisions which, being the central provisions, should prevail. In an order released on Tuesday, the division bench dismissed the govt’s appeal and upheld the single judge’s order in which it was held that the GR had no statutory force. “The guidelines in the shape of regulations framed under the AICTE Act, 1987 have to be followed and in view of the inconsistency, the impugned Government resolution dated 03.02.2016 is liable to be set aside to the extent of the same being contrary to the provisions of the AICTE Act, 1987 and the guidelines framed thereunder,” 

2 Guj students opt for NEET centre in K’taka, score more than 700 marks

2 Guj students opt for NEET centre in K’taka, score more than 700 marks

Bharat.Yagnik@timesofindia.com 19.09.2024 

Ahmedabad : In a surprising turn of events, several students from Gujarat are now choosing to take the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS courses at a centre in Belagavi (earlier known as Belgaum), Karnataka. This is a departure from the trend of students from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other states coming to a centre in Godhra to take the test. 

In an intriguing case, a student from Gujarat scored 705 out of 720 marks in the NEET exam which she took at the Belagavi centre. However, despite her exceptional performance in NEET, she failed the Class 12 science exam conduc ted by Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB). She was also unable to clear the supplementary exam. The contrast between her NEET score and her performance in the board exam has left many puzzled, and the reasons behind the discrepancy remain unclear. The student, who studied in a dummy school, lives near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. Another student, who also opted for the Belagavi centre this year, scored 710 marks and secured all-India rank of 700. This student had only scored 209 marks in NEET last year and held an allIndia rank of 6,85,184. Sources said the student is likely not from a GSHSEB school.

 There are speculations that he may have applied for admission under the all-India quota. Sources said, the curious case of students opting for NEET centres that are 1,000 km away from their hometowns warrants a thorough probe to uncover the reasons behind this unusual trend. It may be recalled that a Godhra centre is currently under CBI investigation for NEET-UG exam irregularities.