The human resource development (HRD) ministry will now focus not on the quantity but on the quality of the students hired in the country’s top engineering schools.
 

	The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and the companies that hire their graduates have long been complaining that the current system is selecting many who're being heavily tutored in cram schools and not necessarily the most talented.
 To take the ministry's strategy forward, a committee has been constituted following several rounds of deliberations earlier this month by the <keyword id="6354859" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIT">IIT</keyword> Council and the <keyword id="67810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="NIT">NIT</keyword> Council. The committee's terms of reference, which have been reviewed by ET, propose a single admission test and call for a reduction in exam stress levels and the dependence on coaching classes. 

	The aim is to "reduce exam pressure" and check "coaching dependence... without diluting testing quality", according to the terms of reference.
 

	In line with this, the committee has been tasked with shortening the time the process takes from the current three months between the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and the declaration of results. It has also been asked to "reform counselling for IITs, NITs, IISERs (Indian Institutes of Science Education &amp; Research)" with a single web site to ensure "least difficulty" for students.
 

	At a recent meeting of the IIT and NIT councils, the HRD ministry sought to put the focus on students' interests. It also called for handholding of academically weaker students by mentors among seniors and a grievance redressal cell for students at the NIT Council level. The IITs, NITs and IISERs are all centrally funded. The JEE currently consists of two parts for most aspirants — the Main and the Advanced.
 Former HRD minister <keyword id="30182" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kapil-Sibal">Kapil Sibal</keyword> had persuaded the country's premier engineering schools to accord a 40% weight to Class 12 exams to try and relax the stranglehold of coaching centres and ensure that students pay attention to the school curriculum. 

	The committee, which is supposed to submit its report by November 1, will be headed by Ashok Mishra, chairperson of IIT-Roorkee. Other members are former IIT-Madras Director Prof Anant, Defence Research and Development Organisation scientist Tessy Thomas, IIT-Kharagpur Chairperson Pavan Goenka and Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati Mentor Director Gautam Barua.
 

	The JEE is considered one of the toughest admission tests with a high level of difficulty, forcing students to resort to intensive coaching modules.
 

	"The problems of exam pressure and coaching influence on IIT admissions have been there for years now and there are no easy answers even when we know these have to be addressed," the person said on condition of anonymity.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: honeywellnow)

Focus to be on the quality, not quantity

When the Modi-led government announced the first International Day of Yoga on June 21st last year, it got them huge appreciation from all corners of the world. This year, to make the event even more impressive, the Modi government is not leaving any stone upturned. 
 
This year, the event would be even longer, with advanced yoga retreats for foreigners in scenic locations in India and arranging a mass Yoga demonstration in either Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, the states ruled by BJP government. 
 
The government also wants to ensure that all institutes including the UGC, AICTE, NITs, IITs, IIITs, IISERs, SPAS and NITTRs make their 100% participation in the event. For promotion purposes, a special 4-minute long 'Yoga Geet' will also be released and played at the event. 
 
All this is decided by a high-level committee which is headed by PM's Yoga guru Dr HR Nagendra, who is also the Vice chancellor of the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana. He has held several meetings with top officials across ministries so that the event has a considerable fanfare. 
 
Apart from this, the committee would also hold a yoga conference from 21-23rd June, where the traditional approach of Yoga, its health benefits based on evidence, production of evidence-based research and Yoga for health education would be discussed. 
 
<a href="http://www.yogabasics.com/YB-NEW/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/narendra-modi-fa-yoga-619759.jpg">Image source</a>

Modi government wants the International Day of Yoga to be bigger and better this year

Yes! Education is a vital factor in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=human+resource+development+">human resource development</a> and it is a known fact since time immemorial. Schools and universities played a major role in educating pupils about their rights during the Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Independence+movement+">Independence movement</a> against the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=British+rule+">British rule</a> (1858–1947). Freedom fighters, then, had realized one thing that nothing could compensate education, which was the best tool to encourage the youth to join the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=freedom+struggle">freedom struggle</a>. 
 The year 1857 was very important not only from the point of view of the first ever revolt we had against the British, but a storm was also cooking up in the education sector, which eventually grew leaps and bounds. Do you know three prominent universities – University of Calcutta, University of Madras and <keyword id="331666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="University-of-Bombay">University of Bombay</keyword> - were established in this year. It was a huge thing at that time as we were under the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=British+East+India+Company">British East India Company</a>, which wanted to bring development for its own sake. 
 
<a href="file:///C:/Users/gunja.d/Documents/August%202015/Pandit%20Madan%20Mohan%20Malviya">Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya</a>, Sir <keyword id="453933" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Syed-Ahmad-Khan">Syed Ahmad Khan</keyword> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Rabindranath+Tagore+">Rabindranath Tagore</a> invested their own money for the cause of education. Tagore used the money, which he received along with his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Nobel+Prize">Nobel Prize</a>, to expand his school into a university known as Visva-Bharati University. After Independence, schools, colleges and universities mushroomed across India with the formation of the <keyword id="56459" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="University-Grants-Commission">University Grants Commission</keyword> (UGC) in 1956 and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Central+Board+of+Secondary+Education+">Central Board of Secondary Education</a> in 1962. 
 Since then, India’s education sector witnessed tremendous changes and even after Independence, the number of schools and universities also grew in numbers. The number of universities has increased 34 times from 20 in 1950 to 677 in 2014. The sector boasts of 45 Central Universities of which 40 are under the purview of <keyword id="204273" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ministry-of-HRD">Ministry of HRD</keyword>, 318 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=State+Universities">State Universities</a>, 185 State Private universities, 129 Deemed to be Universities, 51 Institutions of National Importance under the ministry (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=IITs">IITs</a> - 16, NITs – 30 and IISERs – 5). The number of colleges has also registered manifold increase of 74 times with just 500 in 1950 growing to 37,204, as on 31st March, 2013. 
 
We bring you some facts about universities, which were set up before Independence and still standing tall:

#IndependenceDay: Universities in India then and now

Sumit Chhazed, Co-Founder, CredR 
 
"The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/StartupIndiaStartups-and-investors-are-smiling-their-way-out-of-Vigyan-Bhawan/articleshow/50606389.cms">startup plan</a> is quite a promising one and we are happy with few initiatives proposed by the government such as tax exemption for 3 years, no inspection for compliance under labour law and starting start- up in 1 day via mobile app. Also the government acknowledges failures to be part of building great start - ups and promises 90 days exit plan, which is well received by the start - up community. Efforts to seed entrepreneurial culture and supporting it through incubation set ups in universities should really propel product innovation. 
 
Government is looking to accentuate the Make in India and Make for India efforts. Plans to create 1000cr fund over next 4 yrs with incentive for tax capital gains to investors would really boost start - up risk appetite in the whole ecosystem. This is indeed a wonderful move from the government and we hope to see these initiatives executed in the near timeframe." 
 
Samar Singla, CEO and founder, Jugnoo 
 
Immense potential for entrepreneurship in India can be forseen with this campaign. By making the taxation and compliance norms easier, the government has taken some very positive steps in this direction. 
 
Raghav Chandra, Co founder, Urbanclap, 
 
This initiative of PM Modi is the right step in making the environment friendlier for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/StartupIndia-Standup-India-Softbanks-Masayoshi-Son-ishaving-a-roaring-love-affair-in-India-and-hes-in-no-hurry-to-move-on/articleshow/50601754.cms">entrepreneurs</a> and thus encouraging them to start up. We will wait for the fine print to understand exactly what the next steps will be. However, I can only say that outcome will be in the positive direction and we are very excited! 
 
Krispian Lawrence, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, Ducere Technologies – Makers of the world’s first haptic footwear Lechal 
 
The government's initiative to fast track start-ups patent applications is a very beneficial move to encourage start-ups. In addition, 80% rebate on patent filing and prosecution deals will allow start-ups to file and create intellectual properties which in the long run will end up being additional sources of revenue. This will spur product innovations in the country and allow Indian product companies to compete globally. Other encouraging aspects of the plan include self certification on labour and environment for all Start-Ups to be up in three years. 
 
Start-ups face a lot of challenges when setting up a business and if the government can ease smaller issues; it will help us to focus on scaling up the business. 
 
Shailesh Jain Co-founder, Mirraw.com 
 
It is delightful to know that our Prime Minister has taken into account small and medium size Start-ups that are not funded by huge investments. Specially, the tax benefits policy and ease on patent fee will extensively support a bootstrapped company like us where single money counts. India is a breeding ground for innovation and this intiative will give <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Startup-IndiaOla-Cabs-Bhavish-Aggarwal-is-conscious-thatsecurity-is-a-concern-more-measures-need-to-be-taken/articleshow/50602554.cms">opportunitie</a>s to many young minds to explore unique ideas. 
 
Anupam Tulsyan co-founder and managing director, Peachmode.com 
 
"We are going to witness a revolution in Start-up culture, with our country's PM validating the governing rules. Elimination of regulatory burden, faster certification and easy exit policy will encourage many youngsters to join the wagon. Tax redemption for 3 years is an important move by our Government that will help the new entrants to scale their business without VC's money. These tax redemptions will allow a bootstrapped company like us to be self-reliant and make profitable in the long run We have high hopes with Startup Indiamovement and sincerely believe that it will lead to many job creation in future. " 
 
Shaifali Agarwal Holani, founder and CEO, EasyFix 
 
What an initiative and a great day for India. Most populated India has sharpest brains of all times and this initiative will give a platform to many enthusiastic but under confident talents to come out of their ordeal. Encouraging privatisation will speed the pace at which India is developing and we will become a developed country soon. 
 
For us, EasyFix is a labour development &amp; construction focussed company, PM Modi said "he is trying to foster innovation and incubation" and our startup is looking forward to collaborating with Modi Govt for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Exclusive-Practo-Foundersays-Modi-govt-should-do-away-with-regulatory-hurdles-in-the-healthcare-sector/articleshow/50604175.cms">skill development</a> and labour development initiatives. We want to be able to contribute to the society &amp; transform the unorganised labour market by doing things right, and that is by better execution of skill development programs. 
 
Swati Gupta, CEO and Founder, Industrybuying.com 
 
Patent fee reduction of 80% will be huge for IP based startups who can not only protect their intellectual property , but patents once registered add to tangible valuation increase" 
 
"No inspections for 3 years will very much reduce the regulatory burden related to VAT set up in new states, warehouse procedures , new factory set ups and much more physical infrastructure related start ups. 
 
Puja Bansal, Founder &amp; Director, Myheera.com 
 
Listening to action plan today I m most exited about the tax exemptions which will release the maximum burden on a startup like us. Self certification compliance in which for three years you are not disturbed from the govt end and you are at ease of doing your best to perform and more focused on the idea and its implementation. Today a start up can register themselves in one day which truly will show more minds and ideas coming quickly and getting jumpstarted. The fund of 10,000 cr which has been created to boost the startups will bring so much confidence as this is coming from our own country. 
 
Incubation centers getting promoted along with pre incubation centers will surely again prevent many failures in startups. Now when we see the entire ecosystem is contributing to 'Make in India' the sentiments of manystartups will change with much more deliverables and may more opening and changing the world. India is full of talents and now when our govt has finally joined hands we will see it as a big game changer with entrepreneurs emerging from every corner of the country. Faster exits were again a breather for many startup who again feel morally down with their failures. It will not be late when india will become world’s largest start up hub. 
 
Manish Kumar, co-founder and CEO of GREX 
 
“The Prime Minister’s announcement of the Startup Policy had quite a few important and measurable benefits that the startups can gain from. Most importantly, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister outlined a change in the principle approach of the government towards the economy – that the government wants to stay away from deciding and directing on what needs to be done. Instead, the Government looks at a policy of arm’s length enablement. This stand is a bold new change in the government policy and disruptive in its own right. 
 
Venture debt was miserably missing in the ecosystem. Startups have only been used to equity as a mode of capital. GREX is completely poised to launch venture debt in a few weeks’ time. This will help our partner Banks and NBFCs walk the road along with us more aggressively as credits become guaranteed. 
 
Another big thing that was anticipated but not announced is the addressal of concerns around notional valuation gains to investors over and above the fair market value. The incidence of such tax deductions today lie at startups’ end. The ecosystem will expect more details on this front. However, the Prime Minister’s assurance on this is welcome. Some other welcome steps in favor of companies and therefore their investors are retention of profits by the company for three years.” 
 
Kulpreet Kaur, Co-founder, Shop Pirate Coupons

	“The Indian government has kick-started ambitious Start-Up India mission that envisages technology business incubators and research parks. This was for the first time a government in India has launched an exclusive program for startups and the expectations were really high. The vision to set up 75 such startup support hubs in the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIEPRs) will help India to develop local brands that can create global footprints. In the past India has been a market for technological innovation created overseas. The time has come now that the Indians create technological products at home that can be marketed globally. 
	We have the skills and need a platform. 
	Start-Up India is going to go a long way in filling up this void. I would say today is the day, that will take new and young entrepreneurs to a next level as the issue from incorporation to talent to infrastructure, all have been discussed. Its appreciable that the major concern of B2B business which is 10% TDS and 14.5 % ST, have been noticed and government saying they will rationalize the same. <o:p></o:p>

	Also as rightly said by Anisha Singh, it’s important that women entrepreneurs should be looked upon as entrepreneurs, not just women entrepreneurs. It’s our work that should get noticed not our gender. However the change is need of time and to give this equality government has to encourage women entrepreneur. It’s good to see that certain provisions are made where there are funds allocations for women entrepreneur. Ecosystem is getting changed and allowing more women to work, which is a highlight of Start-Up India Initiative. Apart from this startup sector becoming unregulated will be better for the sector. Instead of looking at Singapore, we will now have our ecosystem in India. Hoping the budget session will further revolutionize the startups in India. Now the only concern will be 'Sell it India" that is a challenge that needs to be addressed next.<o:p></o:p>

	Amit Ramani, founder and CEO, Awfis Space Solutions Pvt Ltd
Honourable PM Modi's action plan demonstrates a startup like thought process. It provides simple yet innovative policies that can catalyse a revolution to transform India as the most innovative country and major player in global GDP, a feat India enjoyed around 300 years back.

#StartupIndia: Here's what startupreneurs have to say about PM Modi's Startup India polices

India, as a country, today stands at the crossroads as it tries to take the centre stage in the world economy; harness its innate strengths; gain a stronghold in the world’s political stage; and reinforce its place in the global scientific fraternity. The recent ‘<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>’ campaign and <keyword id="1506013" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mangalyaan">Mangalyaan</keyword> success was just a teaser for the world. 
 As the world wakes up to the power that lies within the sub-continent, it’s time that Indians should start focusing on education says Dr Govind Swarup, the Emeritus Professor from National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of TIFR. The well-known <keyword id="2546530" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Radio-Astronomer">radio astronomer</keyword> shared several insights and perspectives on how India can establish the intellectual potential and become one of the world’s best developed nations in a candid conversation with Richa Sharma, Deputy Editor-Business Insider India. Below are the excerpts: 
 
Q. Sir, you laid the foundation of radio astrophysics in India, and built the GMRT, a lot has changed, right from technology to science governing the Physics. How do you view all these changes? 
I look at them with positivity and lots of hope. But my fear is brain drain. Today, very few bright students join research institutes or Indian universities as many get attracted to software industries in lieu of handsome salary package. Many go abroad. This must change and for this we need to overcome the ‘caste system’ dividing our education system into four buckets/boxes. (He pauses and then explains) I say, we have a caste system in education because we’ve science colleges and research institutes in one box, engineering colleges in second, medical colleges in third box and humanities in fourth. In most American Universities, all are offered in one campus and students at undergraduate and postgraduate level are required to take 20 to 30 % courses outside their discipline. 
 
Q. So, you want to say that science education should be revamped? 
 Yes, precisely. Almost all universities in India impart only education in science, but very little research isencouraged. Unless we combine undergraduate education with research and experiments in all disciplines (e.g in social sciences with field surveys), we cannot expect our universities to become world-class. 
 
Q. What’s your take on Mangalyaan success? ISRO scientists have created history by successfully inserting the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) into the Martian Orbit. This makes India the first country in the world to accomplish the feat in its maiden attempt. 
It’s a great achievement. Not only it has proved the technical skills of ISRO scientists but also mathematical ability by few in ISRO who calculated and mastered the gravitational variations across the solar system from the earth to mars that led to the unique success. But there’s a lesson that we should learn from this success. 
 
(Lesson?) We should enhance mathematics teaching and learning—right from primary levels to secondary levels across India in private schools, municipal schools and rural schools. Science can’t exist without Maths, you can even say vice-versa. A group in Orissa and Pune selects undergraduate students in Degree colleges and encourages them to go to municipal schools, interact with 20 students studying in class 5th or above, and impart mathematical knowledge. Imagine the impact we can create if we implement the same rule across thousands of science and engineering degree colleges in India. How do we tell Smiriti Irani? 
 
Q. From discovery of Type U solar radio bursts, gyro-radiation model for microwave radio emission from solar active regions; lunar occultation observations using the ORT to high angular resolution studies (about 1 to 10 arc sec) of more than 1,000 weak radio galaxies and quasars-you have done it all. Now, what’s next in your list? 
Next on my list is education. I dream of India, where we’ve world-class universities. I feel that’s the only way to capture the intellectual potential we have in the country, and make India one of the world’s best developed nations as well. 
 
From 1996 to 2004, I and Professor Bhide (former VC of the Pune University) struggled to set up a 5-year integrated Science Education and Research at the University of Pune. Our initiative was approved by the Cabinet in 2004, which later lead to the establishment of: 5 Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs); another National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER); and Center of Excellence in Basic Sciences at the Bombay University. I consider this as a bigger achievement than building the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). 
 
I hope that the Modi Government would select four State Universities across India on competitive basis, provide sufficient funds, ensure that faculty is selected on a national basis and thus in due course improve our ~ 250 or more universities. There’s tremendous talent going untapped in our young population. Apart from education and nurturing talents at the bottom of the pyramid, we need to take special care of the top that would contribute to innovation. At age of 85, I can’t contribute more to these dreams, but I am sure there are others who can pave us on the road to faster growth and success. 
 
Q. That’s an intriguing thought sir, but we would still like to know what are you researching these days? We heard that you are making observations with the GMRT for problems related to cosmology. 
Currently, I am closely guiding a student from VSSC (isn’t it Trivandrum??), ISRO, to analyze observations made with the GMRT of the planet Venus and to investigate any heat flow and its magnitude from its interior. Along with Dr Sandeep Sirothia of NCRA, currently in South Africa, we are also analyzing GMRT data of "Extremely Cold Spot" in the microwave background that has cosmological implications. 
 
Q. You are probably the reason why people think of being a radio astronomer—the term however, is not known to many. Can you please explain what it’s all about in simpler words? 
Radio Astronomy is a new subject. Using radio telescopes (large antennas connected to very sensitive electronics), it has been discovered that one in a million galaxy is a very powerful source of radio emission emitting trillions of power due to presence of massive black holes at the centre of certain galaxies that give rise to outflow of powerful jets of electrons and positrons as matter spirals from galaxy to the central black holes. Many other discoveries have been made in Radio Astronomy and has brought Nobel Prize to 8 radio astronomers over the last 50 years. 
 
India has GMRT, the world's largest radio telescope operating from 130 MHz to 1430 MHz. It is being used by astronomers and students from India and 31 countries in the world including astronomers from Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and Stanford. There are only a few other scientific instruments in India that has been used by international scientists and that too on a limited occasions. 
 
Q. Any tips for our readers, who want to become a radio astronomer? 
A good education background and exceptional analytical skills is all that you need. If you have completed B.Sc. and M.Sc levels in Physics and Mathematics, Or B.Tech in Electronics and telecommunications, you can sit in for competitive tests held in this field. National Centre of Radio physics of TIFR at Pune, Raman Research Institute at Bangalore and a few other places, annually select students through JEST, IUCAA-NCRA (INIAT) and TIFR entrance exams. 
 
<a href="http://www.iiap.res.in/Swarup">(Dr Govind Swarup is an internationally well known pioneer in the field of radio astronomy who is known for building ingenious, economical and powerful observational facilities for front-line research in radio astronomy, namely, the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) in South India and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune, that are amongst the largest in the world.) </a> 
 
 
Image: <a href="http://ncra.tifr.res.in/ncra/people/academic/emeritus-professor/Swarup">ncra.tifr.res.in</a>

You Searched For "IISER" and got 5 results

Focus to be on the quality, not quantity

BI India Bureau

Modi government wants the International Day of Yoga to be bigger and better this year

BI India Bureau

#IndependenceDay: Universities in India then and now

Gunja Deo

#StartupIndia: Here's what startupreneurs have to say about PM Modi's Startup India polices

Purba Das

Build World-Class Indian Universities, Take India To The Top: Govind Swarup

Richa Sharma