MUMBAI, June 21. Texas Instruments (TI) announced its next edition of the DST-TI India Innovation Challenge Design Contest (IICDC) open for registration from June 20 until August 31, 2018. A dedicated TI-IICDC page was launched on the MyGov portal. Students can register for the contest at https://innovate.mygov.in/india-innovation-challenge-design-contest-2018/.
The Union department of science and technology (DST) and Texas Instruments will extend support to qualifying teams from a fund of Rs.8.2 crore. “With the launch of DST-TI IICDC, we plugged a huge gap that existed in the ecosystem for Indian engineering students to venture into entrepreneurship with the right support structure. Our attempt is to create an immersive ecosystem for innovation that challenges students every step of the way,” says Sanjay Srivastava, director of the TI India University Programme.
IIM-Bangalore’s N.S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) will incubate the projects of the winning teams and support them in launching their ventures.
Samsung’s Smart classes
NEW DELHI, June 7. Samsung India announced that it has added 200 new Samsung Smart classes to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools in Tamil Nadu, and Delhi Police Public Schools. With these additions, Samsung Smart classes now number 652 in the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, 28 in government schools in Tamil Nadu and three in Delhi Police Public Schools, taking the total number of Samsung Smart classes in India to 683.
“The Samsung Smart classes initiative has helped over 2.5 lakh children across the country to become digitally literate. This initiative is closely tied with India’s development agenda, and implemented in partnership with government departments to ensure wider reach and impact upon underprivileged children,” said H.C. Hong, president and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, speaking on the occasion.
Added Prakash Javadekar, Union HRD minister: “We are happy that Samsung is making a valuable contribution to our effort to move from blackboard to digital learning in government schools.”
Kangaroo Kids silver jubilee
MUMBAI, June 27. Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd (KKEL), founded by early childhood educator Lina Ashar in 1993, celebrated its silver (25th) anniversary at The Lalit, Mumbai, on June 23. The event was attended by 35 franchisees from across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Lina Ashar recounted how the KKEL franchise has bloomed and expanded from a single-room preschool to over 100 preschools and schools across India, Maldives, Dubai and the Middle East. “It has truly been a roller coaster journey and we’re all very proud of having accomplished so much and reached so far, with many more milestones to cover and move beyond,” said Ashar.
“We have begun to integrate technology in our schools on a larger scale with the Skippytech preschool app and the Billabox learning management system for our grade I-VIII children, so they can enhance their capabilities and learn at their own pace,” added K.V.S. Seshasai, CEO of KKEL.
Ranco Energy’s new university
MUMBAI, June 11. The Mumbai-based Ranco Energy & Projects Pvt. Ltd is setting up a one-of-its-type skills and vocational university at Almora, Uttarakhand to provide specialised learning, skills and continued education to students aspiring to make careers in the energy, telecom and infrastructure (ETI) industries which employ 60 percent of the country’s organised sector workforce.
“The new university will plug crucial skill gaps of ETI companies and empower students through several skill upgradation initiatives,” said Rajesh Sonpal, managing director, Ranco Energy Group, addressing the media in Mumbai.
Ranco Energy has budgeted an investment of Rs.225 crore to fund the university which will admit its first batch in the academic year 2019-20.
New training & assessment academies
SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI, May 28. To meet the rising demand for trainers and assessors in India’s skill development ecosystem, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is set to establish state-of-the-art trainers and assessment academies countrywide.
NSDC is partnering with the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and Temasek Foundation — a Singapore-based philanthropic organisation — for a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programme to build the capabilities of 300 education leaders and specialists who will establish and manage these academies across India. Temasek Foundation International has made a grant of S$502,955 (Rs.2.52 crore) for this programme.
Speaking about the partnership, Manish Kumar, managing director & CEO of NSDC said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Foundation International. I’m sure they will help us develop best-in-class frameworks for vocational training and quality assurance in India, and will also help in scaling-up various initiatives under the Skill India Mission.”
Added Soh Wai Wah, principal and CEO, Singapore Polytechnic: “We are enthused by the opportunity to collaborate with NSDC to take our expertise offshore and contribute towards the development of vocational skills in India.”