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Category: Funding

Digital Devices And Education In The New Normal
It is time to applaud the governance for accepting the ground realities of inequitable access to online education and evolving a road map to negotiate this digital divide in the country. Kudos for envisaging a huge investment of Rs. 60K crores for providing nearly 40% of the total students in higher education institutions (HEIs) with laptops, other digital devices, internet, etc. by 2025-26.

There are ample pieces of evidence of the positive outcome from the free laptop distribution to the meritorious students in the state of Uttar Pradesh during the Akhilesh Yadav Government. As per available information, this free laptop distribution scheme of U.P. provided laptops to more than 16 lakh students, and the same can still be seen in the use of digital devices by the students in higher education.

Thus, the present initiative for the distribution of laptops or other devices to the deserving candidates is likely to go a long way in easing out the learning processes of the beneficiaries in the present age of ICT.

The distribution of digital devices becomes much more relevant in the absence of preventive medication against coronavirus, where the society has to live with the threat of its infection, and a new normal is emerging in the education sector.

The post-COVID education system may have increased dependence on online content sharing as part of the teaching-learning process. The varying socio-economic conditions necessitate the provisioning of laptops or other digital devices to a sizeable number of students for accessing the online learning content.

Hopefully, with the apportionment of funds, the digital devices are likely to be procured and provided to the targeted 1.5 crore students with proposed spending of Rs. 22,500 crores in 2021-22. Here the average cost of device per student works out to be around Rs.15K, but let us assume that the suitable devices shall be provided to the students in need.

This is reflective of the commitment to bridging the digital divide with a huge expenditure of public funds. Also, the said budgetary provision being spread over a period of time will result in a gradual increase in the number of students accessing online education.

Simultaneously, it needs to be ascertained that around 45000-degree colleges and 1028 Universities do possess robust ICT facilities. Introspection into the availability and sufficiency of internet facilities in HEIs exposes the fact of the internet is not being amply provided in several institutions nonetheless every HEI is supposed to have the internet as per statutory requirements.

Hence, it is equally important to strengthen the ICT support system in the HEIs with equitable access to the students for good quality education.

Looking at this welcome initiative of providing digital devices, it becomes imperative to look into the digital divide due to some areas being still the unserved areas for internet, speed of internet connectivity, cost of accessing data, availability of electricity, study conditions at home, etc.

There is a need to create strong internet connectivity infrastructure and ensure the availability of electricity in every household. The money invested in setting up internet infrastructure and providing electricity will automatically get paid back by the enhanced learning levels of the students for their better productivity along with the increased productivity of others from various economic activities due to online access & connectivity to the world.

Also, the availability of cities like ICT infrastructure and digital tools, will check the tendency of migration from rural to urban areas. The country should strategize for it at the earliest.

With the constant push for encouraging online education in the present circumstances, it is equally relevant to assess the traditional class board-based book-copy-pen teaching vs. teaching through laptops or other digital tools.

The process of providing laptops or similar gadgets for accessing the online content of education will lead to the situation of some amount of books getting replaced with electronic gadgets loaded with the content or with access to the content.

The likelihood of replacement of books with laptops may affect the conventional way of face-to-face teaching-learning in classrooms. Nevertheless, these digital devices will permit storage, frequent retrieval, using computational tools, and digital communication.

Undoubtedly, on the positive side, the use of ICT will facilitate access to information through the internet but on the negative note, it may also act as a detractor and alter the learning outcomes.

It needs to be understood that the mere availability of digital devices and access to digital content alone cannot improve learning outcomes. This is very similar to the fact that the availability of books in the library of any institution can not improve the learning unless the learners use these books appropriately.

The computer-assisted learning will improve the learning outcome provided there is mediation by teachers for accessing the pertinent information and learning content. However, there are some apparent risks with online teaching/content sharing, such as,
- The likelihood of reduced degree of student involvement in online as compared to face-to-face teaching where students are psychologically under obligation to write on notebooks
- The unsupervised learning may result in lack of practicing by the students themselves
- Too much dependence on machines for learning affects the cognitive skills of the students adversely
- The uniform level of rigor for the whole content and the vast extent of coverage may miss the focussed learning of important aspects of the respective subject
- The absence of peer learning in the students
- The lack of self-discipline will affect the learning process adversely, etc.
Given the above, it should not be presumed that online teaching/content sharing will be acting as a panacea for achieving excellence in the education system. Howbeit, online education does possess great potential when used as a supplement to the traditional face to face on-campus teaching.

The efforts to empower the deprived ones with laptops and other digital tools will enrich the education outcomes provided other associated aspects of equitable access, and the elimination of the digital divide is taken care of honestly.

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March 27, 2023
Aided Polytechnic Colleges Reach Out Prime Minister For Financial Help

The Association of Management of Aided Polytechnic Colleges has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, looking for budgetary help.

Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, the association’s individuals looked for delicate credits for students to assist them with paying expenses and purchase PCs, and intrigue free advances for establishments to assist them with paying compensations.

They looked for ₹50,000 crores for an expected 50 lakh students seeking after designing, lodging management, drug store, management, and specialized courses.

Leader of the association C. Valliappa said the government had gone to the guide of the MSME area however had overlooked the education part.

He refered to the AISHE 2018-19 study and stated: “Enrolment in higher education division is evaluated at 3.74 crores youthful Indians, out of which 50 lakh students, the most elevated number, is taken a crack at building and innovation stream. This incorporates students of polytechnics, building, innovation, inn management, drug store, and management examines. The yearly consumption on running these education organizations comes to almost ₹50,000 crores.”

Up to 77% of the colleges in the private division relied upon the charges gathered from students. Likewise, over 60% of the higher education organizations in the nation were in the provincial regions, Mr. Valliappa stated, including that the pandemic had brought about an overabundance in charge assortment for the scholastic year 2019-20.

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July 2, 2020
MHRD Looking For Rs.10.37 Trillion From 15th Finance Commission For 2021-25

The Human Resource Development Ministry on Monday said it needs Rs.10.37 trillion for both for the higher education and school education parts and gave a nitty-gritty necessity projection to the fifteenth Finance Commission which is going by N.K. Singh.

During a gathering between the fifteenth Finance Commission, and the HRD ministry on Monday, while the school education department gave its necessity for ₹6.37 trillion, the higher education department made an introduction for somewhat over ₹4 trillion. This prerequisite is for 2021-25.

“The Commission had required this gathering all the more explicitly to make its proposals in its report for 2020-21 and 2025-26 regarding the matter of education particularly in the hour of Covid-19. In such a manner, the Commission required more prominent clearness… ,” the commission said in an announcement.

“The Department of Higher Education has anticipated a budgetary necessity after the usage of EQUIP (2020-21 – 2025-26) is an aggregate of ₹400,576.25 crores throughout the following five years,” the announcement included.

Of the complete projections for Department of School Education and proficiency, while the all-out reconsidered projection for a long time – 2021-22 to 2025-26 – according to one side to education mediations to the container of ₹4,62,827.39 crore and for the execution of national education policy, the ministry has pegged a prerequisite of ₹113,684.51 crores.

“Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Amit Khare likewise made an introduction before the Commission in which he nitty-gritty the Changing Demographics and readiness of India to make Global Comparisons in Higher Education, he definite a few Challenges and Reforms to Higher Education including expanding GER (net enlistment proportion) to arrive at half percent by 2035, accomplishing Excellence through Autonomy by Graded Accreditation, Technology-driven Education including Online, Digital, Blended Mode of education, and so forth,” the commission said in the announcement.

The commission said the ministry clarified how the covid-19 pandemic has affected the school education and how the ministry has begun a few activities for “guaranteeing progression of getting the hang of during the time of school terminations”. The commission and the ministry additionally talked about the requirement for quality education and the observation of the education result in the school area.

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June 30, 2020
IIM-A Plans To Start Endowment Fund To Raise Rs. 1000Cr. In Next 5 Year

Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on Tuesday propelled an endowment fund, with an underlying commitment of ₹100 crores by its alumni. The fund intends to raise ₹1,000 crores throughout the following five years and is a first of its sort by an IIM.

Ten alumni founders, including Sandeep Singhal, co-founder, WestBridge Capital; Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder, Info Edge; Deep Kalra, founder, MakeMyTrip, have committed to the fund.

The first class B-School said it trusts have more individuals contributing to the endowment corpus through funds, wills, values, and different methods. The move, it stated, will help in taking IIM-A to the following level in research, key activities, and imaginative undertakings.

“It took us three to four months to choose and set up a structure. We are prepared with ₹100 crores and from that point, the objective is to get to ₹1,000 crores in the following five years. And we all are going to contact however many alumni as could reasonably be expected, for live contribution as well as for little contributions,” said Singhal, an alumnus of IIM-A, who is likewise helping IIT-Delhi with its endowment activity.

Errol D’Souza, executive of IIM-A, said it was essential to get the structure of the endowment fund right with the goal that countless members can be gotten. The thought is to make it accessible as a vehicle for the development of the establishment, D.Souza said over a video call from Ahmedabad.

“Alumni are a wellspring of solidarity. While they have contributed from numerous points of view to help the Institute’s needs, the endowment corpus will be effective as we anticipate that it should develop as a significant source to help key activities and inventive undertakings. Such basic funding support has been absent for most Indian instructive organizations and we are glad to make a benchmark,” said D.Souza.

Rakesh Basant, the senior member at IIM-A, said the straightforward structure of the fund will help IIM-A connect all the more effectively with its alumni and will likewise enable the Institute to convey more prominent incentives through contemporary, excellent teaching and research.

Endowment funds are a major wellspring of income for top worldwide colleges who utilize a bit of it for advancement work and students’ grants. For instance, Harvard University has an endowment corpus of over $39 billion and Stanford has an endowment corpus of over $27 billion.

When inquired as to whether the funds can be utilized for taking care of the government a segment of credits foundations take from the Higher Education Financing Authority (HEFA), D’Souza said IIM-A has not yet benefited any HEFA advance however the endowment fund “doesn’t dispossess the fund from really being utilized for any reasons”.

“One of the primary thoughts of the truth of the matter is that some piece of it will be unhampered and be utilized for whatever development purposes or thought to be significant for the assistance of the objectives of the Institute,” said the executive.

Different contributors to the IIM-A endowment fund incorporate GV Ravishankar, overseeing executive, Sequoia Capital India, Ramesh Mangaleswaran, and Meenakshi Ramesh, senior accomplice, McKinsey and Co. what’s more, co-founder of Citizen Matters individually, SK Jain, co-founder of WestBridge Capital, V.T. Bharadwaj, co-founder of venture firm A91 Partners.

“Endowments structure the foundation of every single extraordinary college around the globe. The endowment is the paste that ties the college with its alumni… more prominent the college, bigger is the endowment. With this activity, the administration and the alumni have planted a seed for what will one day be a huge endowment proportionate to the height of IIM-Ahmedabad,” IIM-A said in an announcement citing Bikhchandani and Singhal.

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June 24, 2020
HEFA Sanctions 29k Crores To Finance Infrastructure Of Premier Institutes

The HRD Minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhariyal has educated that the colleges and universities regarding India would see an improvement in their infrastructure now that Higher Education Financial Agency, HEFA has endorsed 29 thousand crore rupees for financing infrastructure of the Indian educational organizations. A year ago the body chose to subsidize up to 1 lakh crore by 2022. Significant recipients would incorporate IITs, NITs, IITs, IISc, AIIMS, and so on.

About HEFA

It is known as the Higher Education Financial Agency which is the joint effort of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, MHRD, and Canara Bank. The body intends to build up India’s top-positioned organizations into comprehensively top-positioning foundations, that will be acclaimed over the globe. The body predominantly centers around AIIMA, IITs, IIITs, NITs, and other premier establishments of India.

HEFA gives financial help to make a capital resource at serious loan costs. It likewise channelizes the CSR Funds from corporates and different contributors and gives them as awards to universities and colleges toa id educational projects. Its witticism is “Reviving Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE) by 2022.”

The body was propelled in the financial year 2018-19 and from that point forward has ascended in its degree from authorizing financial administrations worth 20,000 crore to 1 lakh crores.

Since the previous 1 year, it has authorized credits worth 29000 crores out of which just about 8000 crores have been endorsed till April 2020, and above 80 foundations have profited the advantages to date.

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June 22, 2020
University Of Iowa – Latest Higher Education Budget

The University of Iowa one year from now would get a somewhat greater knock by and large education. financing than Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa if officials cling to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ new financing proposals for the fiscal 2021 spending plan.

Reynolds on Tuesday suggested a 3 percent expansion when all is said in done education subsidizing for the UI, ISU, and UNI. Since the UI as of now gets more than the others, and in all cases increment supports the Iowa City grounds.

Under the proposition, the UI would get a $6.7 million increment; ISU would get $5.3 million more, and UNI would see $3 million more.

Every one of those is beneath what the Iowa Board of Regents’ looked for. The board requested that the Legislature endorse $18 million more for general education in fiscal 2021 — which it at that point would part by giving $7 million each to the UI and ISU and $4 million to UNI.

On the off chance that the Legislature completely reserves the board’s solicitation, regardless of the governor’s lower proposal, the undertaker’s absolute general education state backing would ascend from $493 million to $511 million. On the off chance that administrators take the governor’s recommendations, all-out general education support for the state-funded colleges would ascend to $508 million.

Obviously, officials can go with an alternate sum — which they regularly do — and Board of Regents Executive Director Mark Braun focused on board initiative and university heads will work with the governor and legislators.

“We will keep on upholding for a degree of subsidizing that is expected to give the five-star education that our students request,” Braun said in an announcement, expressing gratitude toward the governor for her “proceeded with help for Iowa’s official colleges.”

“We will keep on being acceptable stewards with subsidizing that our colleges get.”

The officials in November 2018 appeared a five-year educational cost model binds state backing to educational cost increments. Under the model, if administrators completely subsidize the board’s appointments demands, the educational cost for occupant students will build 3 percent. On the off chance that appointments miss the mark regarding the solicitations, rates could go higher.

Since state allotments for the UI and ISU beneath the board’s solicitation in the present spending year, occupant students at those organizations saw a 3.9 percent educational cost increment in the fall. UNI, which saw its solicitation completely subsidized for the current year, solidified educational cost for all students and might want to do so again — however, authorities have said they need the Legislature’s help.

For Iowa’s 15 junior colleges, Reynolds’ proposed spending plan incorporates a $5.2 million general guide increment — adding up to a 2.5 percent knock to $213.9 million.

It’s hazy how that expansion would be part among the grounds, and Kirkwood Community College representative Justin Hoehn said it’s too early “to hypothesize about the effect of subsidizing on the college.”

“We are satisfied to see that the governor perceives the requirement for expanded education financing,” Hoehn said. “We are anticipating working with the Legislature as they travel through their spending technique.”

The governor likewise proposed reinforcing financing for programs that help junior college students — like the Last Dollar Scholarship, which helps students take on an explicit network and private college programs that lead to popularity occupations.

Her spending limit proposes growing the Last Dollar Scholarship subsidize by $2.8 million — carrying it to $15.8 million.

“Future Ready Iowa is working,” Reynolds said Tuesday in her Condition of the State address — referencing the activity that brought forth the Last Dollar Scholarship.

Be that as it may, Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, communicated worry that Reynolds neglected to unequivocally make reference to higher education subsidizing in her yearly location.

“There are some beneficial things, I think, in the governor’s arrangement. Clearly I am worried that there was no notice of the junior colleges or officials and financing for those foundations, and our private colleges also,” Mascher said. “Higher ed was the only sort of left out, and that consistently concerns me … Funding for those establishments is extremely basic.”

Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said he’d prefer to see the officials’ solicitation completely financed — and he referenced the UI’s ongoing exertion to create income with the open private association to work its utilities framework.

In return for a long time of stable income as the administrator of the $1 billion UI utilities endeavor, a private synergistic is paying the UI $1.165 billion in advance, which the university intends to put resources into a gift it can pull from every year to help its crucial methodology.

“Changing for swelling, financing for our state schools has declined by over $200 million since 2001, from $793 million down to $576 million in FY2019,” Wahls said in an email. “It’s no big surprise that educational cost is ascending for Iowa students and that our colleges have been approached to seek after colorful privatization plans. It’s particularly worried that despite the fact that the Board of Regents confirmed to the governor’s solicitation to seek after (an open private organization), she has not regarded the Board of Regents demand for the $18M increment.”

Notwithstanding Reynolds’ general education proposition for the state-funded colleges and junior colleges, she offered proposals for the officials’ unique schools and specific reason units — like the UI-subsidiary Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa Flood Center and Oakdale grounds.

She proposed generally level subsidizing for those elements — with a couple of exemptions, similar to a $4 million reserve for an ISU-UI Bioscience Innovation Ecosystem joint effort, planned for “quickening the pace of monetary improvement identified with the biosciences.”

Also, Reynolds’ spending limit incorporates full financing for two capital undertakings at ISU and one at UNI — barring the UI’s solicitation.

The governor’s proposition for the 2021 spending year offers the full $10 million mentioned for ISU’s Student Innovation Center; the full $12.5 million for ISU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; and the full $1 million for UNI’s Industrial Technology Center modernization venture.

She didn’t bolster financing the UI’s mentioned $3.4 million to modernize its noteworthy Pentacrest — an $88.7 million undertaking the grounds needs the state to completely subsidize more than five years.

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January 15, 2020
Citing Nobel Numbers, Goa Governor Raises Low Spending on Education

Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said that India has five Nobel laureates, stating that six of the 12 Indians who have won the award is a “foreigner.” One award winner was ‘Mother Teresa.’

Speaking at a function organized by the National Institute of Oceanography in Panaji, Malik said inadequate government spending on could be the reason behind the low number of the country’s Nobel laureate.

“There are only 12 Nobel Prize winners in the country, of whom six were foreigners. One is Mother Teresa, so we have five. In England and America, one university has somewhere about 150 Nobel Prizes winners. They have quality education and spend a lot of money on values in education. This does not happen here. Here, no more than six percent of the central budget is spent on education. How are we going to have the quality of education? “He said.

The Governor also pointed towards the need to put more capital in improving the agricultural country. “The time will come when the power of the country will be determined by the quantum of wheat or results and not by the size of its armed forces.” He said.

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January 2, 2020