Indian Foundation

Saturday, December 4, 2010

U K partnership for progress

Source :AMUTHA KANNAN:The Hindu:29 Nov 2010

The recent U.K. initiatives indicate that the country may well emerge as the most favoured study destination for Indian students once again.

The partnership in higher education with the United Kingdom may well define India's next cycle of innovation, research and collaboration towards progress.

After educating the leaders of India of the 20th century, the United Kingdom lost its place to the United States as the most favoured destination for students. Realising that Australia, Canada, and other European nations are vying for the Indian higher education market that offers huge opportunities, the UK knows that it can't rest on its laurels forever.

The stiff competition from other western markets has ensured that India has a special place in the higher education blueprint of the United Kingdom. According to the British Council, there has been an increase from 40 educational agents representing UK education in 1999 to 290 in 2007 with over 70 per cent of students going to the UK in 2006 / 2007 using their services. About 13 UK universities have opened regional offices in India.

The 1,000-odd visitors who made a beeline to the fifth edition of the Education UK Exhibition held in Coimbatore on November 25 and 26 stood testimony to the fact that the enthusiasm for studying in the UK remains high. As many as 25 universities had put up stalls in the expo organised by the British Council. Representatives from each of these institutions were present to interact with prospective students.

Susan O'Neill, the spokesperson for the universities, said the one-year Taught Master's postgraduate degree programme, practical-based courses, classes handled by qualified teachers with strong research background, industry-academia linkages, institutional scholarships and other value-additions, were attractions that drew international students to U.K. universities.

Pointing out the recent trend among the students applying for the courses, she said the students who attended the fairs came for “confirmation” rather than for “information.” The expo also included seminars that highlighted issues that were peculiar to international students studying in the UK. For instance, Indian students were accustomed to an examination system where the assessment was based on how well they reproduced what they had studied in a textbook. This system did not work in UK universities, she said.

L. Dhanasekaran, Head, Education U.K. (South India), British Council, Chennai, said the response was more for the PG courses. “The favourite course continues to be MBA, followed by engineering and information technology. There is also a heightened interest in applied sciences like biotechnology, nanoscience, bioinformatics, and paramedical courses.”

Point-based system for visa

Addressing participants, Ewan Cunningham, Entry Clearance Officer, U.K. Border Agency, British Deputy Commission, Chennai, said students would be eligible to apply for tier 4 visa under the point-based system. This was a transparent system that helped genuine students get visas easily.

“Students require 40 points to secure a visa. Thirty points come from the admission letter sent by the institution (it should possess a licence to admit international students) and the rest depend on the bank document proof for fee payment. There is no interview or any other kind of formality.”

“UK is in the process of creating an environment to attract young students. The number of scholarships to Indian students is increasing. The British companies also understand that they stand to benefit in the long run,” says Navi Radjou, executive director, Centre for India & Global Business, Cambridge Judge Business School.

A careful reading of the statements made by David Willets, the British Minister for Universities, who has visited the country twice in the past six months, reveals that partnerships between top Indian and UK universities could well be a regular feature in the coming years.

Britain has also evinced keen interest in actively assisting India's Innovation Universities. And unlike before, this cycle of partnership will be on equal terms with contribution from both countries.

For further information on education in the UK, interested persons can attend briefings held every Friday at British Council, Chennai, at 4 p.m. or visitwww.educationuk-in.org.

Scholarships 2011-2011

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Results for Class-X CBSE exams announced

Sourcce : PTI May 28 2010 , Chennai

Results for Class-X CBSE Exams were announced today with the Chennai region registering overall

96.18 per cent 'qualified.' According to statistics released by the CBSE here, Puducherry topped the list in the region, comprising seven states and three Union Territories, with a score of 99.50 per cent.

From this year, the practice of declaring a student as passed, failed or compartment has been done away with, following introduction of grading system.

Friday, May 28, 2010

ETEN CA launches its VSAT based Coaching Centre in Bangalore

Source : ETEN : Bangalore :28 May 2010

Affordable and high quality coaching through satellite link was today launched in Bangalore. ETEN CA (Educomp Tele-Education Network for CA prep) from IndiaCan Education, India’s largest network of technology based satellite coaching centers for Chartered Accountancy prep, today formally inaugurated its centre in Bangalore located at No. 14/1, 4th Cross, Sampige Road, Malleshwaram.

ETENCA is a pioneering Tele Education initiative aimed to help CA aspirants get advanced, scientific and personalized coaching from acclaimed faculties, at their home town and at a lower cost compared to what they would have incurred if they took in-person classes from the same faculty.

In less than 2 years, ETEN CA has set up over 100 centres across north, central and eastern India and benefited over 20000+ students. ETEN CA is now looking to expand its presence in South India with a view to enable students across cities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu access to high quality CA coaching from nation’s best teachers without leaving their city.

Buoyed by unprecedented success of North India centres and recognizing the need for a specific program for Southern states, ETEN CA is launching a separate program for CA prep for the four South India states. The ETEN CA South India Program (SIP) students will receive coaching from eminent faculties like CA Kapileshwar Bhalla, CS B. Ravi, Dr. T S Deendayalan, CA P. Satish Kumar, Mr. N. S Govindan, Mr .R. Murali, CS Sangeet Kedia, Mr. R. D. Maheshwari, Mr. BVN Rajeshwar and other eminent and experienced faculty.

ETEN CA’s North India Program (NIP) faculty CA Parveen Sharma , Dr. Girish Ahuja , CA Sanjay Aggarwal, CA Raj Kumar, CA Rajiv Singh, CA Pankaj Garg and others may also enrich the ETEN CA SIP initiative at various stages.

Elaborating on the benefits and scope of satellite education Mr. Puneet Jhingan, Senior VP, IndiaCan Education Pvt Ltd said “The objective of satellite education is to help students get advanced, scientific and personalized coaching right in their home town. CA being a professional and competitive course requires skilled and qualitative coaching which is exactly what ETEN CA is doing by assembling the best teachers in the field, under one roof, for students across India. It allows a student to study all subjects at his/her home town without migrating to metropolitan cities. The study is closely managed by ETENCA staff and affiliates and supplemented by advanced Learning Management System, Smart Assessment System, Video Archives and such other unique and beneficial features”

“In Southern India, ETEN CA will shortly open centres across states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala covering cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Mysore, Cochin, Salem, Erode, Guntur and other major towns. We hope to have close to 20 centres across the southern states by the end of this financial year. By then, we should have around 125 centres across India”.

Among the highlights of the ETEN CA program are India’s leading faculty; Structured assessment; Well equipped classrooms; E-Learning support and Video Archives.

An amazing feature of ETEN CA is that it allows students to access and view the lectures they may have missed or want to review through unique video archive system. Recognizing the special needs of CA aspirants who need to balance their CA prep sessions with demands of frequent travel arising from mandatory Arcticleship, ETEN CA has conceived and implemented a unique Video Archive Access system wherein students have the facility to view their missed lectures on the net. They can also revise a limited number of sessions online closer to their exams and are effectively able to study anytime and anywhere as per their need.

Moreover a student at ETEN CA is monitored and regular assessments are conducted through Mock test, sample paper’s and regular tests which helps a student to perform and prepare better for the CA exams.

Since its launch, ETEN CA has already helped many students in smaller cities to score well in their exams. A student of ETEN CA recently scored 100% marks in IPCC Accounts, creating a history. This is the first time any student has scored 100% marks in IPCC Accounts. Besides this, ETEN CA has produced many Rank Holders in its previous batches.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

guidance-cum-orientation programme being organised by The Hindu-EducationPlus here on Sunday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special session on how to choose the right options from a sea of choices available in the Kerala engineering stream will be one of the highlights of the guidance-cum-orientation programme being organised by The Hindu-EducationPlus here on Sunday for students seeking admission to courses in various professional streams through the State government's counselling process after taking the common entrance test.

A session on the online seat allotment process, which the students and parents look forward to, will be handled by officials of the Commissionerate of Entrance Examination.

This is the seventh edition of the off-the-page initiative by Kerala's largest-selling English language newspaper. The event was launched in 2004, the year EducationPlus was launched with The Hindu in the State, as a logical extension to the student-oriented content of the weekly supplement.
The Tagore Centenary Theatre will be the venue for the programme, titled “Courses & Choices — Sessions on the Professional Streams and More.”

The forenoon session will focus on the dos and don'ts, strategies related to the online seat allotment process, an overview of the key courses and, in general, set students and their parents thinking on the career and course options before them.

Participants will be briefed on the counselling process and can address questions to the members of a panel of experts chosen by The Hindu.

The afternoon session will focus on courses in animation and gaming, travel and tourism and finance and chartered accountancy. There will also be a “study abroad” session on educational opportunities in foreign countries.

Students who register themselves for the programme on payment of a fee of Rs.75 can choose to attend either one or both the sessions.

A handbook with detailed information on courses will be given to each participant. Apart from helping students gain clarity on the different courses on offer, it will outline points to be considered while seeking admission to professional courses. Entry to the event will be on a first come, first served basis.

Registration forms are available during working hours at the office of The Hindu, Airport Road, Vallakkadavu, Thiruvananthapuram (ph: 0471 250 2001).

Through e-mail

Students can also provisionally register for the event by sending a request by e-mail to educationplustvm@thehindu.co.in. These candidates should complete the registration formalities at the venue before the start of the programme.

The State Bank of Travancore is the presenting sponsor of the event. The associate sponsors are the Cooperative Academy of Professional Education and Shadwells.

At Thiruvalla, the event is scheduled to be held at Mar Thoma Residential School on June 5. Students may register provisionally at eptiruvalla@thehindu.co.in

Thanjavur first ranker wants to become doctor

Photo: M.Srinath

PROUD: Collector M.S. Shanmugam honouring students who scored district ranks in SSLC examination in Thanjavur district on Wednesday.
Source : The Hindu,Special Correspondent,May 27,2010

THANJAVUR: S.Mary Vasanthapriya, student of St.Joseph's Girls Higher Secondary school came first in Thanjavur district scoring 490 out of 500 in the tenth standard examinations, results for which were announced on Wednesday.

Daughter of Lourdusamy, a businessman, and Rakini Mary, Headmistress of Panchayat Union School at Kantharvakottai, Vasanthapriya expressed her desire to become a doctor after completing Plus Two. “It is by God's grace and I am very happy,” she said when asked about her feelings on coming first in the district.
Three students shared the second rank in the district by scoring 489 out of 500.

They are P.Surya of St.Isabella Girls Higher Secondary school at Pattukottai, A.Prabhu of Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Peravurani, R.Rajarajan of Laurel Higher Secondary school at Pallikondan near Pattukottai.

Surya and Prabhu expressed their desire to become aeronautical engineers. Third rank was also shared by two students _ N.Rajkumar of Laurel Higher Secondary School at Pallikondan near Pattukottai and S.Swamiya of Sacred Heart Girls Higher Secondary School at Thanjavur, scoring 488 out of 500.
Collector M.S.Shanmugham and Chief Educational Officer V.Kumar congratulated the rank holders and presented them with books and certificates.

Kumar said that the district recorded 92.37 percentage of pass. Out of the total of 27157 students who wrote the examinations, 25,085 passed out. Of 12,830 boys, 11,633 passed out. A total of 14327 girls wrote the examinations out of which 13,452 passed. While the boys pass percentage was 90.67, girls pass percentage was 93.89.

“We have improved the pass percentage in the past three years. During 2007-08 it was 86.7, during 2008-09, it was 91.2 and during 2009-10, it was 92.37,” said Mr.Kumar. A total of 247 schools held the tenth standard examinations. Out of them 77 have achieved centum results. Out of them 53 are Government schools, 17, government aided schools and seven self financing schools.

In the Matriculation stream, A.Firdoz Banu of Gandhi Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Madukkur got the first rank in the district, scoring 486 out of 500. K.Gayathri of Christ The King Matriculation Higher Secondary school, Kumbakonam, got the second rank scoring 483 out of 500.

Third rank was shared by three students R.Manojkumkar of Gandhi Matriculation Higher Secondary school, Madukkur, S.Suryan of Kamala Subramaniam Matriculation Higher Secondary school, Thanjavur and R.Abhinaya of ARR Matriculation Higher Secondary school, Kumbakonam. They scored 482 out of 500.Suryan of Kamala Subramaniam Matriculation Higher Secondary school attributed his achievement to team work of the school under the guidance of correspondent S.Valliappan.

In the Matriculation scheme, 78 schools wrote the examinations. Out of them 33 got centum results.

Skill development programme for gold appraiser

ERODE: The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (MSME-DI), Ministry of MSME, will organise a skill development programme
for gold appraiser at EEDISSIA at SIDCO Industrial Estate on May 28 to June 6.

The objective of the programme is to train educated, unemployed youth and enable them to get job opportunity in the nationalised and co-operative banks as gold appraisers.

It would also help the youth to start their own pawnbroker and jewellery shops.

The practical training will be imparted using the modern touch acid technique, a press release says.

The MSME-DI would issue certificates to the trainees on successful completion of the course.

The fee for the course is Rs. 3,500. Persons belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe and the differently abled persons would be given 50 percent concession in the fee.

Interested persons can contact
Deputy Director,
MSME Development Institute,
65/1, G.S.T. Road,
Guindy, Chennai 600032

(Landline: 044-22501011/ 22500765 and Mobile: 94445-55549).

Fewer centums in mathematics again

Sourcce : The Hindu,Liffy Thomas,May 27,2010

Of the 9,67,420 students, a total of 2,399 secured full marks in Mathematics

CHENNAI: For the second consecutive year, centums in Mathematics have seen a significant drop at the S.S.L.C examination.

Of the 9,67,420 students who appeared in the examination, a total of 2,399 secured full marks in Mathematics. This is against last year's 5,112 and the previous year's 11,000 students who secured centum.
However, Matriculation and Anglo-Indian schools have not seen any drastic decline in the number of centums.
A total of 2,638 Matriculation students secured full marks in Mathematics, against last year's 1,374.
Teachers say this trend has to be worked upon as subjects such as Mathematics and Science mainly help students increase their overall total.

Disappointment
Many schools expressed disappointment that students who generally secure good marks in the subject fail to secure centum at the public examination.

“Maths is easy to score but the fear is high when the students appear for the public examination. Many are tensed and tend to confuse concepts.

‘One mark' questions especially is where a majority of students lose out. Also, trigonometry and analytical geometry are new topics where a student starts studying only from Class IX,” says S. Porchelvi, maths teacher, Children's Garden Higher Secondary School, Mylapore. Three students from the school secured centum, as against 10 that she had expected.

Basic grounding
Mathematics teachers say all the questions are from the textbook and basic grounding in the subject is essential while answering the tricky one-mark questions. Guess work should be avoided and teachers have a role to play in preparing the students, they add.

“Teachers should be receptive to the needs of the class. Schools should have special classes for underachievers and coach them,” says K. Srinivasa Rao, retired senior mathematics professor, Institute of Mathematical Science.

TANCET to be held on May 29, 30

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) 2010 for MBA, MCA and M.E/M.Tech/M.Arch/M.Plan degree programmes will be held on May 29 and 30.

Fifteen enquiry offices have been set up in the State. In Chennai, the enquiry office will function at the Examination Centre in Anna University on May 27 and 28.

In 14 cities, the enquiry offices will be functioning on May 28 between 9 am and 5 pm.

Guidance of teachers helped me: State topper

Jasmine scored 495 out of 500 in SSLC examinations

S. Jasmine

S. Pavithra
Source :The Hindu, Tamil Nadu Bureau,may 27,2010

Chennai: Keeping awake till 2 a.m. everyday in a small rented house inside a compound of eight similar dwellings in Tirunelveli town, S Jasmine, a student of Corporation Girls' Higher Secondary School, has topped the S.S.L.C exams with a score of 495 out of 500.
“The prayers of my parents, guidance of teachers and my hard work helped me top the exams,'' she says. After obtaining B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering, she wants to become a civil servant to serve society, particularly the poorest of the poor.
Her father M. Shaik Dawood is a hawker selling dress material criss-crossing villages in the district on his two-wheeler. This prompted her elder brother, S. Imran, to work as a sales executive after obtaining a Diploma in Electronics to support the family financially.
Jasmine's scores: Tamil – 98, English – 99, Mathematics – 100, Science – 100 and Social Science – 98. The top rank in the matriculation stream has come as a pleasant surprise for S. Pavithra, a student of Bannari Amman Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Sathyamangalam. She has scored centum in Mathematics and Science, 99 marks in Social Science, 98 marks each in Tamil and English subjects to secure the first rank. “I did not expect State rank. I was only expecting a good score. It is a pleasant surprise,” she says, thanking the school management and teachers for providing special attention. “My parents C. Saravanan and Nirmala, both doctors, encouraged me to prepare well and asked me not to worry about the ranks.” She wants to pursue a career in engineering.
Two girls from Coimbatore shared the first rank in the Anglo Indian stream. S. Rene Angel of St. Francis Anglo Indian Girls' High School and J. Namrita of Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School scored 483 out of 500. Both secured centum in maths and science. R. Shiva Preeya of PA Vdiya Bhavan Higher Secondary School, Thalapatti in Karur district, is a second rank holder in S.S.L.C. with a score of 494.
M. Jeyeline of Sarah Tucker Girls' Higher Secondary School, Palayamkottai, is another third rank holder.

Chennai Schools fare better

S. Ashpunisha (left), and right, K. Sangeetha and K. Krithika, the Chennai School toppers with S. Arumugam who came second. Source : The Hindu ,May27,2010

CHENNAI: S. Ashpunisha, one of the three first rankers of Chennai Schools in the SSLC examination with 487 out of 500, has happily forgotten her stomach ache, thanks to the results. She had been hospitalised for the past three days and wanted to be discharged, though a final diagnosis had not yet been made.

Ashpunisha wants to become a doctor. Daughter of a tailor M.S. Deen, she is a student of Chennai Higher Secondary School of Saidapet. Her parents said they expected higher marks. Her brother completed his engineering course this year.

The daughter of a driver, K. Krithika of Chennai Girls Higher Secondary School, Pulla Avenue, who too scored 487, said she did not think she would be a topper. “I used to get 3rd or 4th rank. But most times, I have ended up doing well in the final exams.”

She has won several prizes in elocution and essay competitions and wants to become an engineer. Krithika said her teachers felt a centum in Mathematics, which she lost by three marks, would have boosted her total. It was celebration time for K. Sangeetha, the daughter of R. Kandavel, an employee of Aavin. Packets of chocolates are going out to friends and neighbours in celebration of her sharing the top score in Chennai Schools. She wants to do her B.Com and become a Chartered Accountant.

The second rank went to S. Arumugam of Chennai HSS in Thiruvanmiyur, who scored 486 marks. The third rank was shared by Vasantha Kumari of Chennai GHSS Saidapet and J. Vishnupriya of Chennai HSS Maduvinkarai, who scored 483 marks.

Students of Chennai Schools have fared better than last year, with an overall pass percentage of 85.33 in the SSLC exam, results of which were announced on Wednesday. Last year, 82.58 per cent of the students passed. Of the 9,115 students who appeared, 7,778 passed the exam. The number of students who secured more than 400 marks, or 80 per cent, is 1,138.

Three schools — Chennai High School in Seven Wells, Chintadripet and Vanniya Teynampet — have got cent per cent pass. The pass percentage of girls at 89.06 was better than that of boys, who were 80.47 per cent.

However, the number of centums in subjects went down this year from 22 to 18.

Students said they lost marks in English and Mathematics, which brought down their total. K. Devibala of Chennai HSS, Madhavaram High Road, who scored a centum in Science, said she found English grammar difficult.

Civic body officials said that for the first time special classes would be conducted for the Chennai School students who would be taking the supplementary exams.

Battle over, toppers have reasons aplenty to cheer

Hard work, encouragement and self-motivation behind their performance, students say

Photo: A. Muralitharan

M. Priyanka of Sri Venkateswara Higher Secondary School, Puzhuthivakkam, celebrates her success following the results. — Photo: M. Vedhan

G. Sree Vandana and T. Lavanya of Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

Source : The Hindu City Bureau,May 27,2010

CHENNAI: They fought their own battles in and after school and on Wednesday when the results of the Class X examinations were declared, the toppers had enough reasons to cheer. Hard work, encouragement and self-motivation were behind their performance, the students said.

As the public examinations approached, M. Priyanka of Sri Venkateswara Higher Secondary School, Puzhuthivakkam, used to spend as many as nine hours a day revising her lessons, with breaks in between. Her hard work paid, as she is the State second ranker in S.S.L.C. examination, scoring 494 marks out of 500.
For G. Sree Vandana, State second topper (493) in the Matriculation stream from Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Mogappair, concentrating on languages helped her increase her overall percentage. But Vandana is excited about finally getting a “big teddy bear” that she has been asking her father since her middle school days.

The State third topper, T. Lavanya, a student of Velammal Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Panchetti, recalls staying at the school hostel for two months before her examination to save on travel time. “I paid special attention to English grammar,” says Lavanya, who scored 492.

In the O.S.L.C. examination, students of Sri Ahobila Math Oriental Higher Secondary School, West Mambalam, bagged three State ranks, with S. Anusha topping with 475 marks. Five students in Chennai district scored 491 in the S.S.L.C examination. The district secured a pass percentage of 87.04 per cent.
“The evening before the Tamil paper, we had a power cut for one-and-a-half hours, and I studied under candle light. I am happy that I scored 98 in Tamil, with centum in Science and Social Science,” said R. Mithra, one of those who scored 491 and a student of Children's Garden Higher Secondary School, Mylapore. Her father G. Raju runs a photocopy shop and she says she would be a motivation for students in Royapuram locality where she resides.

Dance was a way to relax between lessons for R. Srinidhi, a student of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School and the topper in Kancheepuram district with 490 marks. “I would get up early and study for a couple of hours before going to school — very simple to follow,” she says. Eleven schools in Kancheepuram district registered 100 per cent results in the S.S.L.C. examination. While the Government High Schools at Kayarambedu and Devariampakkam and Government Adhi Dravidar Welfare High School at Orikkai recorded full pass percentage, in the aided and self-finance schools category eight have registered 100 per cent results.

A total of 41,202 students appeared for the SSLC examinations in Kancheepuram Revenue District, comprising Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu Educational Districts, and 32,113 cleared it. The overall pass percentage was 77.9. Thirty-nine of the students scored centum in Science, 32 in Mathematics and 11 in Social Science subjects.

In Matriculation schools category, a total of 10,709 students took the examinations and 9,942 cleared it. The overall pass percentage was 92.84. Out of the 34,816 students who took the SSLC examinations in Tiruvallur Revenue District, 25,755 passed. The overall pass percentage was 74, said a press release. The Collector, T.P. Rajesh, presented books to the toppers who called on him at the Collectorate.

Girls shine in class X exams

Source :The Hindu,Liffy Thomas,May 27,2010

82.5 per cent pass in SSLC examinations
Top score shared by two girls in Anglo-Indian stream

CHENNAI: In all the four streams – S.S.L.C., Matriculation, Anglo-Indian and O.S.L.C. – girls outscored boys by a 3 to 6 percentage points difference in the results declared here on Wednesday.

A total of 9,67,420 candidates (private and from schools) appeared for the S.S.L.C examination, recording a pass percentage of 82.5 per cent. In the Matriculation stream, where a total of 1,32,545 candidates took the examination, the pass percentage was 94.7. Over a lakh secured 60 per cent and above.

In the Anglo-Indian stream, the pass percentage among girls was 98.2 per cent and 93.7 per cent among boys. A total of 4,762 candidates appeared in the examination, with the pass percentage standing at 96.3 per cent.

There was a dip of 4 percentage points in the overall pass percentage among students who appeared under the O.S.L.C stream. The pass percentage was 88.2 per cent, among the 1,548 students who took the examination.

S. Jasmine of MPL Girls Higher Secondary School (HSS), Tirunelveli was the highest scorer (495) in the S.S.L.C stream. Four students came second with 494 marks, while 10 students came third with 493 marks.
S. Pavithraa of Bannariamman VMS, Sathyamangalam topped the Matriculation exam with 495 marks.
In the Anglo-Indian stream, the top score was shared by two girls from Coimbatore. S. Rene Angel of St. Francis Anglo-Indian Girls Higher Secondary School and J. Namrita of Stanes HSS scored 483 marks each. S. Anusha of Sri Ahobila Math Oriental HSS, Chennai topped the O.S.L.C stream with 475 marks.
Supplementary/recounting

Students who want their answer re-totalled should apply before May 31. Supplementary exams will be held in June and July. Candidates can collect their mark lists on June 15 from their schools; private candidates can get theirs from the centre they appeared.

Informal expressions for daily usage

We come across plenty of ‘communicative English' lessons regularly -- our textbooks include a few, and if you pick up a book about spoken English, you will find it usually includes such lessons.

Typically, these lessons tell you how to behave -- and what language to use --in specific situations, such as post offices and banks, or job interviews. While these lessons are valuable, they mostly focus on dealing with stock situations, and little on handling situations that are perhaps a little unusual.

But there are a few handy expressions for these circumstances. The most versatile expression is a colloquial form of question that is useful for seeking explanations: ‘what gives?' Let's consider some examples to begin with. If you are waiting at your usual bus stop, and after a long wait have realised that none of the buses are stopping at your stop, you can wonder, ‘none of the buses are stopping here..what gives?'

Or if your usual quiet restaurant is unexpectedly packed with people, you can ask the owner: ‘quite a big crowd in here today; what gives?' In such situations, you are reacting to something unusual, and seeking an explanation by asking the question ‘what gives?' In terms of tone, this question is neutral.

In most cases, it simply amounts to asking for an explanation, without a specific implication of anger or complaint. The question can also be directed at people, and not just general situations. For instance, you can ask your friend: ‘you look worried and tense today, what gives?'

In case you are wondering, the use of ‘give' here is not all that unusual. Apart from the standard meaning, ‘give' can also mean ‘to break down', or ‘to yield to pressure'. For example, you can say: ‘the small table gave (broke down or collapsed) when I sat on it.'

This sense of ‘give' becomes a part of the casual question ‘what gives?'

Another expression you can use is: ‘what is it with...' If you have a friend who has the habit of constantly checking his mobile phone, you can ask: ‘what is with you and the cell phone?'. As you can tell from the example, this question often has a tone of annoyance in it.

Unlike the question ‘what gives' which is used to seek an explanation, this one conveys the message that you know what is going on and are not happy with it. You can use this question for people as well as situations. For example, you can say: ‘what's with this new arrangement of books in the library? I can't find books the way I used to, any more!'

As usual, both the expressions are informal, and can be extremely useful in your daily interactions.

tips@skillspark.com

www.skillspark.com

NILESH JAHAGIRDAR

CWIT scholarships - UK

The Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT) has called for applications for funding fellowships for short duration studies and visits to United Kingdom.

The CWIT is an arts, heritage conservation and humanities scholarship fund. It enables Indians in the early or middle stages of their careers to spend time in the UK, helping to achieve their artistic, professional or academic ambitions and make wider international contacts.

The deadline for applications is November 16, 2010.

For information email to cwit@in.britishcouncil.org

Applications invited for MBA - Anna and Annamalai universities

The Centre for Distance Education, Anna University, Chennai – 600025 has invited applications for admission to its two-year (4 semesters) master of business administration courses in general management, technology management, financial services management, retail services management, health services management and human resources management.

Entry qualification is a pass in Bachelor's degree in any discipline. Selection will be on the basis of distance education entrance test to be held on July 25. The university has invited applications for admission its Master of computer applications course.

Course duration: three years ( six semesters) through distance education mode. Entry qualification is a pass in any Bachelor's degree.

The applicant should have studied Mathematics either at Plus Two level or mathematics/ statistics/ computer-oriented subjects as one of the subjects at the degree level. The selection is based on an entrance test to be held on July 25. Download application forms from the website www.annauniv.edu/cde. Last date: July 2.

Annamalai University

The Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608002 in Tamil Nadu, has invited applications for admission to its MBA on campus programme.

The two year programme includes specialisation in human resource management, finance management, marketing management and international business management. Graduates in any discipline with a minimum of 50 per cent marks in part III (main subject) are eligible to apply.

Application fee is Rs.1000. The application form can be obtained from the Registrar, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar – 608002 by sending a requisition letter along with a demand draft of Rs.1,000 drawn in favour of the Registrar, Annamalai University, payable at Chennai, along with a self-addressed envelope (30X24 cm). Last date: June 11.

100,000 US students to visit China in four years

Source :Indo Asian News Service :27 May 2010 :7:02am

Beijing, May 27 (IANS) China will receive 100,000 US students in the next four years as part of the education cooperation programme, a Chinese official has said.

Beijing, May 27 (IANS) China will receive 100,000 US students in the next four years as part of the education cooperation programme, a Chinese official has said.

The two countries have agreed on an exchange programme under which American students will come to study Chinese language or do research, said Zhang Xiuqin, director of Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education.

The agreement was signed during the second round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which concluded Tuesday in Beijing, Xinhua reported.

Principals of some US primary and secondary schools and Chinese language teachers in the US will be invited to China as part of the project.

American college students will also be invited to participate in summer language camps in China. And, under the agreement, 10,000 Chinese post-graduates will go to the US to pursue PhD.

Zhang said the project will provide an opportunity to Chinese graduates to study in US universities and research institutes.

CBSE launches curriculum for schools abroad

Source:Indo Asian News Service :25 May 2010

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Giving an international face to Indian education, the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) Tuesday launched an upgraded international syllabus for its schools abroad.

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Giving an international face to Indian education, the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) Tuesday launched an upgraded international syllabus for its schools abroad.

The new curriculum, which focuses on the education needs of Indian diaspora as well as local communities, was launched by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal at Indian High School in Dubai, according to a official press release here.

The curriculum which will be launched in 30 schools in nine countries aims at carrying forward the basic strength of the Indian system of education and promoting critical and creative skills of the students.

Speaking at the function, Sibal emphasised the need for quality education for all children, with learning being a continuous and comprehensive process.

'We need a globalised community of children. I hope that it would grow and provide an alternative international curriculum to the students, both of the Indian diaspora and to local citizens in the countries,' he said.

The board aims to expand the curriculum to its other schools aboard as well in a phased manner.

The syllabus has been designed keeping in view the foundations of the National Curricular Framework (NCF 2005) and the experience gathered by the board over the last seven decades in imparting effective learning to millions of learners, many of whom are now global citizens.

The earlier curriculum focused largely on issues related to Indian interest which were proving a hurdle in expanding the coverage to international students.

The CBSE at present has 74 schools abroad, 63 of them in Gulf countries alone.