Monday, May 18, 2015

Amity University Gwalior organizes Guest Lecture on “BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO and PCPNDT Act 1994”

Guest Lecture on “BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO and PCPNDT Act, 1994” organized by Amity University Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh.

Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. V.K. Sharma, AVSM (Retd.) Speaking on the occasion
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Dignitaries on the dais

Mr. K.K. Dixit, eminent social activist addressing the gathering

A token of gratitude

                                                                                 
The visiting team with the Hon'ble Vice Chancellor
                                                                                                 

Amity Law School organized a lecture on “Beti Bachao Bati Padhao and PCPNDT Act, 1994” on 1st May 2015 in Association with Family Planning Association of India, Gwalior.

Welcoming the gathering Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. V.K. Sharma (AVSM Retd.) appreciated the speakers and guests for taking out time to visit AUMP to enlighten the students of law on one of the social menaces that requires immediate attention.

The programme commenced with the brief introduction of the lecture highlighting its relevance in the present scenario.

Addressing the students Dr. K.K. Dixit, eminent social activist provided a layman’s point of view and shared figures in order to bring to the notice some important facts relating to Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. He emphasized the main provisions of the Act that have been extraordinarily drafted to combat the growing incidents of female feticide. Most of the provisions of the Act have been made mandatory and are not at the discretion of the court to interpret viz. the registration requirements, etc. Several reasons made it necessary to introduce this Act like desire for son, demand for dowry, etc. Finally the speaker emphasized that there are two types of remedies that can be resorted to. One is to educate the masses and the easier one is to educate the doctor who plays an important role in sex determination of child in mother’s womb.

FPAI, Gwalior President Dr. Rosa Olayai expressed her views that the youth can actively participate in bringing about a social change.

The lecture concluded with closing remarks and vote of thanks by Prof. (Dr.) S.P. Bajpai, Dean Law.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Amity University Gwalior Organized National Seminar on "Emerging Trends in Architecture Design and Urban Studies"

National Seminar on "Emerging Trends in Architecture Design and Urban Studies" at Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior.
Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Lighting the inaugural Lamp of the seminar



To discuss the challenges of "Emerging Trends in Architecture Design and Urban Studies" and to suggest plausible solutions for the same, Amity School of Architecture and Planning (ASAP), organised a one day National Seminar on "Emerging Trends in Architecture Design and Urban Studies" at the University campus, where many architects deliberated on the topic.

The program commenced with Saraswati Vandana and felicitation of the guests by Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. V. K.Sharma AVSM (Retd.). Dr. Manmohan Kapse, H.O.D of Architecture and Planning Department MANIT Bhopal, Dr. Mayank Mathur , (Associate Professor) Department of Physical Planning , SPA New Delhi,  Ar. Tarun Mittal, (Corporate Architect),  Ar. Sudhanshu D R Mandlik (Corporate Architect),  Prof. Alok Sharma, Architecture Department MITS, Gwalior, Prof. (Dr) M. P. Kaushik, Pro- Vice Chancellor, Amity University Madhya Pradesh , Gwalior, were the dignitaries at the seminar.

Welcoming the distinguished gathering, the key note speaker Dr. Manmohan Kapse, HOD of Architecture and Planning Department MANIT Bhopal, thanked the erudite speakers and guests for taking out time and enlightening the budding Architects with their knowledge and vast experience. Talking about the theme of the seminar, he gave his expert views on Architecture and Design, the lifestyle of people, Interior Design, Furniture etc. which threw light on the present scenario. He also laid emphasis on the need of the current hour. Furthermore, Dr. Kapse emphasized on the concept that focuses on the components or elements of the structure or system and unifies them into a coherent and functional whole, according to a particular approach in achieving the objectives under the given constraints or limitations. He also said that Architecture design refers to the actual design and layout of spaces. Architecture encompasses many different elements including construction, design, and the manipulation of light as it relates to shadow. Throughout history, architects have found ways to create functional and practical spaces using any materials that were available.

Addressing the gathering, the expert speaker, Dr. Mayank Mathur,  (Associate Professor), Department of Physical Planning , SPA New Delhi, threw light on Urban Studies which deals with cityscape, planning for slum free cities, streetscape and street life. The public demand for such spaces is increasing at an alarming rate. Dr. Mayank  Mathur emphasized on the awareness of the same. The Urban Studies Program teaches students to analyze the city, urban life, and urbanization through a variety of disciplinary lenses. Students learn where cities come from, how they grow, thrive, and decline, how they are organized, and how to construct meaningful, inclusive, secure, and sustainable places. The curriculum examines how urban problems arise, how they have been previously addressed, and how to plan cities of the future.

Providing an Architectural point of view and sharing important information,Ar. Tarun Mittal, (Corporate Architect) addressed the audience on the Importance of Sustainable and Green Initiatives, Bioclimatic Designs, Green Development and Contribution System, the target which the entire world is striving to achieve. He said that ‘’Sustainable design is the thoughtful integration of architecture with electrical, mechanical, and structural engineering’’. In addition to concern for the tradition, aesthetics of massing, proportion, scale, texture, shadow and light the facility design team needs to be concerned with long term costs: environmental, economic and human. Sustainability is the key issue in studying environmental architecture, with energy efficient buildings, renewable energy applications, passive solar design and the use of environmentally responsible materials. Other important considerations are surface water run-off from built-up areas and the ecology of building sites, as well as the health and wellbeing of building occupants, including daylight, exposure to direct sunlight and the use of healthy materials in construction. Sustainable construction is defined as the creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment based on resources efficient and ecological principles. Sustainably designed buildings aim to lessen their impact on our environment through energy and resources efficiency. It includes the following principles:

·         Minimizing non-renewable resource consumption
·         Enhancing the natural environment
·         Eliminating or minimizing the use of toxic materials
The prominent guest speaker, Ar. Sudhanshu D R Mandlik, (Corporate Architect) threw light on importance on Futuristic Design and Emerging Trends, space habitation, virtual reality in design which can change the entire view of today's world to a brand new perspective. He said that Creative architects and designers have been dreaming of futuristic architecture for decades. According to his view the definition of futuristic architecture changes with every generation, with a few similarities. The fascination with all things futuristic continues to grow, as people are no longer satisfied with the present, but instead are always searching for the next big thing. Concept designers are also referred to as “visual futurists”. Furthermore, he said that these concept designs may not be on the market yet, but they can still inspire us to create something just as futuristic and exciting. The designs may be impractical in some cases, but the idea is to put the concept out to the world to see how it evolves and grows.

Prof. Alok Sharma, Dept. Of Architecture MITS, Gwalior emphasized on Heritage and Conservation, Cultural Heritage, Heritage and Sustainability, which focuses on protection and care of tangible cultural heritage, including artwork, architecture, archaeology, and museum collections (also referred to as "Conservation and Restoration" or "preservation"). Furthermore he said that conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and collections care, otherwise known as preventive conservation. As a technical discipline, conservation of cultural heritage is supported by conservation science research concerning materials, design, techniques, and aesthetics, and conservators/restorers require specialized training in conservation and restoration techniques.

Mr. Abhraham K. Samuels (Asst. Prof., Amity Dubai) presented his research paper on "A Glance into Changing Trends of Architecture in the United Arab Emirates", and won the best paper award. He opined that, the architecture in the UAE has marked its presence globally with all possible superlatives – the tallest, the biggest, the largest and so on. The city has been transformed from a desert land to a large man made oasis with buildings ranging from the arabesque designs to the advanced dynamic structures built with a challenged pace of construction time and technology used in achieving its targets. The architecture of UAE has been an attraction to people from all countries travelling to this glorified tourist destination showing the countries developed face front to the nations. The development on one hand is a marvel but on the other hand has poor response to the climatic conditions of the region with an identity crisis being seriously realized by the Government in certain parts of UAE. Another trend seen is the changing nature of buildings from static structures to dynamic once with the intelligence to sense and react as human brains do. The energy demand is growing exponentially as the buildings are becoming highly reliant on the mechanical systems making them work like machines. If this supply of energy stops one day all these buildings shall become inhabitable. This was experienced in certain northern parts of the Emirates in UAE during the hot summer season of 2010 making the life miserable for many & could happen anytime in the coming future. His paper looked at the time line to understand the changing architectural trends with a study on the Masdar City, Abu Dhabi the model city designed and developed as a sustainable city for the future along with couple of other buildings in the region to understand the architectural trends in the UAE.

Two technical sessions were held during the seminar. The judges on the panel in first technical session were Dr. Mayank Mathur and Ar. Tarun Mittal,   Ar. Sudhanshu D R Mandlik, Prof. Alok Sharma  and Prof.Y. P. Singh were the judges on the panel in the second technical session. Many aspiring students presented their papers in all the three sessions. This gathering of Architecture department involved 16 scholars, from all across the world, 32 technical research papers got selected and published in the form of a book.

All the participants were honoured with mementos and certificates.

Prof. (Dr.) M P Kaushik gave the concluding remarks and congratulated the Amity School of Architecture & Planning on the grand success of the National Seminar. In the end vote of thanks was proposed by Prof. Y. P. Singh.

Dignitaries and Guests during the commencement of National Seminar

Hon’ble Vice Chancellor and Ar. Alok Sharma giving Best Paper award to Ar. Abhramin K Samuels from Amity Dubai.

Hon’ble Vice Chancellor and invited Guests releasing the Souvenir

Prof. Y.P.Singh, Director, ASAP giving Memento to Ar. Sudhanshu D R Mandlik

Hon’ble Vice Chancellor giving Memento to Prof. (Dr) Mayank Mathur

Dignitaries and Guests during the National Seminar


Monday, May 4, 2015

Amity University Gwalior Sponsors the All India Ranking Tennis Tournament 2015

For the 2nd year in a row Amity University Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh was the title sponsor of All India Ranking Tennis Tournament, organized by Gwalior Chambal Tennis Association from April 5th to April 10th 2015 at the Tennis Complex, City Center, Gwalior.

Lt Gen VK Sharma, AVSM (Retd), Vice Chancellor, AUMP speaking during the inauguration of All India Ranking Tennis Tournament

Mr Akhil Kumar a Boxer of International repute and Arjun Awardees being felicitated by Mr P. Narhari, Collector, Gwalior and Lt Gen VK Sharma, AVSM (Retd), Vice Chancellor, AUMP
A colourful start of the tournament

The AUMP family during the Inauguration

Mr Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor, AUR and Adl. President RBEF, Lt Gen VK Sharma, AVSM (Retd), VC, AUMP and Mr P Narhari, Collector, Gwalior giving away the prizes
Lt Gen VK Sharma, AVSM (Retd), Vice Chancellor, AUMP being felicitated by the Gwalior Chambal Tennis Association

The jubilant winners with the organizers and sponsors
Mr Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor, AUR and Adl. President RBEF with Mr P Narhari, Collector, Gwalior

The Tournament was inaugurated on 5th April at 6.00 PM. The Chief Guest of the event was Mr. Akhil Kumar, a boxer of international repute and an Arjun Awardee. The event was also attended by the Guest of Honour District Collector Mr. P. Narhari, Vice Chancellor AUMP
Lt. Gen. V K Sharma, AVSM (Retd) and other dignitaries. Tennis players from all parts of the country enthusiastically participated in this tournament. After 5 days of healthy competition, the tournament came to an end on 10th April. The grand closing ceremony was attended by Mr. Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor, Amity University Rajasthan and Adl. President, RBEF as a guest of honour, Dr. Sunil Saran, Chancellor AUMP, Lt. Gen. V.K. Sharma, AVSM (Retd) Vice Chancellor,  AUMP and other dignitaries. Mr. P. Narhari Collector, Gwalior was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

The ceremony included distribution of prizes to the winners and presenting of mementoes to the guests.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Current State of Higher Education in India:Issues & Challenges, Amity University Gwalior

In India, university education system is in the state of frustrate and disrepair. Due to low quality education, the students’ enrollments in technical education are abysmally low in almost seventy percentages of the districts of India. In India, almost sixty six percentages of total universities and ninety percentages of technical colleges are rated as below average on quality parameters. There are so many institutes and university are facing acute problem of admission, placement, good faculty and are near to close down.
In India, Higher education system is suffering from several systemic deficiencies. As a result, these institutes and universities are continuously producing the graduates that are unemployable despite of emerging shortages of skilled manpower in an increasing number of sectors. The standard of quality education and academic research in higher education institutes and universities are low and continuous declining. There is, indeed, a multitude of interconnected problems that India faces in its higher education system; in a summary and particularly incisive diagnostic, one of the more thorough recent analyses of the situation describes both the scope and the seriousness of the challenge:
  • The unwieldy affiliating system
  • Inflexible academic structure
  • Shortage of good academicians and researchers
  • No policy or strategy for attracting good faculty, researchers, and students
  • Uneven capacity across various subjects
  • Eroding autonomy of academic institutions
  • The low level of public funding
  • Dysfunctional regulatory environment and low coverage of the accreditation system
  • Absence of incentives for performing well in academic and research
  • The quality and relevance of the curriculum in higher education with industry demand
  • The role of assessment and evaluation in higher education
  • The state of research both within and outside institutions of higher education.
  • The High Level exploitations in private universities and institutes
  • Non-uniformity and standard course structures, and non-updation of course structure on time
  • Course contents are not designed as per the requirement of Industry
  • Lacking of infrastructure and environment for Research and Development
The quantity/quality, regulation, privatization, staffing, and studying in abroad are the prominent factors for seeding critical issues in higher education system in India.
1. Excellence and expansion
It is evident that Department of Higher and Technical Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development of Government of India is facing major challenge in developing quality and quantity in education system in India.
2. Regulation and governance
The University Grants Commission (UGC) New Delhi is a statutory, regulatory authority of higher education in India.UGC is responsible for laying down the rules and regulations for the promotion and co-ordination of University education and for the determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in Universities, and for the purpose of performing its functions. The current state of higher and technical education in India clearly shows that UGC is not doing its duty and responsibilities sincerely. The anxiety of society toward the higher and technical education has forced me to critically analyze the functionality of UGC and raised the voice of society in the form of some questions to UGC:
  • Is the UGC doing its duty sincerely for which it was formed?
  • Is UGC murdering the objectives, purposes for which it was constituted by parliament of government of India?
  • Has the UGC empowered to only for making/laying down the rules and regulations not for their implementations?
  • Is UGC closely monitoring the all university?
  • Are all universities following the UGC norms on timely or not?
  • If no, what actions have taken by UGC against university?
  • Has UGC laid down the high quality standard, rules, and regulations for granting permission/recognition to any University and their strict implementation?
  • Has UGC made any transparent system for recognition/ de-recognition?
  • Why UGC is not making mandatory criteria for appointing/promoting candidates to Professor those who have at least 10 high quality research papers in SCI/SSCI/HSCI indexed nonpaid journals of high impact factors or having at least two/three patents?
  • Is there any system that can honestly rate the university on the basis of quality of teaching and research, infrastructure, faculty and level of implementation of UGC rules and regulations?
  • Does the all above mentioned activities not come in purview of UGC?
  • Educationalist/ Academician/ Administrator who is responsible for this pathetic situation of higher and technical education in India?
3. The privatization of higher education
The private institutes and universities have entered into higher education system with an objective of enhancing the quality of education and research. These institutes attempted to respond to the massive demand of technocrats, budding researchers. It is a good step for expanding the horizons of higher and technical education in India but there is sky height exploitation of their employees, students, society in private university. Some private institutes are also declining the quality of teaching and research and also producing the large number of graduates that are unemployable despite of emerging shortages of skilled manpower in an increasing number of sectors.
4. Staffing higher education
There is a strong need to form the large pool of highly capable scholars from both private and public sectors to provide academic leadership in teaching and research. These scholars should be promoted for their research work publication in SCI indexed journals. This strategy will certainly increase the country and university ranking in research in the world through recording the institute existence in world ranking database of Thomson Reuters.
5. The study in abroad
It is notable that Indian scholars are continuously moving to European countries for earning higher and technical education. European countries are expanding and enhancing the pool of qualified Indians for excellence in teaching and research. MHRD, Government of India has to think why are Indian scholars moving to European countries for study?
This article presents the current state of higher education in India. It can be concluded that the university education system in India is in turbulent, aggravate and disrepair state. This article shows the real and critical stage of higher and technical education in India.
This article pointed out that moving boldly in the direction of an international competitive system of higher education and research will be gainful, and overcome the current issues and challenges of higher and technical education in India and will help us in recording our existence in Times Higher Education World University Rankings database of Thomson Reuters. This article may be useful for MHRD for devising the new policy and strategy for enhancing the higher and technical education in India.
DR. M K PACHARIYA