IRC Schedule for the period 24th to 30th April, 2017.

Govt to set up Central University for differently abled, says HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar

The BJP-led Central government has decided to set up a Central University which will cater to the needs of the disabled students across the country, said Union minister for human resource development Prakash Javadekar. The announcement came during Javadekar's convocation address at Shakuntala Mishra Rehabilitation University, Lucknow on Monday.

Javadekar said, the government is sensitive to needs of disabled and which is why our PM has coined the term 'divyang'. PM has asked all higher education institutions to ensure barrier-free movement for disabled students. "Ramps and lifts are must in all institutions," said Javadekar.

To remain a gateway to work, universities must change

To remain a gateway to work, universities must change
Tom P Abeles14 April 2017 Issue No:455
Source :www.universityworldnews.com

A tipping point is being reached in post-secondary education, particularly for traditional colleges and universities. This tipping point is taking place over an extended period of time and has been precipitated by the perceived need of gaining qualifications to gain employment, backed up by historic data of graduate earnings. The capacity to meet this expectation exists in developed countries, but is lacking in the developing world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

While universities were traditionally seen as a way to bring scholars together to focus on the life of the mind, since the mid-19th century, there has been an increased realisation that a greater emphasis on skills is needed to meet the rapid development of technology in all sectors. 

Transforming higher education’s creative capacity

Transforming higher education’s creative capacity
Patrick Blessinger14 April 2017 Issue No:455
Patrick Blessinger is an adjunct associate professor of education at St John’s University in New York City, USA, and chief research scientist for the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association. He is co-editor with Linda Watts of Creative Learning in Higher Education.
Source: www.universityworldnews.com 

It has been nearly 20 years since UNESCO issued its World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century. Since its publication, global higher education has undergone dramatic change and global higher education enrolments have increased at a rate of about 5% per year. Today, higher education is in the midst of an academic revolution and many countries have now reached universal access status.

The World Declaration on Higher Education promotes several important principles regarding creativity in higher education: 

• Creativity should be used to integrate local/indigenous knowledge with advanced scientific knowledge, 
• Curricula, teaching-learning and research should be organised in such a way as to continually foster creative thinking at every grade level, and 
• Creative thinking and critical thinking should enhance and complement each other.

Sad or Depressed - Take a quiz

Sad or depressed?

Take a quiz to check what you know about depression,

 The theme for

World Health Day 2017 on April 7

1.      If a person feels sad sometimes, it means person is depressed.

True     ⃝                                            False    ⃝

2.      Depression affects your mood, but not your body.

True     ⃝                                            False    ⃝

3.      A person can suffer from depression at any age.

True     ⃝                                            False    ⃝

4.       Depression can be prevented.

True     ⃝                                            False    ⃝

5.      Talking to a doctor, friend or member of family helps to deal with depression.

True     ⃝                                            False    ⃝

World Healt Day - 7th April 2017 "Depression: Let’s talk"

Depression: Let’s talk

World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO, provides us with a unique opportunity to mobilize action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.

The theme of 2017 World Health Day campaign is depression.

Depression affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. It causes mental anguish and impacts on people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living. At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year old.

Yet, depression can be prevented and treated. A better understanding of what depression is, and how it can be prevented and treated, will help reduce the stigma associated with the condition, and lead to more people seeking help.