Small towns fuel online education boom

Market set to double in five years

Priyanka Golikeri l Bangalore

A growing demand for education from smaller towns is giving a big impetus to the domestic online education market. With access to computers increasing day by day, people from smaller towns such Ranaghat, Sardar Sahar, Tonk and Talipramba that have populations from some thousands to a few lakh are looking for online tools to update themselves and get access to certificate courses and degrees. This is set to double India’s online education market to $40 billion by 2017 from the present $20 billion, according to industry estimates. Take an example of Manju, a 22-year-old history graduate from Gulbarga, Karnataka, who is a history graduate is currently undergoing an online course in retail management and would even take her exams online. A dearth of institutes offering diverse courses in her region has prompted her to take up the e-course, which will fetch her a certificate from the Retailers Association of India. Her school-going sister, too, regularly uses online tools to understand concepts in physics and math. Experts say like the metros, the demand for online education is galloping each day in places such as Chiplun (Maharashtra), Hissar (Haryana), Kannur (Kerala) and Churu (Rajasthan). The proliferation of computers is also fuelling the trend. The sale of personal computers rose 16% in financial year 2011-12, compared to the previous year, as per data by the Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT). About 10.8 million units of desktop computers, notebooks and netbooks were sold during April 2011-March 2012. Pavan Chauhan, MD of online education firm Meritnation, said the demand comes not just for higher education, but also from school students. “Students from kindergarten to class 12 (K-12) express a need for assessment modules and animation videos to understand concepts in various subjects. They see online education as something which supplements formal education,” said Chauhan. Meritnation has about 33-34 lakh students registered from ICSE and CBSE boards in the K-12 domain, with nearly half hailing from small towns. Edukart, which operates in the higher education space of e-learning, has tapped about 7,000 people since its inception November last year. “There is a strong demand from working professionals, housewives and people who could not attend formal institutes,” said Ishan Gupta, CEO of Edukart. Edukart currently offers courses in retail, computers, etc, through its tie-ups with the RAI and Computer Society of India. Gupta said the firm would branch out into areas such as hospitality, telecom and energy soon. “We are looking at tapping 30,000-40,000 people in the next two years,” said Gupta. While Meritnation would restrict its focus to K-12 in the near future, Chauhan said Edukart aims to reach out to one crore school children in the next few years.

Source:::: DNA, 04-10-2012, p.14. http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=14&edcode=820009&eddate=2012-10-04

US Univs. to Open Centre in city to clear pupils’ doubts

Shreya Bhandary TNN 

Mumbai: Over 200 US universities have got together to start a centre in Mumbai to redress queries of students. The centre will be inaugurated at Jamnabai Narsee school, JVPD on Friday. 
    The increasing number of complaints by students and parents about touts seems to have prompted the move. Narsee Monjee Educational Trust (NMET) has joined hands with the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to set up Narsee Monjee Centre for Excellence (NMCE). “The aim behind setting up the centre was to eliminate the role of agents who dupe people and misguide about universities and other procedures,” said Kanika Choudhary, honorary ambassador of Philadelphia to India. The NMCE will function from an office set up at Jamnabai Narsee school. 
    Apart from information about various courses offered by over 200 universities in the state of Penn sylvania, students will also get a chance to interact with the head’s of institutes to clear their doubts. 
    “We have hired a counsellor who will help students at our centre. Students can apply for an appointment and all their queries will be addressed,” said Sujay Jairaj, NMET trustee. 
    “The centre has been set up on a no-profit-no-loss basis and students will get all the information for a minimum fee. Agents have their own vested interests but we have no such bias,” he added. 
    Soon, certificate courses for interested applicants will commence. “We will also look at various programmes to improve the education system,” he said. 

Education Matters  

T he centre will offer students information about hostels,apartments, rentals and transportation. “Students can also check the best location to stay, while completing their education,” said Kanika Choudhary, ambassador of Philadelphia. Log on www.nmce.ac.in for details.


Source:::: The Times of India, 19-09-2012,  p.11.  http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

Govt raises income ceiling for poor in higher education 

    In a decision that will benefit 8.21 lakh students, the state cabinet has increased the income ceiling for economically backward class (EBC) students applying for reimbursement and fee waiver for higher education. The limit has been increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh per annum. Since 1960, in a bid to encourage higher studies among people belonging to low-income sections, the state government has followed the practice of reimbursing or waiving admission, tuition, library and similar fees. The ceiling was last revised in 1997, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said. The decision to increase the ceiling will cost the state exchequer Rs 8.93 crore.


SOURCE::: The Times of India, 17-05-2012, p.02. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1337232548171