Meeting of state higher and technical education secretaries today

September 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Hoping to resume the stalled peace process and discuss "the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir", Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said Monday that he would meet his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao in New York Sep 26. The meeting of the two foreign secretaries will be followed by talks between India's External Affairs Minister S.M.

August 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - A conference of Secretaries of Administrative Reforms will be held here today. It will be inaugurated by Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

August 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will meet State Chief Secretaries here today to discuss the drought-like situation in the country.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Central Government is proposing to rationalize the parameters for the Mid-day Meal Scheme, as a step towards further benefiting the children covered under this scheme, according to Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Kapil Sibal. Inaugurating the conference of State Education Secretaries and Project Directors being held to review matters related to school education and literacy here today, Sibal said that while the mid-day scheme has been seen, through studies, to improve enrolment of children in school substantially, a rationalization of its parameters is now required.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - State governments must give up their "chalta hai" (laid-back) attitude to improve the quality of education to take India to new heights, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said here Thursday. The minister said there is up to 50 percent shortage of teachers in schools in various states.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday asked all the states to prepare a vision document within the next three months on the targets to be achieved in the higher education sector by 2020. "All state governments must prepare a vision document for higher education.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday asked all state governments to provide a detailed report of their objectives in the field of higher education by 2020 within a three month deadline. "In the next three months...each state must give its vision as to what it wishes to do by 2020 in the filed of higher education," he said at a conference here attended by higher education secretaries of states," Sibal said.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday said the government is considering setting up autonomous colleges independent of universities. Addressing a meeting of principal secretaries and secretaries of higher education from various states here, Sibal said: "The government is thinking in terms of allowing the setting up of autonomous colleges." The minister's day-long interaction with the officials was his first initiative to evolve a consensus of the states for reforms in the education sector.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Friday said the government was considering allowing new autonomous colleges to be set up independent of universities but with stringent quality parameters. Addressing a meeting of principal secretaries and secretaries of higher education from various states here, Sibal said: "The government is thinking in terms of allowing the setting up of autonomous colleges." Elaborating on his idea, Sibal told IANS: "Right now, there is no institution that starts as an autonomous college.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The University Grants Commission has allowed deemed universities to eliminate 'deemed' from their name, and identify themselves as universities, minister of state for higher education D Purandeswari on Tuesday said. Purandeswari told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the UGC has granted the use of term 'University' for such institutions.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI J - Union Human resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said here today that the recommendations given by the Prof Yashpal committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher education will be implemented in the first 100 days of the UPA Government. The committee was constituted in February 2008 to study the functioning of different agencies in higher education and to suggest measures to restructure the system.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Stating that the government was committed to improve and reform education standards in India, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday an apex panel on higher education will be formed soon. The autonomous National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which will encompass in itself the existing professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Medical Council of India and the AICTE, will be formed within the first 100 days of the new government, Sibal told reporters.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Saying the government was committed to improve education standards in India, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday a new apex panel on higher education will be formed soon. The National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which will encompass in itself the existing professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Medical Council of India and the AICTE, is likely to be formed within the first 100 days of the new government, Sibal told reporters.

June 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda on Wednesday stressed on the importance of a single regulatory body to decide matters pertaining to higher education. "I think in higher education what we really need is now some kind of a higher education commission, council, regulatory authority to create level playing field.

March 2nd, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will Monday expand his cabinet Monday by inducting six parliamentary secretaries. The six to be sworn in as parliamentary secretaries are Lavjibhai Rajani (Mederda, Saurashtra), Yogesh Patel (Vadodara), Surendrasinh Chauhan (Mehandabad), Jayadrat Parmar (Halol), Harshad Vasava and Ishvarbhai Thakor (Rajpipla), sources in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Gandhinagar said.