Aakash Emerges as Leading Offline to Online Players, Registering Tremendous Online Engagement Post Lockdown

 According to a recent study conducted by SimilarWeb, a global web analytics market intelligence firm, Aakash Educational Services Ltd. (AESL), the national leader in test preparation services, has emerged as one of the leading O2O (Offline to Online) players to chronicle remarkable online engagement as a major offline service provider. 

The report titled “Understanding the Impact of Coronavirus on E-learning”, released recently, took into consideration 35 top e-learning Indian websites to gauge the growth of ed-tech space over a period of one year. AESL website aakash.ac.in has featured in the Top Ten post lockdown performers in the last 28 days by registering a 2.96% share of online website traffic.  

Commenting on the findings of the report, Mr. Aakash Chaudhry, Director and CEO of Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), said: “We are proud to be recognized as one of the foremost O2O players to register a tremendous and significant online engagement post lockdown. We are the pioneers who predicted the need for digital learning and started tailoring courses according to the requirement of the students. Without ever compromising on the pedigree of learning while upholding the position of providing best educational services on both the offline and online platforms.” 

The SimilarWeb report finds that during the lockdown period, India has seen the maximum searches for online courses post lockdown, showing a realisation of upskill among others.  

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) 

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) provides comprehensive test preparatory services for students preparing for Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations, School/Board Exams and Competitive Exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and Olympiads. AESL believes that the “Aakash” brand is associated with quality coaching and a proven student selection track record in various Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations, Scholarship exams & Olympiads. 

With over 32 years of operational experience in the test preparatory industry, the company has a large number of selections in Medical & Engineering Entrance Exams and several Foundation level Scholarship exams/Olympiads, a pan India network of 200+ Aakash Centers (including franchisee), and a student count of more than 250,000. 

UV-C Devices, Launched by NCR-based Company, to Destroy Corona Virus Within Seconds

 Corona Virus

* Multiple products like UVC Baggage Conveyer, UVC Sterilizer Cabinets and UVC Room Sterilizers were launched to prevent surface-to-human virus transmission.

* The product takes approximately 5seconds to 10minutes for disinfection depending upon size of object & type of the product.

* Certified and approved by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and a 3rd party NABL Accredited lab.

The current pandemic is causing a major socio-economic shake-up in the country. Currently, India stands third in the highest number of cases through COVID-19. It is of utmost importance to find solutions to contain or at least mitigate the chances of serious outbreaks of virus especially when the country is slowly opening up. To cater to this need, Bright Beginings Pvt Ltd, a NCR based home-grown manufacturing set-up, has come up with some innovative UV-C sterilization devices to effectively inactivate the viruses within minutes from any inanimate object. The products are created with state-of-art-technology, easy to use, low maintenance and without any chemical, which disinfects frequently touched objects and personal items thus preventing surface-to-human transmission. The product has the UV LED as light source and it takes approximately 5 seconds to 10 minutes for disinfection depending on the size of the object and type of the product. All the products are designed and manufactured in India with in-house capabilities. This new range is another step in the company’s support to the government’s call towards “Make in India” and “Be Vocal for Local” for self-reliance.

Bright Beginings’ UV-C products have been certified by India’s top most university in Science Research – Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, for treating Corona Virus.  Also tested and certified by the third party NABL accredited lab for confirming time for curing.

The disinfection system can quickly and effectively disinfect objects of daily use in homes, such as fruits and vegetables, packaged food, keys, mobile phones, stationery, laptops, and baby products. The UV-C exposure on fruits and vegetables also extends their shelf-life, keeping them fresh for longer periods. The range comes in three variants and would be available on leading e-commerce platforms.

Bright Beginings Pvt Ltd’s UV-C products are:

v UVC Baggage Conveyor for the commercial establishment like malls, hospitals, airports etc. The working mechanism of the product is as under:

·         Luggage is placed on the Loading Section of the Conveyor

·         Luggage enters into UVC Chamber.

·         Sterilisation process takes 5 seconds.

·         Sterilised luggage gets pushed to the Unloading Section of the Conveyor.

UVC STERCAB and UVC MINI-STERCAB are compact Ultraviolet Storage Cabinets that are capable of sterilizing office files, courier packets, laptops and other electronic gadgets.

* UVC ROOM STERILIZER sterilize bigger areas like rooms, hospitals, hotels, airports etc. with 360° coverage of the area.

Commenting on the launch, Mr.Arvind Raghav, CEO, Bright Beginings, said “Our products have been tested for their disinfection efficacy by the leading institutions. UV-C radiation technology is renowned globally for being the safest and most effective in terms of disinfecting surfaces to prevent transmission of multiple viruses including corona viruses. We believe hygiene will be the new frontier in the new normal as a sector and being a start-up, we are focusing on offering cost effective range of products to our customers. The products are largely indigenous, except the UV-C LEDs, which we are currently importing from a leading South Korean company, that has a lot of patents in UV Technology and is a pioneer in LED technology. Progressively, we will also become Aatmanirbhar to serve the nation.” Further UVC LEDs are 25% more effective in Germicidal Lighting than UVC tubes.

About Bright Beginings:

Bright Beginnings is an ISO 9001 certified organisation manufacturing high-tech electronic equipment. They are a team of tech enthusiasts who wanted to utilise the industry experience and knowledge in creating state-of-the-art technology products. Their USP is the perfect blend of technology with ultimate user satisfaction. The products are made according to the precise requirement of the clients and are highly appreciated for their reliability, durability, cost-effectiveness and efficiency. They manufacture Mobile Phones, Chargers, Power Banks, Bluetooth Speakers, Earphones, Infrared Thermometers, Oximeters and UV-C sterilisers.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Signs Strategic MoU with TechGig to Power Online Assessments for Faculty and Students

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has recently collaborated with TechGig Assess Online – a cutting edge assessment platform – to facilitate its academic assessments. TechGig is India’s one of the largest technology community and is a part of India’s leading digital media conglomerate – the Times Internet Ltd.

Both JNU and TechGig have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to corroborate this alliance. JNU hosted a workshop on 10th August, 2020 for its faculty members to announce this partnership followed by a hands-on demonstration of the platform by the TechGig’s team.

Online is becoming the preferred medium to ensure learning and education continuity amid the COVID-19 situation. In such a scenario, this new-age talent assessment has been developed by team TechGig indigenously, keeping the Indian education scenario in mind.

While inaugurating the digital platform, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, JNU expressed his optimism that Assess Online will be a big boon for students residing in the far-flung areas of the county. “We were concerned about the future of the students – specially the terminal students. These students need to complete their exams so that they can continue with their higher education or apply for jobs, thereafter. This is where online assessment platforms come very handy. At JNU we have a ‘continuous evaluation’ system and I hope that Assess Online will be much help there”. Its noteworthy that JNU was the first higher education institute to introduce remote ‘viva’ for its students, which helped many to take exams from their respective locations, without worrying about visiting campus for just one exam day.

Talking about the partnership with JNU, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “We are thrilled to partner with one of India’s most reputable educational institute. Assess Online is India’s very own platform designed specifically to eliminate the struggles of Indian school/colleges teachers and students. It has advanced plagiarism detectors and remote proctoring measures to ensure a fair assessment. I am hopeful that JNU’s faculty and students will find it immensely helpful.” He also informed that Assess Online is already being used in 25+ colleges and 35+ schools pan-India. About 57,000+ assessments have been created and facilitated on Assess Online.

Assess Online is an easy-to-use platform that lets the teachers create the desired assessments using multiple tools. Its ‘auto-evaluation’ reviews students’ performance automatically, offering a lot of time for teachers to focus on enriched learning.

JNU plans to train its faculty members as well as the students through series of training programs to equip them well with state-of-the-art technological knowledge to enable them to deal with the present pandemic situation.

Edtech Superapp Ken42’s StartNXT Ideathon Records Over 13,000 Registrations Since Launch

Within less than a month of launch of its StartNXT Ideathon programme, Edtech Superapp Ken42 has recorded over 13,000 registrations from students of leading universities across the country. The company announced the launch for the startup acceleration programme in the beginning of July itself, inviting students to submit their innovative ideas and has received an overwhelming response for the same. The Ideathon will be conducted in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with support from multiple corporate giants.

Over 30 universities have participated across the country with leading names including IIT Kanpur, Indian School of Business (ISB), IIT Delhi, St. Xaviers Kolkata, Vellore Institute of technology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, National Institute of Technology Delhi, IIMT College of Engineering, BITS Pilani, IIT Bhubaneshwar, IIT Varanasi, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra Ranchi, IIT Jammu. 

The entries also include international institutions like RMIT University Melbourne and James Cook University Singapore International Campus. 

Talking about the programme, Ganesh Raju, Founder & CEO, Ken42 said “We are delighted to receive such an overwhelming response from leading institutions across different cities in India. The core purpose for kickstarting this 6-month acceleration programme was to provide a solid impetus to generate a new wave of future-ready leaders. However, we are hoping to double the amount of entries received so far by the end of the registration period, with more students to share their ground-breaking ideas.”  

The purpose of the StartNXT Ideathon is to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship in India. After idea submission, refinement, solution generation and evaluation, pitching and assessments, the most impactful ideas will be recognised with cash prizes and assistance in building a company.

Ken42 is awarding the Top 3 winners with funding up to INR 2 crores each, and INR 10 lakh each to the runners-up as well, along with internship opportunities with leading startups and firms. Students will also have access to one-on-one mentor sessions with noteworthy Turbostart advisories where they will receive guidance from industry experts.

Registrations for the StartNXT Ideathon close on 31st August- Sign up here to submit your revolutionary ideas and kickstart your entrepreneurial journey!

About Ken42:  

Ken42 is a complete education ecosystem that revolutionizes how administrators manage their institutions, faculty imparts learning, and how students gain academic and real-world knowledge and skills. Designed to support students at every stage of their crucial learning years, from Class 6 through 12 in its offering for schools, and from standard 12 through higher education and placements, Ken42 is strongly differentiated from other learning management platforms.

Conceptualized by serial entrepreneur Ganesh Raju in October 2019, Ken42 also enables online classroom and exams, certificate courses from universities around the world, and opportunities for personal growth in the form of interview preparation, public speaking and professional skills.   

Backed by Turbostart, a bi-yearly programme for early-stage startups that aspire to be part of a unified and encouraging startup ecosystem, Ken42 occupies a unique position as mentors to the startup ecosystem with a focus on ed-tech. It boasts a series of strategic alliances as well as long-standing relationships with premier educational institutions and governmental organizations, enabling it to create a solution that is not just cutting edge with unmatched user experience but closely aligned to educational policy and change.   

With its one-of-a-kind integrated platform, Ken 42 is set to disrupt both universities and the K12 edtech industry by ensuring maximum student success, without the need of managing multiple platforms.  

Covestro and Google Cooperate on Research for Novel Computer Technology

Benefits

* How Quantum Computing Can Benefit Chemistry

* Milestone in digital research and development

* Expand innovation leadership with quantum computing

Significantly less time, less use of resources, more efficient and environmentally friendly processes, completely new materials – this is the future potential of the novel technology Quantum Computing in research and development for the chemical industry. In order to achieve long-term innovation leadership in this still developing field of digital chemistry, Covestro builds up resources and expands partnerships. With so-called quantum computing, the materials manufacturer is going one step further to investigate new possibilities in the field of chemical simulations. Therefore, Covestro and Google have signed a research partnership agreement. The current research focuses on the development of fundamental algorithms, while the future vision is to solve certain complex simulations in a fraction of the time compared to classical computers.

“Quantum computing opens up groundbreaking new perspectives for our industry. We therefore want to invest specifically in the further development of this technology and build up expertise”, said Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Covestro. “The partnership with Google gives us the opportunity to do so and is so far unique in the chemical industry.”

Quantum Computing opens up new dimensions

Covestro has already been investing extensively in digital research and development for around three years. The novel quantum computing is another important milestone in the search for new, digitized research processes. This forward-looking computer technology is the key to knowledge that is needed, for example, to successfully advance the circular economy. With the help of quantum computing, details of highly complex chemical reaction processes can be digitally simulated and evaluated in a very short time.

Hartmut Neven, head of the Google AI Quantum group states: “We are advancing quantum computing by developing quantum processors and novel quantum algorithms to help industry researcher partners solve problems. We are looking forward to the collaboration with the very strong team of scientists at Covestro.”

Quantum computing will help Google to develop the innovations of tomorrow, including AI. That’s why the company is committed to building dedicated quantum hardware and software today.

Quantum computing is a new paradigm that will play a big role in accelerating tasks for new computing capabilities. Google wants to offer researchers and developers access to open source frameworks and computing power that can operate beyond classical capabilities.

With quantum computing, Covestro intends to build on the success of previous investments and further deepen its global competencies in computational chemistry. In the long term, the technology can go far beyond the possibilities of high-performance computing. With the expansion of a classic high-performance computer at the Leverkusen site for computer simulations and a new, global platform for research data for more than a year, Covestro has been tapping into the value-added potential that the digital transformation of the chemical industry is opening up.

20200702-Covestro-Google-Quantum-en

Covestro and Google cooperate on research how quantum computing can benefit chemistry

Access to technology and know-how

The partnership on quantum computing between Google and Covestro forms the basis for joint scientific cooperation. The main goal is the further development of quantum computing technology and how it can be used to solve chemical problems in the future. Google provides the hardware and access to its technology experts. Thus, Covestro takes a pioneering role in digital research and development to test and further develop the new methods of quantum computing for the chemical industry.

About Covestro:

With 2019 sales of EUR 12.4 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 17,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2019.

Signify Invests to Broaden its UV-C Lighting Portfolio to Meet the Growing Demand for Disinfection

Expands Portfolio

* Launches 12 families of UV-C-based products for professional markets

* Acquires GLA to complement its portfolio with luminaires for upper-room air disinfection

* Increases its UV-C light source production capacity by a factor 8 this year

Signify, the world leader in lighting, is increasing its UV-C lighting production capacity and expanding its UV-C product portfolio to include 12 new families of UV-C based products for the professional segment. The company is leveraging more than 35 years of expertise in UV-C lighting to address the growing global need for the disinfection of air, surfaces and objects.

By increasing capacity and broadening the UV-C portfolio, Signify is helping keep people safe in a world that’s adjusting to a new normal. Its UV-C lighting is well-proven and trusted as an effective disinfectant. This was recently validated in a laboratory test by Boston University, showing that Signify’s UV-C light sources inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19 in a matter of seconds. This is crucial as it comes at a time when organizations are seeking ways to continue operations and provide service in a safe environment.

Signify’s new UV-C product range includes luminaires and chambers for a wide variety of professional applications. “We have introduced 12 families of UV-C lighting fixtures specifically designed to disinfect air, surfaces and objects. These products target different customer segments ranging from offices, schools, gyms, retail stores, warehouses, as well as on public transport,” said Harsh Chitale, Leader of Signify’s Digital Solutions Division.

“The ongoing pandemic is unprecedented in its scale and impact on society and impacts millions of lives across the globe. With our latest UV-C product range that has been validated to effectively inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19, we hope to contain the spread of this virus in India. The new UV-C lighting fixtures are designed for use in various aspects of public life as people begin to step out again and return to their workplaces. We are actively working towards creating solutions for home consumers as well.” said Sumit Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Signify Innovations India Limited.

Part of the range are UV-C fixtures which are ideal for the deep disinfection of surfaces in offices, schools and restrooms. They are equipped with sensors and controls to ensure that they only operate when people and animals aren’t present as UV-C radiations can damage the skin and eyes. Other products include mobile, freestanding UV-C luminaires that can be wheeled into a hotel room or used to disinfect surfaces on public transport such as buses and trains.

For the disinfection of objects, Signify launches a range of safe and quick-to-use UV-C disinfection chambers. These chambers are used in offices and municipal buildings to disinfect visitor tags, phones, bags, laptops and wallets in a matter of seconds. In stores they’re ideal for disinfecting returned items, glasses or clothes tried on in a changing room.

UV-C fixtures can also be used inside surface disinfection tunnels. In North America a large retailer is piloting a UV-C tunnel for disinfecting shopping trolleys. In India, a hotel plans to use a Signify UV-C tunnel for disinfecting guests’ bags at check-in.

To complement its portfolio, Signify recently acquired the assets of Germicidal Lamps & Applications (GLA), a small, Netherlands-based company with extensive expertise in UV-C disinfection solutions. The deal includes GLA’s upper-room UV-C air disinfection portfolio as well as deep application knowledge. 

“The assets and know-how acquired from GLA will help us to accelerate the development of our roadmap of UV-C based upper-room air disinfection systems. We plan to make these products available across the world soon,” said Paul Peeters, Leader of Signify’s Digital Solutions Europe.

The upper-room air disinfection luminaires can be used with people in the room, as they are installed at a height which, in combination with shielding and optics, prevents exposure to the UV-C light source. Air in the upper part of the room is constantly disinfected using UV-C irradiation and natural convection of airflow in the room. This makes these perfect for use in schools, offices, gyms, retail outlets and other high-contact areas

For more than 35 years, Signify has been at the forefront of UV technology, and has a proven track record of innovation in UV-C lighting. Signify’s UV-C lighting is designed, installed, and used according to the product-specific safety instructions, and manufactured using well-controlled industrial processes.

MIT World Peace University Commences a 4 – Day Conference on Eradication of Biological and Chemical Weapons

MIT World Peace University which is one of India’s leading education institute, announced the inauguration of a 4 -Day International virtual Conference on a burning issue which is Eradication of biological and chemical weapons. 

MIT World Peace University which staunchly believes in undertaking initiatives that aid in World Peace has consciously decided to spread awareness through this conference.  The conference aims to bring together all the nations together to build a mechanism to end the threat of bio warfare by establishing a legal discourse towards curbing research and development of such weapons. 

Relevant to the current times where the global pandemic COVID has shaken the world with its severe effects and continues to threaten countries even with medical advanced technology.  There have been multiple speculations which have been raised regarding the origin of the virus, some claiming it to be a trigger for a biological warfare.  Biological Weapons Convention and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which are the two important bodies which are tasked to getting rid of weapons of mass destruction, unfortunately do not hold an authority to abolish any decision. 

The four-day conference will witness eminent stalwarts from various fields deliberating discussing and sharing their expertise on different aspects of bio warfare and to jointly contribute towards creating a legal framework.  Some of the prominent personalities include by UNESCO Chair Holder Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad - Founder President, MIT World Peace University, Founder Executive President, WPC, MAEER’s MIT Group of Institutions, Hon’ble Justice K. G. Balakrishnan - Former Chief Justice of India, Former Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC),  Hon’ble Dr. Rajendra Singh - Well Known Water Conservationist (Waterman of India) & Chairman, Tarun Bharat Sangh, Hon’ble GVV Sarma, , IAS, Member secretary , National disaster management authority Government of India ,Hon’ble, Dr.A. Velumani - Founder, Chairman and Managing Director, Thyrocare Technologies Ltd. & Former Scientist, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Founder and Managing Director, Nuclear Healthcare Ltd. (NHL), Hon’ble Shri. Arif Mohammed Khan - Hon'ble Governor of Kerala, Former Cabinet Minister, Energy and Civil Aviation, Govt. of India, Hon’ble Prof. Dr. Atanu Basu - Director Grade Scientist G, ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Department of Health Research, Min of Health & FW, Govt of India & Adjunct Professor, School of Life Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi. The conference comprises of a marathon of diverse sessions focusing on various facets of the Bio/Chem warfare.

During the inaugural ceremony Rahul V. Karad, Vice President – MAEER’s MIT Group, Executive President –MIT WPU, founder – BCS, MITSOG, NTC, NWP, Sarpanch Sandsad said “There is a pressing need to create a global voice for all nations to work in harmony in order to develop human safety. Through this conference our agenda is to bring together all the nations under one umbrella to evolve a mechanism to eradicate bio/ chemical – weapons and also to establish a legal discourse towards the restriction of the research and development of bio-chem warfare”.

Speaking on the inaugural ceremony Dr. N T Rao, Vice chancellor, MIT-WPU said “In this International Conference various intellectual minds have come together to make an appeal to the United Nations to destroy this impending threat caused by chemical and biological weapons. At MIT WPU, believers of world peace collectively speak, deliberate and come to a conclusion and pass the resolution for the betterment of the world “.

Speaking on the occasion Pravin V Patil, CEO, Centre for Industry – Academia Partnership, MIT- WPU said “We are truly overwhelmed to see the support and response from the people, till now we have had over 5000 registrations across the globe.  We are glad to organize this International conference as it is a platform bringing together global spokespeople to discuss the gravity of Bio warfare”.

Through this conference an effort will be made to awaken the youth globally to the dangers of such bio-hazards, which should be condemned with an intent of consolidating the message of ‘safe and secure mankind’.  The conference will also focus on the need to address the issue of preparedness for future so that we can safeguard ourselves against such global adversities.

For further details on the international conference and registration do log on to www.ebcw2020.com 

Signify, Boston University Validate Effectiveness of Signify’s UV-C Light Sources on Inactivating the Virus that Causes COVID-19

Highlights

* Test results show that the virus could no longer be detected after seconds of exposure

* Signify to make its UV-C lighting technology widely available to other lighting companies

* Signify has been at the forefront of UV technology for more than 35 years

Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, together with the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL)[1] at Boston University in the US have conducted research that validates the effectiveness of Signify’s UV-C light sources on the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Since the start of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, Dr. Anthony Griffiths, Associate Professor of Microbiology at Boston University School of Medicine and his team have been working on developing tools to support scientific advancement in this field.[2] During their research they have treated inoculated material with different doses of UV-C radiation coming from a Signify light source and assessed the inactivation capacity under various conditions. The team applied a dose of 5mJ/cm2, resulting in a reduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus of 99% in 6 seconds. Based on the data, it was determined that a dose of 22mJ/cm2 will result in a reduction of 99.9999% in 25 seconds.[3]

“Our test results show that above a specific dose of UV-C radiation, viruses were completely inactivated: in a matter of seconds we could no longer detect any virus,” said Dr. Anthony Griffiths. “We’re very excited about these findings and hope that this will accelerate the development of products that can help limit the spread of COVID-19.”

Signify is the leader in UV-C light sources and has been at the forefront of UV technology for more than 35 years. It has a proven track record of innovation in UV-C lighting, which is designed, manufactured and installed in line with the highest safety standards.

“I’m very happy about the fruitful cooperation with Boston University in the fight against the coronavirus. Boston University has validated the effectiveness of our light sources as a preventive measure for companies and institutions as they seek ways to provide virus-free environments,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify. “Given the potential of the technology to aid the fight against the coronavirus, Signify will not keep the technology for its exclusive use but make it available to other lighting companies. To service the growing need for disinfection we will increase our production capacity multifold in the coming months.”

Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh Appointed As The New Vice Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Manipal Academy of Higher Education, one of India’s leading group of Educational institutes has announced the appointment of Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh as the new Vice Chancellor. Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, an outstanding educator and currently the Vice-Chancellor of Sikkim-Manipal University, will be the new Vice-Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), the deemed university and an Institution of Eminence. He will take over charge on July 1, 2020 from Dr Vinod Bhat who has successfully completed his tenure. Dr. Vinod Bhat will be taking over a new role as Executive Vice President from July 1, 2020.

According to the announcement made by Chancellor Dr Ramdas Pai, MAHE, “ The search committee, meant to select the Vice-Chancellor has finalized Lt Gen (Dr) Venkatesh’s name, who has significantly contributed to the field of education, being the Vice-Chancellor of Sikkim-Manipal University since June, 2017 and earlier as the Academic Dean in the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune. We extend a warm welcome to Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh and wish him good luck for his new role. I would also like to thank the outgoing Vice Chancellor Dr. Vinod Bhat for his immense contributions, especially in raising MAHE to the status of Institution of Eminence, recognized by Ministry of Human Resources Development, in setting up more than 100 research centres in the varsity and improving MAHE’s position in global ranking. The incoming Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (Dr) Venkatesh, who is completing his tenure in Sikkim-Manipal University, has significantly contributed to the improvements in infrastructure, academic processes, and IT infrastructure of SMU. He has been able to bring research and publication into sharp focus and SMU has seen a remarkable upswing in the number of projects and publications.’

Lt Gen. (Dr) Venkatesh graduated from Mysore Medical College in 1978 with an exceptional academic record and was commissioned in Army Medical Corps in 1979. He acquired his MS (ENT) from Mumbai University in 1986 and has been an outstanding ENT Surgeon. He has also undergone training in Cochlear Implantation and Neurotology in India and abroad and is among the earliest Cochlear implant surgeons of the country. Lt Gen (Dr) Venkatesh has trained generations of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune. Over the years, he held several senior academic positions in AFMC including the deanship. He was also a founder faculty of the department of Medical Education Technology at AFMC.

Lt. Gen. (Dr) Venkatesh has served the armed forces for 38 years, during which, besides academics, he has also held numerous administrative positions and is credited with many achievements. He was instrumental in instituting the “on-line admission process” for UG, PG and Post-Doctoral admissions in the Armed Forces Training Institutions that ensured total transparency and efficiency in the system. His pursuit of quality was recognized by NAAC in accrediting AFMC with a CGPA of 3.66 out of 4 in March 2015. He was also the head of the premier training establishment of AMC that provides training to all para medical personnel of AMC and medical officers of AFMC. He has also been on various committees of MCI, NBE, ICMR and MOH & FW.  He is an assessor of NAAC as well.

Obama names Indian American Kundra as infotech czar

US President Barack Obama Thursday named Vivek Kundra, a 34-year-old Indian American, as the federal chief information officer (CIO) at the White House to advance the administration's technology agenda.

"Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position," Obama said.

"I have directed him to work to ensure that we are using the spirit of American innovation and the power of technology to improve performance and lower the cost of government operations," he said.

"As Chief Information Officer (CIO), he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible."

A White House announcement noted the CIO directs the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments and is responsible for oversight of federal technology spending.

The Federal CIO establishes and oversees enterprise architecture to ensure system interoperability and information sharing and ensure information security and privacy across the federal government.

The CIO will also work closely with the chief technology officer to advance the president's technology agenda, it said.

New Delhi-born Kundra formerly served in Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's cabinet as the chief technology officer (CTO) for the capital city, responsible for technology operations and strategy for 86 agencies.

He has been recognised among the top 25 CTOs in the US and as the 2008 IT Executive of the Year for his pioneering work to drive transparency, engage citizens and lower the cost of government operations.

Kundra is also recognised for his leadership in public safety communications, cyber security and IT portfolio management.

Before Kundra came to the capital, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine appointed him assistant secretary of commerce and technology, the first dual cabinet role in the state's history.

Kundra's diverse record also includes technology and public policy experience in private industry and academia. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and holds an MS in information technology from the University of Maryland.

Agencies