UN's cluster development programme on at EDI Tuesday, November 27, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Cluster development methodology is fast becoming a popular mode of ensuring growth among small-scale enterprises (SSEs) in the country faced with common opportunities and threats. "We are over-subscribed this time and there was an intense clamour to register for the programme," says Anita Das, expert from United Nations Industrial Development Programme (UNIDO).
Das was here in connection with the training programme for cluster development agents (CDA) at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India.
She said the CDA programme was getting popular among institutions as post-programme studies after training the first batch revealed encouraging qualitative results among the clusters. This year about 35 participants are taking part in the programme, representing state governments, industrial associations and NGOs.
"The programme is designed to equip field functionaries to change the approach of a particular cluster to eliminate mistrust and negative competition inside the cluster to ensure better results," Das said.
Citing the case of a floor rug-making cluster in Tonk district of Rajasthan, she said, "The intervention of CDA changed the mind-set of the cluster, thereby increasing its productivity. The cluster was able to fetch an export order of Rs 3.5 lakh, which was not possible for any individual artisan of the same cluster."
"The concept has proved helpful in building local capabilities, competence building, public-private partnerships, skill upgradation, technological development and a host of other aspects necessary for the growth of a cluster," said Mukesh Gulati, focal point manager, UNIDO cluster programme.
The cluster development programme which started in Italy in 1970 against a large investment model was later followed by many developed nations. UNIDO replicated the cluster development programme in Latin American countries in 1993, while the concept came to India in 1996.
There are an estimated 350 modern SSEs and 2,000 rural and artisan-based clusters in India contributing up to 60 per cent of the country's manufactured exports.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
PG students sulk as exam branch delays reasessment Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Second year PG students of Gujarat University are cursing the authorities for not completing the reassessment of April examination papers. They have been frequently visiting the University main office for the result, but only to go back empty-handed.
"I can't imagine that it takes over six months to reassess a paper," says a distressed commerce student who wanted to apply for a doctoral course in Australia. "Because they failed me in one paper, I dropped the idea of applying this year. But if they are going to take so long, I cannot apply next year, either."
Approximately 1,300 reassessment cases are pending, all of them in the PG courses. Controller of examinations Satish Bhatt, however, says that they receive 7,000 reassessment applications every year. This year, the number was 7,500. "We cleared most of them before the October exams where failed students attempt the second time," he says. "The pending applications will be cleared soon. These students need not worry as they will have to reappear only in April."
Bhatt's problems run deeper. He conducts examinations for three lakh students and the examination branch has only 37 full-time employees, three times less than the norm.
Ironically, they had 100 employees when Bhatt took charge six years back. There were only two lakh students then and they conducted only 208 examinations in a year. In comparison, today they conduct 340 examinations for three lakh students.
In the past few years, many new professional courses have been added. In the law faculty alone, 11 new subjects have been added raising the number of papers to 28.
Bhatt has been urging authorities that he be allowed to increase the staff or computerise many sections. "A huge burden would be taken off if the issue of eligibility certificates is computerised," That he adds would benefit students, too, as they could get the certificate in a day. Even the fees payment can be computerised."
Officials in the administrative wing, however, say that like all other universities, the government has allowed them to fill up 50 per cent of the vacancies. For 92 posts they have advertised, replies had come and they hope to complete the process soon.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Call centre industry to employ 2 million people Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: The call centre industry is one of the most promising segments of the IT industry and is likely to employ 2 million people in India in the next few years, said G Hariharan, president of Call Centre Association of India. He was speaking at the National Seminar on Opportunities in IT enabled services (ITES) _ Call Centre (An opportunity for Gujarat) held here.
The one-day seminar was organised by Gujarat Electronics and Software Industries Association (GESIA) in association with Gujarat Informatics Ltd. and GNFC IT division, at AMA. "The seminar would surely help us bring vitality into the market potential of call centres in the state says Rajan Vasa, President GESIA.
Neeta Shah of Gujarat Informatics Ltd. made the delegates aware of the incentives and encouragement offered by the Gujarat State for IT enabled services. J S Kochar, Head, IT Division of GNFC informing the delegates of the excellent call centre infrastructure facilities that the GNFC InfoTower situated in Ahmedabad has established, explained why
It has been able to host successfully two major call centres of the state.
Sharing a case study of the recent WTC attacks and the resultant operations at their call centre, Kaushal Mehta of Motif India Infotech informed the delegates that "while the WTC events unfolded in New York, Motif agents were working 16 hours a day _ in back-to-back shifts, supporting the customers with the booking and cancellations for an on-line travel company based in US".
The speakers, drawn from different organisations related to the call centre industry, covered various aspects of this fast growing industry. The seminar had speakers from Reliance Infocom, Tata Telecom, Zenta Techno, Arthur Anderson and Karrox Technologies covering various aspects like bandwidth management technologies, capital needs and investment requisites.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Several addl collectors transfered Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: The state government, on Monday, transferred over a dozen officials of additional collector rank. Additional collector, Santalpur, V M Thakkar, was posted as secretary, Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board, Gandhinagar .
Ex-additional collector of Morbi N U Dhashondi, presently waiting for posting, were placed at the disposal of the panchayats, rural housing and rural development department for appointment as director, State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Junagadh, relieving A V Kalaria of the additional charge of that post.
Additional district development officer of Bhachau K B Bhatt is transferred and Additional Collector (Co-ordination), revenue department, Gandhinagar relieving Mrs J P Devangan of the additional charge of that post.
Ms U D Patel, additional district development officer, Patdi is transferred as additional collector (Co-ordination), Ahmedabad relieving Manorama V Bhagar of the additional charge.
Additional collector J B Vora, Malia-Miyana is transferred as Additional Collector (Co-ordination), Surat.
The services of ex-Additional DDO, Morbi, M J Thakkar , presently waiting for posting are placed at the disposal of the Labour and Employment Department for appointment on the ex-cadre post of the Welfare Commissioner, Gujarat Labour Welfare Board, Ahmedabad.
N R Pandya, additional collector of Sami to Narmada, Water Resources and Water Supply Department as additional collector, Irrigation (North and Central Gujarat), Gandhinagar. He goes in place of additional collector (irrigation) B N Damor who has been posted as additional collector (co-ordination), Panchamahals (Godhra).
The additional collector of Mundra G M Damor is transferred as additional collector (co-ordination), Sabarkantha (Himmatnagar) relieving R K Parmar of the additional charge of that post.
Additional DDO, A K Ansari, Jodia, who is holding the additional charge of the post of additional collector, Jamnagar, is now additional collector (co-ordination), Jamnagar to be in the full-fledged charge of that post.
Additional DDO, Mundra, J C Chudasama is transferred as additional collector (co-ordination), Valsad relieving D H Rahevar of the additional charge of that post.
Additional collector of Wankaner A N Shaikh is transferred and his services are placed at the disposal of the Industries and Mines Department for appointment on the ex-cadre post of general manager (personnel), Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation, Ahmedabad.
Additional DDO ,Daskroi, Ahmedabad, Ms Manorama V. Bhagat is transferred and her services are placed at the disposal of the social justice and empowerment department for appointment on the ex-cadre post of managing director, Gujarat Women Economic Development Corporation, Gandhinagar.
P K Raval will be Additional Collector (Co-ordination), Rajkot, relieving K M Bhimajiyani of the additional charge of that post.
The services of J M Luni, is additional collector (co-ordination), Banaskantha (Palanpur) relieving M B Patel of the additional charge of that post.
Deputy Collector (N.A.), Ahmedabad, R G Trivedi, is transferred to Kheda as Additional Collector (Coordination) relieving U N Vyas of the additional charge of that post.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Trust gets latest MRI tech to city Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: The city will soon be able to benefit from the latest Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology in a number of very complex medical applications. The latest model of MRI has been brought here by city-based Paramount Charity Trust which will provide the facility at subsidised rates.
The trust, which had also brought the first CT Scan facility to Vadodara, will ask doctors to prescribe the amount of subsidy depending on the financial condition of the patient. The new machine to be installed is a 'superconductor' (1.0 tesla) machine.
"This machine will be the first in the state. Patients will have to pay according to the doctors' recommendations," said Samirt Tuli of the trust.
"There is always a heavy rush for CT scans and spiral CT scans. This new model will not only make available this facility to the city, it will also help diagnosis in the growing number of patients here. The rush can be gauged by the fact that our centre alone gets about 450 patients every month," Tuli said.
The trust upgraded the CT scan to a spiral CT scanner in 1999, and has now invested Rs 3.5 crore to establish the Super Con (1.0 tesla) MRI scanner.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
