Resources

Sapna Tour & Travels

2009-10-31T04:29:00.001-07:00

The fact National Geographic has suggested North East India as one of the must
see destinations in the world. And We the Sapna Tour & Travels and the approved private agent for promoting North East India package tours throughout North East India. We are leading the way in setting new standards in the North East India Tourism Industry.

More details - http://www.sapnatourandtravels.com/

2008-11-18T00:46:00.002-08:00

Even fewer women executives at the top
Article From: CareerOne.com.au

Macarthur Coal Limited's Nicole Hollows is one of only four female CEOs. Photo: Stuart McEvoy.
Related Links
What women want at work
By: Kate Southam, Editor
October 28, 2008
Article Highlights:> Senior women fall below 2004 numbers > Male business culture still dominates
THE glass ceiling is still firmly in place in Australia with the number of women making it to the most senior ranks of our leading companies on the decline.
According to the newly released Australian Census of Women in Leadership, female representation within the top 200 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange has fallen below 2004 levels.
The census is carried out by Macquarie University every two years on behalf of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.
The 2008 Census is the fifth and was carried out in February this year when women filled just 182 of the 1,700 executive positions surveyed or 10.7 per cent of senior roles. This compares with 12 per cent in 2006 and 11.4 per cent in 2004.
In February, only four companies were headed by female CEOs and the boards of four companies were chaired by women. Women also held 8.3 per cent of board directorships - a slight decline on 8.7 per cent in 2006.
EOWA Director Anna McPhee said Australia now trailed behind Canada, the UK, US and South Africa in its promotion of female business talent. At the time of the 2006 Census, Australia was only behind the US.
Ms McPhee said young women were holding their own or even out performing their male counterparts at school and university level so the issues were in the workplace.
According to the EOWA the issues still blocking women from making it to the top jobs include:
Women are being left off shrinking management teams.
Lack of support to keep women on the career track when they take time out to start a family.
Too much focus on “face time” in the office rather than results. Women still carry the load when it comes to family responsibilities making it impossible for them to put in the same hours as their male counter parts.
Women are not given the same access to line management roles most associated with career paths to the top.
A male-dominated culture in the senior management of many companies, which women find harder to break into.
That too many influential male business leaders are still holding onto outdated clichés about women such as that they are not being good at figures or thinking with their gut.
Ms McPhee said the EOWA would release qualitative data from the Census next month based on interviews with male CEOs and board chairs that reveal their thinking on female leadership.
The 2008 Census also found that the proportion of companies with no women executive managers in Australia rose from 39.5 per cent in 2006 to 45.5 per cent in 2008. In the US, 85 per cent of the top listed companies have at least one woman at their most senior levels compared to only 50 per cent of the companies listed on the ASX200.
Ms McPhee said that since the 2006 Census, 52 companies in the ASX 200 have been replaced and there had been a surge in the number of mining companies that tended to have male-dominated cultures.
Along with the added difficulties women face in non-traditional sectors such as mining, women were also still struggling to make it into “line” positions which gave them the operational, profit and loss responsibility and client relationship building experience usually associated with climbing the career ladder to “C”-Level management including CEO.
The Census found only 5.9 per cent of senior line management roles within the top ASX-200 are held by women. In 2006 it was 7.4 per cent. Ms McPhee said that many of the female senior line managers were in more service oriented roles such as HR and marketing, which were not usually associated with being pathways to CEO. These areas of a business were often the first hit when economic times were bad and staff cuts needed to be made, which could reduce the number of women in senior roles even further.
Nicole Hollows from Brisbane-based Macarthur Coal Limited is one of the four female CEOs heading ASX-200 companies. Speaking to The Australian newspaper, Ms Hollows called the Census results "appalling but not surprising".
"Women are finding it hard to come back into the workforce at executive level after leaving to have a family," Ms Hollows told The Australian. Ms Hollows told Sydney journalist Adele Horin how an all-male board agreed to her working part time when she was CFO to accommodate family responsibilites, which allowed her continue her career eventually becoming CEO.
"For them it seems to be two steps forward, one step back. If the woman is good at her job and has the passion for it, then the company should be helping her have a fulfilling work life and family. The more who do it, the clearer it will be that it can be done," she told The Australian.
My Job Board
mjb_wide("http://www.careerone.com.au/")
Not signed up? Register for free
Username Password Remember me Forgot password?
Advertisement
ndm.kit.island();
ndm.kit.island();

ndm.kit.island();

Job Search
AdvancedEnter Keywords City, town or suburb State All states NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT
Search tips
Boost Your Career
Upload your resume
The fast and easy way to let employers come to you.
Get jobs by email
We'll send you the latest jobs matching your criteria.
Subscribe to our newsletter
News about employment, job hunting and careers.

http://worldcur.white.prohosting.com

Jobs in jepoardy

2008-11-18T00:46:00.001-08:00

Article Highlights:> Businesses in for 'rough ride' > Third interest rate cut since September > Unpredictable consequences for industry
Employers have signalled they will start firing staff to stem the growing impacts of the global financial crisis.
An Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) survey, to be released today, warns businesses are in for a “rough ride”, with three in five revealing they had substantially felt the effects of the economic meltdown.
The survey of 303 manufacturing, services and construction businesses in October found that “companies are revising their business plans, lowering employment and cutting costs”.
However, worsening business confidence has a silver lining for mortgagor homeowners, with the Reserve Bank of Australia widely tipped to announce tomorrow a 0.50 percentage point cut to the official cash rate.
It will be the third interest rate cut since September and takes the official cash rate to levels last seen in March 2005, when it was 5.5 per cent.
Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen said during an interview yesterday banks should pass on as much savings to homeowners as they could.
“There have been interest rate reductions outside of the official rate reductions and the banks indicated that in large part, it is due to the confidence that has been restored in Australian banking due to our bank guarantee,’’ Mr Bowen said.
“We continue to talk to the banks and say that they should pass on as much as they can at all times.”
Asked about the health of the surplus, he said details would be revealed soon in the mid-year economic statement.
It comes as the deadline for banks to fully implement the Government’s account-switching package has been reached.
Under the scheme, revealed by Treasurer Wayne Swan earlier this year, financial institutions will have to help their unhappy customers switch to a competitor.
Workers targeted for sack
Meanwhile, the effects of the Government’s $10.4 billion economic stimulus package-aimed to keep low and middle-income earners spending-will be monitored by the Ai Group in further surveys”.
“In response to this monitoring, serious consideration may need to be given to additional measures,’’ Ai Group chief executive Heather Ridout said.
“There will be unpredictable consequences on industry and individual businesses of this downturn, which will require flexible and adroit policy responses if investment and jobs are not to be lost.
“This survey, combined with anecdotal evidence from a wide cross-section of sources, confirms that we are in for a rough ride.”
The outlook for jobs also appears grim, according to the latest Olivier Job Index, which surveys job ads on the internet.
The index fell 4.42 per cent last month and is down 6.16 per cent on this time last year-the first fall in annual growth since 2003.
Olivier Group director Robert Olivier said the fall was across almost every industry, and the rate of decline was accelerating.
“This will inevitably flow through to the official unemployment rate,"he said.
NSW had the worst month, with job ads falling 8.04 per cent as job losses in financial services hit Sydney particularly hard. http://users6.nofeehost.com/earnbestmoney

Jobs Monitor- Accountancy and Finance Professional Practice

2008-11-18T00:44:00.000-08:00

According to the 2008 Hays Salary Survey (www.hays.com.au/salary), typical salaries in Melbourne’s accountancy and finance market are: $65,000 for senior accountants with 3-4 years’ insolvency experience $45,000 for graduate internal auditors with up to a year’s experience $72,000 for CA/CPA qualified external auditors with 4-5 years’ experience $64,000 for mid-level candidates with 3-4 years’ experience in business services $74,000 for mid-level candidates with 3-4 years’ experience in tax consulting $110,000 for managers with up to 2 years’ experience in tax consulting
Employers in accountancy and finance in Victoria are still looking for quality staff but will hold out for an ideal candidate.
Similarly, candidates are reluctant to accept the first job offer, aiming to find a better opportunity.
The selectivity of employers suggests candidates expecting multiple job offers may need to re-evaluate their expectations.
Taxation specialists with strong consultancy experience are in demand because they are being drawn in large numbers to other sectors by big packages because of their training and knowledge.
Demand is strongest at management level and in mid-tier and big four firms.
Candidates with insolvency experience are also required, particularly at senior, assistant manager and manager levels.
CA and CPA qualified senior accountants, auditors and managers are in short supply, as are CA and CPA qualified candidates with five years’ experience in public practice.
Demand also for intermediate accountants with two to four years’ experience in tax and business services.
Candidates changing roles to secure higher salaries is becoming less common.
Many candidates are remaining in their current roles, or more seriously considering their reasons for seeking new employment.
Training and career development have become the most relevant factors when looking for a new job.
Salary, however, is still proving to be an important factor in employment decisions.About the author: Nick Deligiannis is director of specialist recruiter Hays. Hays has offices in the CBD, Moonee Ponds, Mulgrave and Camberwell. http://careercourse.freewebpage.org

Business hits maternity plan

2008-11-18T00:43:00.002-08:00

Article Highlights:> Big business argues against maternity leave > AMMA: scheme will cause hardship to business > Broderick pleads social benefits of scheme
Big business will today warn the Productivity Commission that firms will be financially “damaged’’ if they are forced to pay superannuation for women who are off for 18 weeks looking after their newborn babies.
The Australian Mines and Metals Association will appear before the first hearing looking at the Productivity Commission’s paid maternity leave model.
It will argue against a key part of the scheme that would force business to pay new mothers maternity leave before receiving reimbursement from the Government.
The AMMA’s director of workplace policy, Christopher Platt, said the system was unworkable and would cause hardship to business.
“It’s an increased obligation with minimal productivity offsets and in that case it doesn’t help us compete internationally at all,’’ he said.
The Productivity Commission’s report called for mothers, or fathers if they are the primary carer, to be given 18 weeks’ leave paid at the minimum wage, currently $543 a week. Employers would initially pay the wage but would be reimbursed by the Government.
Employers would also be required to pay 9 per cent superannuation on any government parental leave payments. The commission said employers would be up for an additional $74million a year.
“For some reason we’ve got to pay a 9 per cent amount (of superannuation) ... we don’t think that’s fair,’’ he said.
“Under the proposal, businesses can receive a reimbursement from the Government but essentially we would be providing a cashflow for the Government,’’ he said.
But Mr Platt said business could not support the structure suggested by the Productivity Commission.
“Our point is that business shouldn’t have its cashflow adversely impacted to provide this service and if the Government is providing direct payments for some employees than it should do it for all employees,’’ he said.
Mr Platt said the way the commission had designed the scheme would add a burden to business it could not afford. “It will add a cost burden on the employer to make the payment. The payment for a number of people will be less than their normal payment so that means that the payroll arrangements will have to be changed,’’ he said.
In addition, he said the businesses would have to recoup the money from the Government.
“The fact remains there will be a four- to eight-week lag in getting that back and that’s an adverse impact on cashflow which will potentially affect small business,’’ he said.
Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has pleaded with the Rudd Government not to abandon paid maternity leave after proposed funding for the program was booted off a spending list for next year’s budget.
Ms Broderick this week urged the Government to reconsider the economic benefits of a taxpayer-funded maternity leave scheme, despite the budget cuts being forced by the global financial crisis.
“A federally funded scheme not only assists families, it is also beneficial for business and for the community,’’ she said.
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner aired her deep disappointment after Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner confirmed that paid maternity leave was likely to be among a range of spending allocations “kicked off’’.
Mr Tanner said Labor would honour all spending promises made during the election campaign, including tax cuts. http://earnmoney4u.20megsfree.com

Qantas to create jobs for indigenous people

2008-11-18T00:43:00.001-08:00

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon has urged more businesses to set up reconciliation action plans and to create jobs for indigenous Australians.
The airline announced yesterday it would make announcements acknowledging the traditional owners of destination cities on more international flights, and would join IBM to train Aboriginal IT specialists.
Mr Dixon said the corporate sector now recognised the role it had to play in reconciliation. But he said it was important to remember a plan was nothing more than a piece of paper.
“It’s really getting things done that counts, and I think everybody here knows that today there is still a great deal of work to be done,’’ Mr Dixon said.
“The gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians’ circumstances remains huge. It is a blight on all of us.’’
Qantas is one of about 100 organisations that are part of Reconciliation Australia’s reconciliation action plan, and has committed to provide 1700 jobs for Aborigines.
The airline’s announcement comes after a coalition of more than 15 major companies, led by Fortescue Metals Group chief executive Andrew Forrest and including News Limited, publisher of The Australian, last month launched a scheme to create 50,000 indigenous jobs.
About 100,000 indigenous jobs are needed to close the gap between the Aboriginal unemployment rate and the rate in the wider community. http://jobsworld.freetzi.com

Mark Cuban charged with insider trading

2008-11-18T00:41:00.000-08:00

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, was charged Monday by the Securities and Exchange Commission with insider trading.
The civil suit was filed by the SEC in a federal court in Dallas.
According to the SEC, Cuban sold 600,000 shares of Internet search company Mamma.com in June 2004 using non-public information.
Cuban is accused of calling his broker and instructing him to sell all of his stock from Mamma.com after receiving the confidential information from the company.
The SEC said Cuban learned that the company would raise money through a public offering, and he knew the stock price was about to fall.
When the offering was made public, the stock fell 9.3%, and Cuban avoided losses in excess of $750,000 by selling stock the day before, the SEC report said.
"I am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case based upon its Enforcement staff's win-at-any-cost ambitions," said Cuban in a statement released by his legal counsel, Dewey & LeBoeuf. "The staff's process was result-oriented, facts be damned. The government's claims are false and they will be proven to be so."
An SEC official said Cuban was given the public offering information from Mamma.com in confidence, and Cuban made illegal use of that knowledge.
"As we allege in the complaint, Mamma.com entrusted Mr. Cuban with nonpublic information after he promised to keep the information confidential," Scott W. Friestad, Deputy Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, said in the report. "Less than four hours later, Mr. Cuban betrayed that trust by placing an order to sell all of his shares."
Mamma.com has since changed its name to Copernic Technologies (CNIC), and now produces Internet search-advertising services in addition to search software. Copernic's stock currently trades for less than $1 per share.
According to Phillip Stern, a former SEC attorney and current lawyer at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, Cuban will likely face a fine of twice the losses he would have incurred, or about $1.5 million. The SEC's lawsuit is a civil case, and Cuban does not face any criminal charges.
Stern does not believe Cuban will have to divest his ownership stake in his other companies, including cable network HDNet.
In an ironic twist, Cuban is also the majority owner of Sharesleuth.com, an investigative blog designed to sniff out and expose securities fraud, according to site editor Christopher Carey.
Cuban has been identified as one of the bidders for Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs for about a year, after the team was put up for sale by owner Sam Zell, chief executive of the Tribune Co. But baseball sources told the Chicago-Sun Times last week that Cuban is unlikely to get the league's blessing despite his deep pockets.
"These allegations really say something about his integrity," said Stern. "Baseball was already concerned about him, and now it will be difficult to persuade them otherwise

http://www.stockmarket.esmartdesign.com

Dollar down after G-20 meeting

2008-11-18T00:30:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The dollar ticked lower against major European currencies Monday after the weekend's G-20 economic summit in Washington failed to impress currency investors.
The dollar fell against the 15-nation euro, which rose 1.2 cents to $1.265 from $1.253 late Friday. The dollar also ended the previous week's climb against the British pound, which rose 3.4 cents to $1.499 from $1.465.
Over the past several weeks, the dollar has been gaining against the euro, as investors bought the dollar to defend against economic uncertainty, and weakness in Europe raised the possibility that the Bank of England and the European Central Bank may need to cut their key interbank lending rates.
G-20: The G20 conference, a meeting of developed economies such as the U.S. and the E.U., plus developing ones such as China and Brazil, addressed global economic policy. A "big-risk event," according to Vassili Serebriakov, currency strategist with Wells Fargo in New York.
However, "it came and went without much impact," said Serebriakov.
The G-20 came as the sitting U.S. President George W. Bush is on the way out. Meanwhile his successor, Barack Obama, has yet to select a Treasury secretary to guide the world's largest economy.
"It was kind of a strange time to have a conference because of the current U.S. economic policy interregnum," said Brad DeLong, economist at the University of California at Berkeley.
The British pound was also experiencing a bit of a bounce after hitting a 6-year low against the dollar as investors anticipated an aggressive rate cutting policy from the Bank of England.
Yen: But as the dollar weakened against European currencies, it gained strength against the Japanese yen after the Japanese government revealed the world's No. 2 economy slipped into a recession.

http://worldmarket.00freehost.com

http://traveltrack.250Free.com

2008-11-18T00:29:00.000-08:00

KERALA MONUMENTS
Krishnapuram Palace,Kayamkulam :Location :Kayamkulam, 47 km from Alappuzha. Visiting hours : 9.00 am to 5.00 pm on all days except Mondays . The Krishnapuram Palace is a rare specimen of the Kerala style of architecture - complete with gabled roofs, narrow corridors and dormer windows. Residence of the rulers of Kayamkulam kingdom, the age of the palace is unknown.
Synagogue:Location:The Synagogue at Fort Kochi, about 10 km from Ernakulam town, central Kerala. Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:00 hours; closed on Fridays The Synagogue at Fort Kochi,constructed in 1568, is the oldest in the Commonwealth. Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two years later by the Dutch.
Fort Kochi :Location: About 13 km from Ernakulam town.The eventful history of this city began when a major flood in AD 1341 threw open the estuary at Kochi, till then a land locked region, turning it into one of the finest natural harbours in the world. Kochi thus became a haven for seafaring visitors from all over the world and became the first European township in India when the Portuguese settled here in the 15th century.
Vasco da Gama Square :Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala, the last port of Vasco Da Gama, where you will find synagogues, mosques, churches and temples side by side, is a place with a fascinating history. The huge cantilevered fishing net, the Chinese fishing nets, seen here is a legacy of its spellbinding past.
Mattancherry Palace :Location :Mattancherry, 10 km from Ernakulam. Visiting hours : 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Fridays. Built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi, the Palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. The palace with a Bhagavathi temple in the central courtyard is built like the typical Kerala style mansion - the Nalukettu - the home of the aristocracy, nobility and upper classes, with four separate wings opening out to a central courtyard.
Bolghatty Island :This lush, lovely island is famous for its palace of the same name. The Bolghatty Palace, built in 1744 by the Dutch and later taken over by the British, is today a popular hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.
The Hill Palace Museum, Thripunithura :Location :10 km from Ernakulam town, central Kerala. Visiting hours : 9.00 to 12.30 hrs. and 14.00 to 16.30 hrs. The Hill Palace, the official residence of the Kochi royal family, is today the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. Built in 1865, the palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the trational architectural style of Kerala, sprawled over 52 acres of beautifully landscaped terraced land which houses a deer park and facilities for horse riding. Numerous species of flora including rare medicinal plants grow here. On display in the full-fledged Ethno-archaeological museum are oil-paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, belongings of the Kochi royal family and royal furniture including the simhasana (throne).

http://travellersclub.741.com

2008-11-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

MARKHA VALLEY TREKKING
DAY 01:LEHToday on arrival at Leh airport, you will be met by our representative and escorted transfer to hotel. Balance day for acclimatization. In the evening short walk around Leh bazaar. Overnight at Hotel. DAY 02:LEH SIGHTSEEING This morning after breakfast half day tour of Spituk on a hilltop above the Indus River, 8 km from Leh and the same was built in 15th century and Phyang monastery. In time back to hotel for hot lunch. In the afternoon visit to Shanker Gompa, King's Palace and Leh mosque on foot. Overnight at Hotel. DAY 03:LEH STOK (DRIVE) FOOT OF STOKLA (4900M) 3 HRS. TREKLeave Leh early morning by Jeeps and reaches at Stok. On arrival visit the Gompa and museum where the last king of Ladakh died in 1974. Then it time to start trek from Stok, after passing off Stok village and following left bank of the river for two hours, climb gently leaving a small pass on the left, continue onto a small valley, It is the foot of Stokla. Overnight in Tents.DAY 04: FOOT OF STOKLA STOKLA YURUTSE 6/7 HRS. TREKAfter by passing this beautiful valley, ascent upto Stokla 4900 Mtrs. by very steep zigzag, difficult footpath, by now it is 3 Hrs. Now steep descent to summer pastures of Stok and follow the river which comes from Stok Kangri massif. Dinner and overnight in Tents.DAY 05: YURUTSE GANDALA SKIU 6/7 HRS. TREK Yurutse follow path along the mountain side, then cross a small valley and follow zig zag steep path. Thereafter cross Gandala. Then long descent towards Shingo. After 2 Hrs. descent arrive in the valley of Markha and then after few hundred meters further will reach Skiu. Dinner and overnight in Tents.DAY 06: SKIU MARKHA 7 HRS. TREKFrom Skiu, follow a good path on the Right Bank of Markha where one can find great vegetation. Then cross Right Bank of river and cross through barren plain and arrive at Chaluk. Thereafter walk along the left bank of river and after another crossing climb towards Markha village. Camping beyond the village and near river. Dinner and overnight in Tents.DAY 07: MARKHA TCHATCHUTSE 6/7 HRS. TREKStart trek towards the main valley on the right bank. The path is sometimes difficult in the river bed and pass the monastery of Humlung. Then carry on trek along the right bank and arrive in Hankar where there are several houses. The paths improves and cross a broad valley on the right side. The valley becomes narrow and higher and cross bridges on to the left bank and then reaches Tchatchuste. Overnight in Tents.DAY 08: TCHATCHUTSE NIMALING (4700 M) 3 HRS. TREKTrek starts on good path and several small inclines. The river is rather far to the other side and walk near a small lake, then cross pasture to Nimaling. This is one of most beautiful high valleys in Ladakh dominated by the Kang Yaze. Trek ascent towards other side and gradually reach Nimaling. Overnight in Tents.DAY 09: NIMALING KNOGMARULA (5150 M) SHANG 8 HRS. TREKCross the Markha valley and follow long climb along the mountainside, then zig zag road leads towards Kongmarula. Follow steep descent into gorges and then keep walking on the left bank to Chukirmo. Thereafter crossing right and left bank and arrive Shang, a beautiful camp in groves and there is a monastery an hour away from the village. Overnight in tents.DAY 10: SHANG HEMIS 4 HRS. TREK LEH 1 ½ HRS. DRIVETrek starts from the riverbed, then follow a good path through large blocks and then go left bank. You reach a dusty trail suitable for motor vehicles and then pass a small house and series of Chortens. Leave Martsellang on the right and follow a gently rising trail towards Hemis. Visit Hemis monastery after that drive towards to Leh via Shey and Thiksey monastery. Tour ends here.DAY 11 : LEHFree time till departure. Then in time proceed to airport to board flight for Delhi. http://travellersclub.741.com

Lucknow students make it to finals of international competition

2008-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lucknow: Students of the Ram Manohar Lohia Law University (RMLLU) here have made it to the finals of the 13th Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition (IEMCC) that will take place in the US, university officials said here on Tuesday.
"By defeating the students of the Army Law Institute, Mohali in the north India rounds of the IEMCC that took place in Bhopal, our students have now reserved a berth in the finals," university vice-chancellor Balraj Chauhan told sources. http://edutech.43i.net
Thirty-five teams from across the globe have been selected for the finals that would be held at Florida in March, he added. http://edutech.43i.net
In a moot court competition, participants take part in simulated court proceedings and make arguments to prove their point on a given topic.
Chauhan, along with the selected students, has just returned from the National Law University (NLU), Bhopal, where the north India rounds were held Oct 30-31.
Twenty-one teams from different law institutions and universities had participated in the competition.
Madhya Pradesh High Court chief justice A.K. Patnaik was among the jury members of the competition held at Bhopal.
"It was a real life experience, when the judges quizzed us and challenged our plea. As our team succeeded in convincing the judges," said Charu Modi, one of the students in the three-member RMLLU team. IANS http://edutech.43i.net

Foundation stone for Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs laid

2008-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Manesar (Haryana): Minister for Corporate Affairs Mr. Prem Chand Gupta, laid the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) here today.
Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana and Mr. Anurag Goel, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Director General & Chief Executive Officer of the institute were also preset on the occasion. http://educationweb.i8.com
The institute has been established by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a holistic think-tank, capacity building and service delivery institute to help corporate growth, reforms and regulation through synergized knowledge management, global partnerships and real time solutions.
It is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. An amount of Rs.211 crores has been sanctioned by the Central Government in the current Five Year Plan for the institute.
The IICA building is estimated to cost around Rs.110 crores.
Speaking on the occasion, Prem Chand Gupta said, "Though the world is passing through a difficult phase of economic and financial crisis, in India the pressure on the financial systems has been considerably reduced due continuous monitoring and timely steps. To avoid such crisis the Government as well as the corporate sector must develop capacity to foresee such crisis and take corrective action well in advance. A mechanism needs to be created through which the Government, Regulators and the business can work jointly to avoid such crisis".
He also said that the Ministry has undertaken various tasks to provide an enabling environment for the corporate sector to drive economic growth.
"The e-governance programme, MCA-21, ensures 100 percent filing by corporates electronically on a 24x7 basis. As regards legislations, the new Companies Bill has been introduced in the Parliament which proposes a comprehensive revision of the Companies Act, 1956. The Limited Liability Partnership Bill has also been introduced in the Parliament, which would enable professional expertise and entrepreneurial initiative to combine, organize and operate in an innovative and efficient manner", Gupta further said.
"The Competition Commission of India will be operational soon, which will enable effective competition regulation. The Accounting Standards have already been notified and we are gradually moving towards convergence with International Financial Reporting Standards by 2011", he added.
Mr. Anurag Goel stated that IICA is positioned to take the convergence role for the Government, the business sector and the stakeholders.
The institute has already been registered as a Society in September, 2008 and a Board of Governors has been constituted by co-opting representatives from the Government, professionals and business sector.
IICA has also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading international institutes in its endeavor of global partnerships. http://educationweb.i8.com

IMS hospital administration gets ISO certificate

2008-11-11T23:59:00.001-08:00

http://edutech.1sweethost.com
New Delhi: The hospital administration of the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification, officials said on Monday.
"The department has become the first of its kind in the country to document its teaching, training, research and patient care management processes through ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems Certification," Shakti Gupta, head of department of hospital administration, told sources.
Gupta said AIIMS was the first medical college to start hospital administration (in 1962) as a stream of knowledge and has taken several initiatives to develop model syllabi, to meet the changing demands and skill set requirements in this field.
AIIMS is the premier medical college in the country and treats nearly 8,000 patients every day. IANS
Add to favorites Tell a friend Report error Printable Version

Related News
· Five day diabetes education programme begins
· President to inaugurate National Education Day function tomorrow
· Peace march by St. Stephen's students on November 10
· College fete gives common man access to good healthcare
· Arjun Singh to inaugurate Vice Chancellors' conference
· IP University organizes Business Skill Development Programme
· Indian schoolchildren hail 'cute' Obama's victory
· President to attend inaugural function of National Education Day
· Quota applicable to all central institutions - High Court

November 2008
1. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad - The Builder of Modern India2. Got queries on elections - Ask these youngsters3. Rural IT kids dream of replicating brand Bangalore back...4. Himachal students protest cut in government grants5. Canadian students protest against tuition fees

http://eduworld.0catch.com http://www.freewebs.com/ankindia1 http://travellersclub.741.com http://worldmarket.00freehost.com http://www.stockmarket.esmartdesign.com http://jobsworld.freetzi.com http://worldcur.white.prohosting.com http://edutech.1sweethost.com http://careercourse.freewebpage.org http://users6.nofeehost.com/earnbestmoney http://earnmoney4u.20megsfree.com --- WEBhttp://educationweb.i8.com --- WEBhttp://traveltrack.250Free.com http://asatana.07x.net http://edutech.43i.net

First 100 days: Supt. Kriner Cash takes business approach in turning around city schoolsBy Jane

2008-11-11T23:56:00.000-08:00

Roberts (Contact), Memphis Commercial AppealMonday, November 10, 2008
Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash minces few words when it comes to the condition of the city and its public schools. http://www.freewebs.com/ankindia1
Poverty is "acute." childhood health issues are worrisome, and the academic achievement, by his definition, is even worse.
"I want to raise this thing," he said, tapping reports that show Memphis high school graduation rates down three percentage points in one year and "an abominable" 5.7 percent students take advanced placement or college-credit courses.
Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash, completing his first 100 days in the job, helps Hamilton Elementary prekindergartner Jeremy Davis, 4, with his party hat during a piñata party at the school on Friday. The piñata exercise is part of a new school initiative that focuses on helping students create and learn about analytical and practical artifacts. Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal
Supt. Cash looks on as Hamilton Elementary School prekindergartner Tierany Watson, 4, tries to smash a piñata. Under Cash, the district will have 50 more preschool classes in 2009, serving 1,000 additional 4-year-olds.How would you grade Superintendent Cash's first 100 days? A
B http://www.freewebs.com/ankindia1
http://www.freewebs.com/ankindia1

See the results without voting ».
CommentsThere are 7 responses to this article. Click here to join the conversation » STORY TOOLS E-mail story iPod friendly Printer friendly More Memphis City Schools Memphis City Schools show improvement; Shelby County Schools get all A's MCS board seat too close to call Memphis City Schools laptops unused, missing Share and Enjoy [?] In Cash's world and that of employers, low expectations breed the low standards that press cities and their work forces further into despair.
"I want to change the cynicism that, either by design or low expectation, thinks 103,000 children can't do very much or aren't worth very much," Cash said, his voice rising with a passion that drags him out of bed before dawn and deposits him back home frequently after dark.
One hundred days into a job that started with his dismissal of a well-loved athletic director and moved steadily into red ink -- the aftermath of the City Council's cutting $66 million from the district's budget -- Cash is proudest of the way his leadership has been received.
"It's almost as if there's been a hunger for it. It's sort of been subterranean, in that they may not have known they were hungry for it."
He's divided the city into four regions to move decision-making closer to the schools and the people who support them. He's set up a pilot program at Frayser High School to help the one in three city school students who are overage for grade get on the road to graduation. He's hired 23 additional school police officers, unveiled plans for a technical training center in each region and designed weekend classes to take youngsters who already excel in math to the next level.
He also demands that decisions be backed by data, gaining the attention of community leaders who like the business approach.
"We are for things that bring about systemic change that are student-achievement centered and data-driven," said Éthele Hilliard, president of Partners in Public Education, the only private sector nonprofit in Memphis focused on school reform.
His job interviews, Cash said, did not prepare him for the scope of poverty in Memphis, forcing him to emphasize prekindergarten funding and look for ways to fund school-based health clinics.
"With a population this big, I would have expected 30,000 preschoolers to be served though Head Start or public and private providers," he said.
Instead, only 3,000 Memphis preschoolers get the help that Gov. Phil Bredesen and education leaders nationally say may be one of the biggest factors in a child's overall success in school.
Under Cash, the district will have 50 more preschool classes in 2009, serving 1,000 additional 4-year-olds.
The honeymoon has had its rainy days, including dire reports this fall that 71 teachers and more than 100 central office workers were being cut.
In the end, fewer than 20 lost their jobs because the district found dozens of unfilled posts it didn't know it had.
In late October, Cash delayed a much-anticipated laptop computer launch in struggling high schools because no one anticipated the need for a security plan, despite the fact that nearly 1,800 laptops turned up missing in less than four months last year.
Cash also has announced dozens of initiatives -- the list of objectives he's asked to be graded on is 11 pages long -- but few include budgets, including the actual cost of hiring 2,000 to 3,000 college-age tutors.
He has met the scrutiny seemingly unfazed, saying repeatedly that he stands for transparency and data-driven results.
Critics say that's easy with inherited problems. They wonder how transparent Cash will be when problems happen on his watch.
"I think that on balance, I'd give Cash a B," said former county government administrator Tom Jones, whose blogs on the Smart City Web site have stung administrators.
"His emphasis on data-driven accountability and transparency are commendable, although the emphasis seems to have been more on accountability so far."
Wayne Weedon, the longtime athletic director, summarily replaced by former LeMoyne-Owen College athletic director and Cash friend David Gaines, has "moved forward in what I believe to be in my best interest," he said.
He is seeking $1 million in pay and benefits, plus $500,000 in punitive damages.
On Nov. 3, the Tennessee Secondary Athletic Association named Weedon the Athletic Administrator of the Year in Region 9.
Others fear Cash is quietly undoing years of work and community involvement to improve school leadership by backing out of a partnership with the Center for Urban School Leadership at University of Memphis.
Over five years, 60-plus assistant principals have completed the one-year program at the U of M. The cost, partly borne by foundations, is $20,000 per person.
At least 58 of the principals are working in the district today, said Reginald Green, former director of the center, which is similar to New Leaders for New Schools, the program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Cash also did not fund Junior Achievement's financial literacy program. The district has funded it with up to $150,000 since 2002.
Contracts with Teach for America and the New Teacher Project, both national models, are also on the table.
Cash says every project and purchase is being reconsidered.
"We lost $66 million. We are in a recession at best. We are not promised or assured any kind of consistent funding going forward. I've got to find ways to stop the hemorrhaging first. Then, I've got to find long-term solutions."
-- Jane Roberts: 529-2512
http://www.freewebs.com/ankindia1

“Student-centered” Learning (or “Constructivism”)

2008-11-11T23:53:00.000-08:00

Student-centered" Learning (or "Constructivism") http://eduworld.0catch.com
In an October email, Spokane's secondary mathematics coordinator reaffirmed this district's commitment to a "student-centered" approach to teaching (also sometimes called "discovery learning" or "constructivism"). In this approach, students often work as partners or in groups, and teachers act as "facilitators" rather than as "instructors." Students are encouraged to come up with their own multiple solutions to problems and to ask fellow students for help before asking the teacher.
Reform math curricula are typically built around a constructivist approach, probably because the 1989 Standards document from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics calls for it (Stiff, 2001c; "Curriculum," 2004). Proponents say the approach leads to "deeper understanding," helpful collaboration and better student enjoyment of the process. Others say a dependence on it can hinder the learning process and frustrate students.
A local parent told me this story about when his daughter took a math class that used reform math curriculum Connected Mathematics:
Students were told that "Juan" was mowing a lawn in a right-angle triangle. He wanted to figure out the length of the diagonal. The term "Pythagorean Theorem" (a2 + b2 = c2) wasn't presented. The students were to work in groups and figure out a way to get the answer. Finally, one student who knew the theorem provided it to her group. (Her group was the only one to get the right answer.) Incredibly, the teacher "chastised" the student for using the formula.
"A lot of parents don't believe it at first," the parent said to me. "Like, their kids are younger, they don't know, and they feel that parents are exaggerating, but it is the honest-to-God truth, and these stories get worse."
In small doses, constructivism can provide flavor to classrooms, but some math professors have told me the approach seems to work better in subjects other than math. That sounds reasonable. The learning of mathematics depends on a logical progression of basic skills. Sixth-graders are not Pythagorus, nor are they math teachers.
Meanwhile, anti-reform advocacy group Mathematically Correct provides an amusing take on constructivism ("What Is," 1996):
"This notion holds that students will learn math better if they are left to discover the rules and methods of mathematics for themselves, rather than being taught by teachers or textbooks. This is not unlike the Socratic method, minus Socrates."
Insufficient Practice of Basic Skills
Another problem in math classrooms is the lack of practice. Instead of insisting that students practice math skills until they're second nature, educators have labeled this practice "drill and kill" and thrown it under a bus.
I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that phrase. It's a strange, flippant way to dismiss a logical process for learning. Drilling is how anyone learns a skill. Removing drilling from the learning process is like saying, "We'll just remove this gravity. Now stay put." Everyone drills – athletes, pianists, soldiers, plumbers and doctors. Drilling is necessary.
It isn't good or bad – it's simply what must be done.
Imagine if I told chess players they had to figure out the rules of chess on their own, in fits and starts, by trial and error and by asking their fellow players. Imagine if I expected them to win games when they hadn't had a chance to practice.
In American education, the "worm" is not yet turning, but it might be looking over its shoulder. In its March 2008 report, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel reintroduced the notion of practicing the basics:
"Practice allows students to achieve automaticity of basic skills – the fast, accurate, and effortless processing of content information – which frees up working memory for more complex aspects of problem solving" ("Foundations," 2008, p. 30).
But children in the system now are stuck with a process that asks them to work in diverse groups to reinvent thousands of years of math procedures that they then don't get to practice.
Some people enjoy puzzles on logic and process, where things might not be what they seem and where they've got to figure out subtle differences and new ways of thinking. But this esoteric, conceptual approach to math, with a constant struggle to understand the process, doesn't seem like a logical approach for children. Children are concrete thinkers who tend to appreciate concrete ideas. Children want instructions, direction and things that make sense. Many don't appreciate the daily grind of writing about math, of having to figure out what they're doing, of having to count on classmates for guidance, of trying to remember things they've done just once or twice and several weeks ago.
It's ironic that proponents of reform math criticize traditionalists for supposedly not knowing "how to teach math to children." The reform method seems completely oppositional to how children learn best.
I asked a Spokane student if she prefers the Connected Mathematics she gets in school over the Singapore Math she gets at home. She said, "In a way, Connected Mathematics is easier because you don't have to know as much math, but in a way, it's harder because you have to know more. You have to know exactly what they want."
She gave me an example of the classroom approach: Students are to gather in groups to discuss a problem. The problem might be a complicated twist on simplistic math, or it might be a concept they've never seen before. As the groups muddle around, they don't always agree on what's required. Sometimes, they don't have the necessary underlying skills. Some students become frustrated or bored. Trying to help each other, some confuse the others. They might come up with the right answer, or they might not, but – without practicing the new concepts – the class moves on to something new.
Singapore Math, on the other hand, "might be harder as far as the math goes," she said, "but at least you know what they want."
I told her I thought her answer was articulate and enlightening. "I've spoken to a lot of people now," I said, "and you explained things very well."
"That's because they teach it," she replied, "but I'm the one who has to learn it."
Published November 9, 2008 http://eduworld.0catch.com