Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Girl Student of Gargi engineering college Delhi raped by her own friend

Reportedly a 19 year old student of Gargi engineering college, Delhi University claims that she was raped by her own friend Brij Mohan who lives at Hauz Khas Delhi. “Mohan was known to the girl since her school days. He had developed physical relation with her and filmed the act with a hidden camera. With the help of that obscene clip, he was trying to extort money from her,” a police official said.

Girl launched a FIR on 5th September and on the basis of this FIR Mohan was arrested.

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Campus placements brings big surprise for students

Campus placements season started last week in many engineering colleges but it was not like previous years. This year many companies insisted students to write a letter to showcase their writing skills, as part of the eligibility test.
Reportedly TCS asked students to write an e – mail congratulating a colleague on her promotion or an apology note to a client over the delay of a project. In many cases, students were asked to use specific phrases and words appropriately. “Companies find their new recruits struggling over a mail in English. And, mails are an important medium of communication in IT offices,” said M. Kailasam, a consultant with IT companies.
The effect of economic shutdown is clearly visible on campus placements. Many companies have increased the eligibility cut off to at least 65 per cent in class X, class XII and in all eight semesters of college. “Companies that allowed up to 2 arrears until last year have not given that concession,” said S. Aramugham, principal of an engineering college. Similarly, companies used to exempt students with over 75 per cent from written tests. But this year, most companies have allowed only those with over 85 per cent to do so. Many companies have applied negative marking scheme also on their written test to avoid guess work by job applicants.

IIIT Hyderabad launch a new program in civil engineering

About the Program:

IIIT Hyderabad introduces an innovative Building Science & Engineering (BSE) teaching and research programme. The programme aims at conducting research to build an environmentally sustainable habitat by integrating environment, materials, services, science and engineering while making use of latest technology in computer science and electronics.

Why BSE?

Though construction is a regulated industry, there is severe shortage of technical and trained manpower in all stages of design, construction, regulation, operation and monitoring. Buildings need to be understood as a holistic system and should not be addressed in the current fragmented approaches leading to conflicting sub-optimal outcomes.
It is very important to establish a state-of-the-art research facility where various building related sub-domains can be focused at and environmentally sustainable habitats can be built.
The program aims at educating engineers and conduct research to build an environmentally sustainable habitat by integrating environment, materials, services, science and engineering while making use of latest technology in computer science and electronics. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the proposed program, the program will address two broad areas; R&D gaps and Knowledge gaps and would collaborate with other institutions to address the skill gaps.

The Knowledge gaps:

Includes understandings of the building lifecycle, lack of systems integration, emerging building materials, technological innovation in control and management of buildings and its services, which when addressed individually impedes optimal functional performance. Currently business-as-usual buildings are designed, built, and operated with piecemeal consideration of various building components and systems like structural systems, materials, HVAC, lighting, acoustics, plumbing, and renewable energy resources.

The Research gaps:

Over the last few decades many new materials and building technologies were introduced in urban areas and were carried to rural areas. While doing that adequate caution was not exercised. In many instances, advanced technologies thrust into different regions of the country without preparing the people on the consequences of poor implementation without engineering judgment. Though there have been some initiatives in India for the use of integrated technologies, however these efforts are still at nascent stage and scarcely understood. Adoption of these technologies, creation of appropriate standards and proper studies on its utility within the Indian context needs to be carried out to have optimal building design guidelines.

Action Plan:

IIIT-H proposes to establish a teaching and research agenda that aims to study and develop buildings that are suitable to the climatic, environmental and socio-cultural setting of our country. This integrated systems approach to buildings is unique, and is a culmination of the years of research undertaken in this area by its faculty and researchers. Hence, the funding is sought as part of this proposal to create and position a national research facility in the area of Building Science and Engineering. Through this grant, the established center will become a platform of choice in this evolving research area, network with national and international stakeholders, and become a valuable national resource center.

FAQs about BSE

Is Building Science part of Civil engineering?
Yes, You are right, Building Science is a subset of Civil Engineering. It is based primarily on Structural Engineering ( Civil Engineering has 5 Sub disciplines such as Structural Engineering, Geotechnical, Water Resources, Environment and Transportation).
Curriculum is designed by drawing inputs from basics, Building physics, building topology, building safety, building intelligence and building sustainability
How can we quench our thirst in experimenting the building designs, Infrastructures etc practically?
Your innovative, novel and explorative ideas can be practically experimented in various laboratories at EERC, IIIT-H.
  • Engineering Workshop
  • Construction Workshop
  • Strength of materials lab
  • Soil Mechanics Lab
  • Building Materials Lab

Why BSE is more focused on Natural materials for Constructios which is unique and interesting?
In early years hands on experienced people of certain topology, skills and know-how on traditional technologies of house construction with various locally available materials were easily available. These houses stood for decades which were eco friendly and conserved energy.
BSE is a unique programme in demand which trains people to use these natural resources and implement them real time which makes a remarkable approach in Building Structures , Monuments etc
What are the future prospects of BSE in the job market?
There is acute shortage of skilled engineers in building sector which is evergreen . Builders are keen in search of skilled and trained personnel in the niche area of BSE.
Hence, Highly talented professionals in this area are in high demand in placing them in top Building Industries.

IITs planning to increase number of seats by 60%

Reportedly premier engineering institutes of country IITs are going to increase number of seats by 60%. This decision was taken in IIT council meet that was held on 16th September 2013. This proposal came as the effect of latest QS rankings where IITs failed to secure a top position globally. Even if we look at ranking of top Asian universities, IIT-Delhi was at 38, IIT-Bombay at 39, and IIT-Madras 49.
IIT council members include all IIT directors, chairmen of their board of governors’ chairmen, some industrialists and the human resource development (HRD) minister. All members jointly decided that would remain independent of government interference. IITs would not be reviewed by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and that the directors of the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education would have no say in the appointment of IIT directors any more—both moves designed to reiterate and reinforce the autonomy of the schools.
The decision to increase the number of students in various streams, from average 7,500 per institution to 12,000, over a period of time, is certain to bring cheer to thousands of students who seek admission to the prestigious schools, say analysts.
“It will also improve their (the IITs’) earnings (from fees) as well as from non-plan grants from the government,” said Alok Mishra, a director at the HRD ministry. The council said the increase would first happen in the seven older IITs at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Guwahati and Roorkee.

Monday, 16 September 2013

JEE Main in February will be more difficult for state board and ISCE students

As per the new proposal made by CBSE for JEE Main examination this year CBSE will conduct JEE Main examination two times in a year and will consider best of two scores as final JEE Main score. CBSE will conduct first JEE Main in February and second in April. The final decision on this proposal will be taken by JEE Apex body on Sep 17.
It looks beneficial for students as they will get one more chance to improve their JEE Main score, but in month of February JEE Main exam will clash with the XII board exams. This task will be more difficult for state board and ISCE students as they will have to study CBSE portion separately for JEE Main along with their board materials.
The CBSE official assured that they would schedule the JEE-Main exam in February without letting it clash with the February board exams. But the pressure of the extra exam would always

MNNIT bags ‘Highest user of the year’ award

Motilal Nehru institute of technology, Allahabad has bagged the highest user of the year award of 2012 for impressive use of IEEE journals at the institute.
The indian National Digital Library in Engineering Sciences and Technology consortium, set up by HRD ministry, has provided the facility of using provided and downloading online journals to all the faculties and students of IITs, IIM, IISc, and NITs for a thrust in research work.  The award was given to MNNIT, Allahabad during 9th annual meeting held recently in Ahmedabad. The use of online IEEE journals was highest by MNNIT students and faculty members.

Another ragging horror: Student beaten up by senior for not stripping

Reportedly Chanadan Sharma, a private engineering college student in Sitapura, Jaipur has alleged ragging by seniors. He was beaten up by seniors when he refused to strip in front of them. He has sustained head injury and a fracture on the right arm.After incident students started protest demaning punishment action against these students, the protest continued for three hours. When victim launched FIR, police refused to consider it a case of ragging and are yet to make any arrests. They said that probe is on.
“A group of seniors, who happen to be discipline in-charge, asked the juniors to give their introduction and started harassing us. They have not even spared first year girls who left the party in the middle. Later, they asked us to strip.”
“The situation turned for the worse when I refused to strip and threatened to inform the principal. Furious over this, they pushed me to the wall and began raining punches on me. When I fell, two-three seniors hit my head with a chair,” said Chandan.
When students informed college administration about the same, they didn’t react and asked students to keep quite