BOSS OS: Government of India to roll Bharat Operating System Solutions to replace Microsoft Windows

After experiencing uncountable attacks on major government websites by Chinese hackers, various liabilities have been revealed of Indian Cyberspace. Taking some vital steps against cyber-attack, Indian Government is all set to launch its own operating system. The new operating system is an updated version of India’s own OS dubbed as ‘Bharat Operating System Solution’ or BOSS.

A senior official of Indian Government told that the new and updated operating system, BOSS OS will replace all other operating systems available in the market and will be made available by this month end.

It is considered that new operating system will be giving tough competition to other operating systems like Microsoft Windows, which is currently dominating Indian operating system market.

The newly and highly improved version of operating system, Bharat Operating System Solution (BOSS) is developed by Pune-based organisation ‘Centre for Development of Advanced Computing’ (C-DAC).

Other organisation like Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), etc. were also involved in the development of new OS, which can support all major Indian languages.

During its three-month trial, Indians own operating system BOSS has effectively and efficiently defended cyber-attacks from various attackers, which include malicious attacks planted by Indian Army for its testing.

Success in trials makes BOSS fit for the fully secure network, which is demanded by Indian Government for its security and integrity.

The latest version of BOSS, which is soon to be released is code-named ‘Anoop’ and will be the successor to BOSS 5.0 code-named as ‘Anokha’.

The new operating system will be having 3.14 GNOME and desktop environment version 3.4. It will be featuring the latest Kernel 3.16 and will support Intel’s architecture 64-bit/32-bit, 32-bit Intel GPU as well as 3D desktop and many more features.

The latest version of BOSS will be having an on-screen keyboard, which will support all major languages of India. C-DAC has included some other features like Unicode 7, Ocra Screen Reader, E-speak and Magnifier, these additional features are added for visually damaged people so that they can effectively use the system.

Indian Government will be also launching next version of operating system called EduBOSS, which is designed for teachers and students and will be having all essential educational tools and applications required by students of primary, secondary and higher levels.

Extra marks for practising yoga, says school education minister Vinod Tawde

MUMBAI: Students will be given extra marks for practising yoga, said state school education minister Vinod Tawde.

After attending a yoga workshop by Baba Ramdev on Wednesday, Tawde tweeted: "Urged students to benefit from Yoga, Students practicing Yoga everyday will be awarded extra marks like of Sports." A circular was also sent to schools about the yoga camp. While it was not mandatory for students or teachers to attend it, the circular suggested schools make best use of it.

But teachers are not happy. "It is okay to encourage students to perform yoga as it may have advantages but... once marks are attached to an activity, some might misuse it. That's what is happening to additional marks given for playing sports; students are forging certificates," said a teacher from a south Mumbai Marathi medium school.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Extra-marks-for-practising-yoga-says-school-education-minister-Vinod-Tawde/articleshow/50674288.cms

Agra tea vendor’s son brews bright future for himself as CA

A roadside tea stall in New Agra, known for its ‘kadak chai’, now has a new identity. The son of its owner, Vishnu Agarwal, has qualified to become a chartered accountant.

The results of the CA (final) exams were announced on Sunday, bringing good news for Manoj Agarwal (22). Manoj is one of Vishnu’s six children (two sons and four daughters) and assists his father at the tea stall.

After studying till Class 8 at a local school in Agra’s Nagla Padi area, Manoj joined MD Jain Inter College where he chose the commerce stream to study till Class 12. He scored 77 per cent in the UP Board exams.

“The turning point came when my teacher, Ishwar Chand Sharma, suggested that I go for chartered accountancy as he was confident that I would clear the exams,” Manoj said.

“I discussed the idea with my father and he supported me. After that, my schedule was such that I studied for at least seven to eight hours a day and assisted my father in the evenings besides attending coaching classes,” he added.

“My father is my inspiration as he has worked hard and has never let us feel any financial difficulties. Now, I look forward to joining a multinational company as a CA,” said Manoj, who also helps his brother who aspires to become a CA like him.

The proud father, Vishnu Agarwal, had moved to Agra from Mathura in 1997 to work in a hotel and later opened his tea stall on the roadside in the New Agra market. While elated over his son’s success, he intends to continue running his tea stall.

“My customers admire the quality of my tea,” said Vishnu with a smile. “I look forward to my younger son also becoming a CA,” he added, while preparing tea for his customers.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/noida/agra-tea-vendor-s-son-brews-bright-future-for-himself-as-ca/story-8j3fegAKy2wGO5jxLYtowN.html

Stentorian Inter College Debate Competition

Stentorian Inter College Debate Competition

The St. Francis Institute of Technology is holding the very first Stentorian Inter College Debate Competition (SIDC) organized by 'The Stentorian' team.

'The Stentorian' is a group of students organizing events & workshops related to literary arena. The main objective of SIDC is to serve as a motivational event where learners can exchange their experiences and opinions.

Details

Date & Time	30th January, 09.00 am to 05.00 pm 31st January, 09.00 am to 02.00 pm
Venue	St. Francis Institute Of Technology, Mount Poinsur, S.V.P. Road, Borivli (West), Mumbai 400 103.
Prizes	1st Prize            : Rs. 5000/- 2nd Prize          : Rs. 3000/- Best Speaker  : Rs. 2000/- Certificates of participation shall be given to all participants Note : Best Speaker not necessarily from Winning Team

Every Team should have only 2 Members. We request the teams to register online through the link

http://tinyurl.com/stentorian-debate-sfit

This Registration would be confirmed only if the Team reports on the aforementioned venue on 30^th January 2016 at 08.30 am.

On confirmation, each team has to pay Rs. 100/-.

You can also refer the SIDC Brochure for more details through this link

(Brochure)

Should you have any queries, please refer the given contact details

Jainam Gandhi                                                                                 Preetika Shetty

Email ID: jainamtgandhi@gmail.com              Email ID: preetika96@gmail.com    

Contact: 091-9320180822                                             Contact: 091-9819240736

HP introduces Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) for Indian enterprises

HP DaaS was first implemented with Maruti Suzuki in India, with a focus on empowering their sales force with tablets that come with interactive content and serve as an on-ramp for customer information.

HP Inc has announced that it is offering a new Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) programme, for Indian enterprises. With HP Device-as-a-Service, enterprises and organizations use their PCs like a utility – they pay one price per seat on a monthly basis over a three or four year period. They also get customized services and support from HP, such as PC configuration and software installation, onsite break-fix, data migration, proactive support, while having the ability to upgrade to the latest HP commercial desktop, notebook PCs, and tablets for subsequent contract periods.

HP DaaS incorporates services, support and eventual disposal as part of one overall services agreement. This is different from typical leasing agreements where PC acquisition, setup and maintenance are covered under separate contracts. This means that organizations can enjoy more predictable annual costs and greater ease from having to manage just one contract during their entire PC lifecycle. HP DaaS also covers secure and responsible disposal of PCs, a final phase in the PC lifecycle that is often overlooked and risk the leak of sensitive information.

HP DaaS was first implemented with Maruti Suzuki in India, with a focus on empowering their sales force with tablets that come with interactive content and serve as an on-ramp for customer information.

“Digital transformation is key for businesses to stay ahead of the curve and deliver best-in-class services to customers. Innovative service model offerings from our partners like HP is helping us to transform our customer experience. Each dealer can better identify the options that match the requirements and aspirations of our customers and address their queries more effectively and provide impeccable experience,” said Rajesh Uppal, Executive Director, IT, Maruti Suzuki India Limited.

Source: http://computer.financialexpress.com/news/hp-introduces-device-as-a-service-daas-for-indian-enterprises/15423/

UMass Amherst Computer Scientist to Receive ‘Jewel of India’ Award

January 20, 2016

Contact: Janet Lathrop 413/545-0444

Ramesh Sitaraman

AMHERST, Mass. – Professor Ramesh Sitaraman of the College of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will receive one of India’s highest awards for non-residents, the “Jewel of India,” in a ceremony in New Delhi on Monday, Jan. 25, recognizing his contributions to computer science.

Senior government and Supreme Court officials, cabinet ministers, international ambassadors, scholars and other dignitaries will be on hand as Sitaraman receives the Hind Rattan, Hindi for “Jewel of India,” given each year on the eve of the country’s Republic Day. The award is given by the government of India and the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Welfare Society to approximately 25 individuals of Indian origin selected from a pool of more than 25 million who live abroad.

Sitaraman’s research spans all aspects of Internet-scale distributed networks, including algorithms, architectures, performance, energy efficiency and economics. The award recognizes his role in pioneering content delivery networks (CDNs) that are key to the modern Internet's functioning.

As a principal architect, he helped create the Akamai network, one of the world’s largest CDNs, which currently delivers 15 to 30 percent of all web traffic. CDNs enable web sites to download faster and online videos to play more smoothly with fewer freezes. Today most major enterprises use CDNs to provide better performance for online users.

Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy says, “It is gratifying to see Professor Sitaraman recognized for his innovative research, which has had a far-reaching impact on how people throughout the world access the Internet. Users directly benefit from his research when they use the Internet to read news, watch videos, buy products, play games online or use a social network.”

Sitaraman received a B. Tech. in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and a Ph.D. in computer science from Princeton University.

Source: http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/umass-amherst-computer-scientist-receive-

Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN)

Govt. of India approved a new program titled Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) in Higher Education aimed at tapping the talent pool of scientists and entrepreneurs, internationally to encourage their engagement with the institutes of Higher Education in India so as to augment the country’s existing academic resources, accelerate the pace of quality reform, and elevate India’s scientific and technological capacity to global excellence.

In order to garner the best international experience into our systems of education, enable interaction of students and faculty with the best academic and industry experts from all over the world and also share their experiences and expertise to motivate people to work on Indian problems, there is a need for a Scheme of International Summer and Winter Term. During the ‘Retreat’ of IITs with Minister of Human Resource Development Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani on 29th June, 2014 at Goa, it was decided that “A system of Guest Lectures by internationally and nationally renowned experts would be evolved along with a comprehensive Faculty Development Programme not only for new IITs, IIMs, IISERs but also other institutions in the country.

For more details, please visit the below link:

Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN)

THE J.N. TATA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF INDIANS

Announcement

Applications Can Now Be Downloaded Here

Applications for JN Tata Endowment loan scholarships are now available on this site. You will have to download the form, fill it offline and mail it to us at jnte@tatatrusts.org. Do not send the application by post. Please read the instructions carefully before you start filling the form and ensure that you provide information on all the mandatory fields. Please ensure that you submit a complete form as incomplete forms will be immediately rejected. Please click on the More button below to download the form.

MORE

AMAZON LAUNCHES EXAM CENTRAL

Amazon.in has announced the launch of an online bookstore dedicated to the upcoming entrance exams. Students can find study books, exam calendars, solved papers available for download, articles by popular authors and academics as well as tips from previous years’ toppers and FAQs for students.

Visit: Amazon.in

Source: Hindustan Times dated January 20, 2016

Apply for Abdul Kalam postgraduate fellowship

The University of South Florida is offering the Dr Abdul Kalam fellowship for Indian students, to help cover their tuition. The fellowship is available to an Indian graduate student who wants to pursue a PhD degree at the University of South Florida in the following subjects: applied anthropology, applied physics, business PhD programmes, cell biology, microbiology and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science and engineering, criminology, integrative biology, marine science, engineering and psychology.

To apply to this scholarship, applicants must have completed a graduate degree programme. Applicants must also have academic credentials and a passion for the STEM fields of study.

The university will waive off tuition for four years, and contribute a stipend of $18,000 (about Rs 12.2 lakh) over the nine months of the fall and spring semesters ($2,000 per month — about Rs 1.3 lakh).

The Provost’s Office will pay a nine-month stipend for the first year with the department/college contributing a teaching/ research assistantship for up to an additional three years.

Deadline: February 5 Visit: usf.e du/ world/ resources/ ka lam fellowship. aspx. For online forms, visit usf.edu/world/ resources/ kalam_ fellowship_ form 201617. pdf 

Source: Hindustan Times dated 20 January, 2016

Redefining education: Make it creative, encourage risk-taking and expand the idea of success

During his recent India visit, Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke of how India’s education system would do well to emphasise greater creativity and risk-taking. We ought to listen.

There is perhaps no other country in the world that glorifies examination results and starting salaries the way we do. In most cultures it’s a bit rude to talk about these things even in private. But in India, it’s the stuff of front-page, prime-time news. Buses and outdoor hoardings are plastered with images of top rankers who have “cracked” significant exams and “aced” standardised tests. We put starting salaries and entrance exams on a pedestal and force a singular definition of success down our collective throats. Is the purpose of education really to max standardised tests and rake in the cash?

Most Indian parents today, themselves products of a top-down, instructional model of education, replete with corporal punishment, mindless cramming, and regurgitation of facts, would agree with Ken Robinson, that such a system, devised during the Industrial Revolution, is ill-suited to the needs of modern society. At the same time, there is huge anxiety among parents, teachers and children in India today about a society where 99-per cent cutoffs are the new normal for college admissions. Multiple voices compete inside the heads of everyone involved. Shouldn’t education be about a holistic exposure to all facets of life rather than a cracking of tests? Shouldn’t education be a force for peace, a means to overcoming prejudice? But the material world doesn’t reward these qualities! Yes, I want my kids to be creative and curious but didn’t the work ethic and analytical abilities drilled into us by old-fashioned Indian public schools make us a generation of high-achievers? Will new-age approaches to education turn my kids into under-achievers?

Multiple studies have shown that personality attributes such as grit, curiosity, and self-control are stronger predictors of achievement than IQ. Writer Paul Tough in his book, How Children Succeed, challenged what he called “the cognitive hypothesis” or the belief “that success today depends primarily on cognitive skills — the kind of intelligence that gets measured on IQ tests, including the abilities to recognise letters and words, to calculate, to detect patterns”. Instead, Tough offered a character-hypothesis or the idea that non-cognitive skills, like persistence, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control, are more crucial than raw brainpower to achieving success. Tough believes that character is created by encountering and overcoming failure. A culture that allows children to explore, take academic risks and learn from failure is a culture that creates curious, passionate, confident, and empathetic adults. As Einstein famously noted, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”.

An education system that values creativity is one that makes a deliberate effort to spark thoughtfulness and independent thinking, teaches students how to learn, instils a lifelong love of learning, pushes students to find their own interpretations, and guides the development of a strong moral compass. Creativity in education has to do with a constructivist approach to education, where learning is an active, contextualised process of knowledge construction that builds on prior knowledge, social interaction and authentic tasks, rather than the passive receiving of information.

By glorifying starting salaries and standardised tests in India, we also propagate a singular definition of intelligence that skews our incentives and priorities in unhealthy ways. This creates, for example, a society where blind obeisance to corporate imperatives is valued far more than, say, the pursuit of teaching or the arts. To be fair, this is a flaw intrinsic to capitalism but one that is at least recognised and partially redressed via generous subsidies and grants in the developed world. Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences in 1983, and posited that IQ was an inadequate measure of human ability. Beyond the linguistic and logical-mathematical skills that IQ tests entail, Gardner proposed musical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence and naturalist intelligence as key expressions of human ability that find relevance in a wide variety of professions. Gardner’s research expanded the idea of intelligence. We could do with such an expansion in India.

A society that values multiple intelligences, encourages exploration, accepts failure, prizes environmental conscientiousness, and allows people to define success on their terms may be what Pichai had in mind. For India’s over-populated, hyper-competitive context, such a reality may still be a while away. But it’s a goal that’s well worth aiming for.

Source: The Indian Express dated 19 January, 2016

BOOK BANK FACILITY FOR FE TO BE

The library is providing the “Book Bank” facility to all the students FE to BE.

Date and timings are as mentioned below :

Date : 16/01/2016

Timing :10.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 3.00pm.

Sachin Tendulkar's near-death experience while crossing rail tracks

Sachin Tendulkar recalled a scary experience which he underwent during his school days while crossing the rail tracks.

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday recalled a scary experience which he underwent during his school days while crossing the rail tracks.

The former India batsman was speaking at the launch of two initiatives by the Mumbai Railway Police - SAMEEP (Safety Alert Messages Exclusively For Passengers) and B-Safe.

"Right from the age of 11, I travelled by trains in Mumbai. When I travelled, I had a kit-bag. I have also experienced jostling, being pushed in and out of trains...these experiences will stay with me," Tendulkar said.

"In school, I had gone to Vile Parle to a friend's place. We five or six boys... had practiced in the morning and had gone to his place for lunch. Then we decided to watch a movie. After watching the movie, we got late for practice and hence we decided to cross railway tracks and go to the platform, and board the train at Dadar," he added.

The 42-year-old talking about the horrific incident said, "While crossing the tracks, halfway, we realised that trains were coming fast on all the tracks. We ended up crouching on our knees in between the tracks with our kits. That was a scary experience and then onwards we never crossed train tracks."

Tendulkar also urged all rail commuters not to sit on train roofs and to avoid travel if the train is crowded.

"I feel in today's world every minute matters, there is competition everywhere. I feel, a lot of time (the thinking is) if we cross railway tracks, then we will reach quicker, there will be benefit of five minutes instead of crossing the bridge while going to the other platform. These are small things - one, you are breaking the law, and you are risking life for five minutes," he said.

"Your family and friends are waiting for you back home and if you reach there five minutes later it really does not matter. It is important to be there, safe and sound, rather than be in hospital. I will request: do not sit on the train roof and travel if the train is crowded. Everyone is hard pressed for time, but still (I ask you), leave that train, be patient and do not break rules," Tendulkar said.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sachin-tendulkar-near-death-experience-while-crossing-rail-tracks/1/570197.html

SFIT Student's Council FB Page

Check out SFIT Student's Council Facebook Page for current updates!

Plant a tree with a few clicks

SankalpTaru’s model also benefits farmers who help in maintaining the fruit-bearing trees and benefit from them

SankalpTaru founder Apurva Bhandari. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint

New Delhi: Home to 1.2 billion people, India is the second-most populated country in the world, but its tree-to-people ratio is not very high and stands at only 28 per person. China, the only country with a higher population, has 108 trees per person, according to a recent study published inNature. To remedy the situation, technology-enabled non-government organization SankalpTaru Foundation is providing a platform to facilitate the planting of trees.

Its mobile app was launched in July 2013, aiming to bridge the gap between people’s busy schedules and their willingness to participate for an environment-friendly country.

The app helps people to plant at any desired location with a few clicks on the website or from their app, and in turn is used by the worker at the plantation site of SankalpTaru across India.

“We have plantation locations across India which range from Ladakh to Tamil Nadu. We have locations in Thar desert, Himalayas, Maharashtra and Gujarat,” said Apurva Bhandari, founder of SankalpTaru Foundation.

The model revolves around schools and rural farmers so that users can grow fruit-bearing trees that can contribute to the livelihood of farmers or involve school students and teachers in plantation activity in schools.

SankalpTaru workers will plant a sapling on behalf of the person who selects a location and makes a contribution. A mail will confirm that the sapling has been planted.

The sapling is also photographed and geotagged by the ground-level worker so that the user can see its progress as it grows into a tree and the beneficiary who will nurture it. The user then gets regular growth updates to keep him/her more connected to the tree.

“For corporations, we have taken it a step further, where we create virtual forests for them through which different employees come to that virtual forest, plant trees and the virtual forest gives a lot of branding mileage to the company and connects a lot of employees who plant trees there,” said Bhandari.

The NGO works towards two objectives: to provide people who want to plant trees with a sustainable credible platform, thus making plantation more organized.

“People claim that they have planted 1 million plants in an hour, but what happens then? We decided that every plant that is planted should grow to become a tree,” said Bhandari.

The second objective was to facilitate livelihood support programmes through tree plantation for farmers. The on-ground coordinators work closely with the beneficiary farmers in maintaining the trees and also train these beneficiaries on sustainable farming methods.

Once grown, these medicinal and fruit-bearing trees can act as a source of livelihood for the beneficiaries.

The initiative won a Manthan award in 2015 in the e-Environment category.

“If you plant a tree in a park and it grows, there is an impact on the environment. But if you grow a plant for a farmer and it becomes a tree, then it becomes the source of livelihood. IT is helping integrating the whole process and making the process transparent,” said Bhandari.

Bhandari added that the biggest challenge initially was to mobilize resources, but as the concept offered transparency and visibility, many companies showed interest in the programme and helped it kick off.

The NGO has till now planted 316,665 trees across India and has tied up with 30 countries, while more than 21,000 people have been beneficiaries.

The first tree was planted by former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in Uttarakhand.

Source:
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/eZvRUkK9ar2WJHOhn0oPrN/Plant-a-tree-with-a-few-clicks.html

New exam to replace JEE this October for admissions to engg

NEW DELHI: Learning by rote or attending coaching classes will no longer guarantee admission to popular and premier engineering institutions in the country.

The Union human resource development (HRD) ministry will soon set up a National Authority for Testing (NAT) to conduct a new entrance examination — starting this October — that will replace the two-tier joint entrance examination (JEE) main and advanced tests for entry into engineering colleges.

The JEE is a national common entrance examination conducted to provide admissions to several engineering courses.

The focus now will be to standardise the test so that it can’t be cracked by coaching institutes or “teaching shops” and learning by rote — which bring down the standard because such practices fail to teach analytical and logical skills needed for scientific research. The new system will test the logical and analytical abilities of students rather than knowledge on subjects. The first such test from October will screen students aspiring for admission to the 2017 session, sources said.

Under the new system, students will be able to write the test online four times a year. About 4,00,000 students will then be shortlisted for the joint entrance examination (JEE), which will follow the same pattern of the current advanced test and examine their knowledge of physics, chemistry and mathematics.

The score will be used f or admission to IITs and NITs.

The NAT will be constituted after approval from the Union cabinet and registered as an independent society under the HRD ministry.

The concept was given inprinciple approval by the ministry at a meeting last week, where contours of the authority were discussed.

“The NAT is a general aptitude score like SAT and will be used for JEE. The National Authority for Testing will be mandated to design and administer world-class aptitude tests to judge innovative abilities, l o gical t hinking, problem solving and critical thinking of students,” said a senior official.

Officials said the NAT would be nurtured to evolve as a globally-acclaimed organisation for educational and psychological tests with the ability to design exams for people from diverse cultural, linguistic and social backgrounds.

The NAT is likely to have a technical wing too along with wings for tests, IT, administrative and finance. “The technical wing will have educationi sts and psychometricians while the test wing will comprise administrators specialising in conducting tests,” an official said.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that the offline JEE main exam for 2016 will be held on April 3 while the online test is scheduled for April 9 and 10.

Source: Hindustan Times dated 11 January 2016

Ex-IITian comes out with innovative school learning startup

Two ex-IITians have come up with a unique open- school communication and social learning platform that allows teachers, parents and students to interact freely and effectively on mobile phones. Ritesh Singh and Akshat Goel wanted to provide innovative solutions for effective knowledge transfer in our ecosystem. Hence, they chose the name ‘Eckovation’ for their startup, a portmanteau of ecosystem, knowledge and innovation.

Eckovation allows teachers, parents and students to interact freely and effectively while safeguarding privacy. (Courtesy/Yo Success)

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Founded in March 2014, the app was finally launched this June after more than a yearlong market research and study. CEO Singh, who hails from tier-III town Chapra in 

Founded in March 2014, the app was finally launched this June after more than a yearlong market research and study. CEO Singh, who hails from tier-III town Chapra in Bihar, said he had language issues from the beginning and these never left him.

“So, I was always thinking about solutions that could help people just like me, who do not get access to quality education early in their life. I always wanted to make quality education accessible even in places where only minimal infrastructure exists. That’s how Eckovation came into being,” he told PTI.

From conceptualising to its practical usage, there were many challenges. “We first explored MOOCs (massive open online courses) but they were cumbersome and required a lot of self-discipline on the users’ part. Next, we thought about providing data analytics through an ERP system that monitors a child’s performance and equips teachers and parents with sufficient data to improve a child’s performance by finding gaps, weaknesses and strengths,” he said..

Singh says the major challenge they faced was dependence of teachers on WhatsApp. “Although teachers wanted students to join their classroom learning group, they were wary of their phone numbers falling in the hands of strangers. At the same time, teachers had to block students and parents because sometimes they did not want them to disturb them beyond office hours.”

Though the dependence on WhatsApp was a challenge but its limitations were also an opportunity for Singh and Goel. “For instance - size limit of 100 members in a group, privacy concerns, no control over conversation for teachers, so on and so forth. All of this has been taken care of in Eckovation app plus a lot more features are there to ensure education- focused communication. We are also introducing document transfer on the app. The app, by design, is very light and uses minimal Internet on your phone,” says Singh.

Eckovation allows teachers, parents and students to interact freely and effectively while safeguarding privacy. Except the teacher, it does not allow anyone to see anyone else’s mobile number in the group. “Moreover, we also observed that teachers are not very comfortable in being active 24x7 on the app and rightly so. So they can easily change the mode of the app from two-way to one way thereby disallowing anyone else but themselves from posting on the group. It ensures that teachers only interact when they want to and have the time to do so.”

Also, Eckovation allows open learning by enabling teachers who are willing to share their group code outside of classrooms. “There are 400 such teachers active on the platform. Through this, students who may not have access to quality teachers can take lessons and clarify doubts from accomplished and experienced teachers who are willing to help in their free time.” The ‘Open School Programme’ plans to bring 1 billion users on the platform by 2020.

Source: Hindustan Times