GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) is open for receiving applications

GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) is open for receiving applications.

https://appsgate.iitm.ac.in is the only official GATE 2019 online application portal. !!!

Important Notices

·         Do you have any Corrections to be Incorporated in the completed application? GOAPS Portal opens for corrections from25/9/2018  

·         Increase in application fee will be effective during the extended period, from September 24, 2018 (Monday) to October 1, 2018 (Monday)  

Application Fee with Dates
Examination Centres in India	During Sept 1-23, 2018	During the Extended Period (Sept 24 – Oct 1, 2018)
SC/ST/PwD/Female Candidates	₹ 750	₹1250
All other Candidates	₹ 1500	₹ 2000
Examination Centres outside India (All Candidates)
Addis Ababa, Colombo, Dhaka & Kathmandu	US$ 50	US$ 70
Dubai and Singapore	US$ 100	US$ 120

·         In case, the candidate has made multiple payments, only the successful payment will be considered for GATE 2019 application.

·         For unsuccessful payment(s), candidates will get the refundable amount automatically.

·         Application Status: Under Scrutiny

·         If the status of your application is “Under Scrutiny”. You need not worry. Wait till the scrutiny team process your application. Only those candidates whose applications need to be rectified in photo/signature/supporting documents, will be contacted by email and SMS. The scrutiny process will continue even after the application portal is closed.

·         The receipt of SMS and Email OTPs by the candidates is taking a little longer time, as the number of applicants using the GOAPS site is drastically increased for the past two days. Therefore, requests the candidates to go ahead with filling the application and payment without waiting for the OTP verification. The OTP verifications can be done even after the payment.

Important Dates

GATE Online Application Processing System (GOAPS) Website Opens		Saturday	1st September 2018
Closing Date for Submission of (Online) Application		Sunday	Extended to 23rd September 2018, 18:00 hrs
Extended Closing Date for Submission of (Online) Application		Monday	1st October 2018
Last Date for Requesting Change of Examination City (an additional fee will be applicable)		Friday	16th November 2018
Admit Card will be available in the Online Application Portal (for printing)		Friday	4th January 2019
GATE 2019 Examination	Forenoon 9:30 AM to 12:30 Noon (Tentative) Afternoon 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM (Tentative)	Saturday Sunday	2nd February 2019 3rd February 2019
		Saturday Sunday	9th February 2019 10th February 2019
Announcement of the Results in the Online Application Portal		Saturday	16th March 2019

Source: http://gate.iitm.ac.in/ (accessed on September 25, 2018)

A look at India’s deep digital literacy divide and why it needs to be bridged

We need to start by understanding digital literacy rates for the public and private sector, and also education sector. We need data for the status, the progress and the proliferation of digitisation across regions, gender and social strata.

By: FE Bureau | New Delhi | Published: September 24, 2018 1:22 AM

Bridging the great Indian digital literacy divide

Always on, always available, always enabled—this is the world of Generation C (“connected”) who will have grown up in a primarily digital world by 2020, according to a recent report by PwC. Computers, internet, mobile phones, texting, social networking are an integral part of their world. Their familiarity with technology and reliance on mobile communications will transform the way this generation works, entertains, collaborates, consumes and creates. Experts predict that 26 billion or more sensors and devices will be connected to the internet by 2020, bringing in an era of machine intelligence that is already re-framing the world of humans. While technologists and researchers prepare for the future of digitisation, it is imperative to develop a framework that will build a solid foundation for countries, governments, organisations and individuals to navigate this change.

To prepare for the wave of digital transformation, building digital skills is as essential as creating digital infrastructure, starting with a progressive focus on digital literacy and general literacy. Those who lack either will find themselves sidelined. This has been recognised as UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), where one of the monitoring indicators calls on countries to track digital literacy skills. But we have to ask ourselves: What exactly does it mean to achieve a minimum level of digital skills? A good starting point would be to understand digital literacy, India’s position on digital literacy rates, the importance of digital literacy and, indeed, of the digital Indian.

India’s digital literacy ladder

While India asserts itself as one of the world’s largest growing economies, a recent report by the Digital Empowerment Foundation indicates that 30% of our population lags on basic literacy and thrice that for digital literacy. The government launched Digital India in 2015 to digitally empower every citizen. While its potential benefits are unquestionable, challenges remain, including delayed infrastructure development, bandwidth availability, personal computer penetration and the capacity to scale.

If India were to optimise the opportunities emerging out of the modern digital economy, we would need to leverage the full potential of our digital investments, through a standardised set of programmes implemented at various levels via the machinery of governments, corporates and education institutions.

Here are five early approaches for the near and long term:

Definition: A consistent definition of ‘digital literacy’ is required for the purposes of data collection, analyses and measurements by the government and its administrators. The American Library Association says: “Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” Hiller Spires of North Carolina State University views digital literacy in three buckets: (1) Finding and consuming digital content; (2) creating digital content; (3) communicating or sharing. India’s National Digital Literacy Mission trains people to operate digital devices, and to access the government’s e-governance services at its basic levels. Each of these renders a different operational plan, and clarity is required for progress.

Direction: A national digital literacy policy to monitor the digital divide across states and cities recognising the multidimensional nature of digital literacy. There are three challenges here: First, prioritising based on a grass-roots approach; second, aligning with sectoral and national growth targets; and third, remaining internationally relevant both in the near and long term. The policy also needs to answer questions on whether the role of digitising a country is only the job of the government or whether public-private partnerships (PPP) can help move the needle. The questions of digital equity are key: Can digitisation reach the haves and have-nots? Which generation will benefit the most from a digital India? We need a roadmap bridging the digital divide. The first question to answer, of course, has to be: What comes first, digital India or digital Indian?

Design: A framework to establish an ideal categorisation of creation and consumption of content. From an architect to a blogger, there is a tremendous volume of work happening in India that contributes to the digital output of the country. The potential impact of all the digital creation in India is underestimated. While consumption of content is evident across demographics, the need for increased creation is of significant importance to an emerging digital economy.

Data: If any transformational change needs to begin from the grass-roots level, we need to start by understanding digital literacy rates for the government, the public and private sector, and surely the education sector. We need data for the status, the progress and the proliferation of digitisation across regions, gender and social strata. We also need stronger studies to identify the opportunity for every citizen to experience the value technology can bring to the way they live, work and exist.

Drive: The inevitable and rapidly evolving human-machine relationship will mean that either we are driven by technology, or that we drive the change. In fact, early technology touchpoints with children will mean that parents, teachers and educational institutions will need to adopt a set of methodologies to achieve an appropriate balance of creation and consumption of technology in the formative years of children. Yes, these future digital Indians will be the flag-bearers of the prospects of our country and investing in them now will help reap the full benefits of India’s digital dividend.

By- Meeta Sengupta & P Krishnakumar. Meeta Sengupta is a writer, speaker and education advisor. P Krishnakumar is senior vice-president & general manager, Consumer & Small Business, Dell India

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/a-look-at-indias-deep-digital-literacy-divide-and-why-it-needs-to-be-bridged/1323822/ (accessed on September 25, 2018)

Opinion | Implications of data mirroring

Opinion | Implications of data mirroring

It remains to be seen whether such a policy will backfire when it comes to the potential threat of data colonialism

Data is the new oil and a driver of growth and change. Indeed, India is a supposed to become data rich before becoming economically rich. This digital growth is being pushed by large foreign digital companies. They are largely fuelled by the data of their users. And they are being welcomed by the establishment as is evident by the visits of the prime minister and Union information technology minister to Silicon Valley over the past few years as part of the Digital India campaign.

Important sectors such as e-commerce, social media, digital entertainment, online communication, and information and communication technology (ICT) hardware in India are predominantly served by foreign companies, or domestic companies funded by foreign capital.

Indian users today are accessing digital technology-driven services not only within India’s national boundaries, but also outside its jurisdiction. Consequently, these foreign service providers are free to process the personal data of millions of Indians within their own shores. The advancement of digital tools and technology in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), has enabled them to monitor and profile user behaviour, preferences and even daily routines, granting them the potential power to influence their decisions through targeted communications.

Many experts have been ringing the alarm bells for the past few years, warning the government of digital colonialism by such companies. Data is now considered a strategic asset by many, and data driven network effects coupled with user feedback loops have given first mover advantage to the more developed western world. The data processed by these companies is not only used offshore to track and profile users, but is also fed as fuel into modern technologies like AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), which are touted to be the drivers of modern manufacturing, service delivery and governance. Perhaps that’s why it is Silicon Valley that is expected to lead the way in researching, implementing and controlling digital technologies, earning it the reputation of being the new Rome.

Recognising the gravity of the issue, the Srikrishna committee in its draft data protection bill has rightly observed that the freedom to share personal data in the digital economy works selectively in the interests of certain countries that have been early movers. These countries can support a completely open digital economy without any detriment to their national interests by virtue of their technological advancement. It goes on to state that popular websites owned by foreign entities refuse to provide data to Indian law enforcement agencies in many instances. It has also flagged other related critical issues in the realm of personal data protection and data sovereignty, such as preventing foreign surveillance and fostering AI in India, all of which need to be addressed.

However, it remains to be seen whether the bill will backfire with respect to the potential threat of data colonialism.

The path recommended by the committee to accomplish the feat is mandating local storage of a copy of user’s data, or data mirroring, something which has not gone down well with its critics. Contemporary public discourse interprets digital colonialism as a large global economy wherein small local players are left out. It has also been argued by industry players, academia and consumer groups that mandating data mirroring will raise entry barriers in the Indian market and adversely impact a variety of smaller domestic stakeholders, such as start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises .

Valid concerns in this regard are based on the premise that large foreign companies will be able to mobilise the requisite resources to invest in setting up their data centres (DCs) within India, though the same may not be possible for smaller domestic companies. The possible enhanced costs of setting up or renting such infrastructure along with the non-availability of cheaper foreign cloud services may affect their business interests. It may also impact their access to the use of the latest technology.

Such entry barriers, coupled with fears of potential long-term adverse impact on innovation and economic growth, may deepen the existing issues of monopolisation of data and the digital economy, leading to enhanced risks of digital colonialism.

Though with the right intention, it seems that the committee has taken the most obvious path to achieve data sovereignty without exploring other and possibly better alternatives.

The observation of the committee must be treated as a recommendation—one that should be judged from the perspective of India having to carefully balance the possible benefits of localisation with the costs involved in mandating such a policy.

Accordingly, there is a need to do a regulatory impact assessment or cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the proposed data mirroring mandate before its enactment and implementation. This need is further exacerbated considering the committee’s observation that there was no conclusive evidence presented to them demonstrating a CBA on the above arguments and counter-arguments.

This effectively means that though a draft law has been formulated, it is yet to be determined whether data mirroring will do more harm than good.

Pradeep s. Mehta is the secretary general of CUTS International.

Sidarth Narain contributed to this article.

Comments are welcome at theirview@livemint.com

Source: https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/ELRMxxWJR0qwHgjmMN3wfO/Opinion--Implications-of-data-mirroring.html (accessed on September 25, 2018)

Artwork of Drawing & Painting Contest 2018

FIRST PRIZE WINNER - JESSICA D'SOUZA (BE CMPN A)

SECOND PRIZE WINNER - HARSHAD MHATRE (TE EXTC A)

THIRD PRIZE WINNER - YOGITA LIKHI (FE CMPN A)

RUNNER UP: MOUSUMI HALDER (FE EXTC A)

RUNNER UP - PURNIMA KUBDE (ASST. PROF., INFT)

Display Journals on 6th Sept.2018

Display Journals on 6th Sept.2018

World’s 1st Blockchain Experience Centre launched in India

World’s 1st Blockchain Experience Center - Blockspace has been launched in Noida. It will become a key driving force for global technology companies working on blockchain to come to India. It is the only space to focus dedicatedly on Blockchain technology, with their incubator program the focus is to support and build great startups and products from India and take it to the global market. The blockspace also has a Blockchain library for people to read and learn about this technology for free. Soon Blockspace will be opening at international locations such as London, Zurich, Dominican Republic and more!
To bridge the gap between global and Indian pace of growth of companies in new technologies such as Blockchain, EL International Group and Proviar has launched BlockSpace. It will be the go to place for Blockchain related up skilling, consulting, investment and product development. It also offers a co working space for companies working in new technologies. Requests from international companies have started pouring in for the virtual offices service offered by Blockspace.
The launch was followed by a sessions and discussions by Evan Luthra , Serial Entrepreneur and Investor; Sandro Stephen  India Angel Network; Bibin Babu , Founder Blockspace ; Suresh Mansharmani , Founder Tajurba International and Sam Baisla, Founder NeXel South Africa. People from various parts of the country and industries joined the launch event. Participation from companies like IBM India, GSK, American Express, KPMG, Fortis, HCL, DHL, NTPC, OLA, HDFC Bank and more displayed the interest various industries have in a promising technology such as Blockchain.

To read the full article, visit:
http://bwcio.businessworld.in/article/World-s-1st-Blockchain-Experience-Centre-launched-in-India/04-09-2018-159228/ 

 

BOOK BANK FACILITY FOR FE

LEARNING & INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTRE

BOOK BANK FACILITY FOR FE

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

Date & Timing is as mentioned below :

Classes	Date	Timing
FE	05/09/2018	12.15 PM  to 1.00 PM

The “Book Bank” system works as under:

1) A maximum of 2(two) books can be issued.

2) They are requested to pay an amount of  Rs.20/- for Donated Books and 20% of the Original cost on remaining books.

Students are requested to return the book on or before 15/01/2019; failing which a fine of Re.1 per day (inclusive of holidays) will be charged.

Students are requested to note the following:

1) DO NOT disfigure (markings, tear, underline etc.) any of the books; failing which you would be liable to pay Rs.100/- per book and/or replace the book.

2) It is expected that the students maintain the books in good reading conditions.

3) Book Bank facility is available to the valid SFIT library members only.

4) Return the books on or before the due date.

The list of books in the Book Bank will be made available on the college library web page http://www.sfitengg.org/library > List of Book Bank Books.

STUDENTS WILL BE PROVIDED BOOKS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.