From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jun 10: In a novel initiative, Karnataka has constituted a 20-member Karnataka State Innovation Council headed by H P Kincha, Chairman, Department of Electrical Engineering of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, which is perhaps the first of its kind in the state in the entire country.
The Karnataka Knowledge Commission headed Prof K Kasturirangan had recommended the constitution of the Council in the State.
The main terms of reference to the council are: to support the Government to promote innovation in the State; map opportunities for innovation and identify and reward talent in innovation; and dissemination of success stories.
Other members of the State council are: Dr Deviprasad Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Hrudalaya, Bangalore; Kiran Muzumdar Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director, Bicon Ltd, Bangalore; Janardhana Swamy, MP, Chitradurga; M S Valiathan, national research professor, Manipal University; V S Ramamurthy, director, NIAS, Bangalore; Dileep K Ranmjekar, CEO, Azim Premji Foundation; R S Deshpande, ISEC Director, Bangalore; S Sadagopan, IIIT Director, Bangalore; V S Hegde, scientific secretary, ISRO, Bangalore; M P Kumar, Chairman and CEO, Global Edge Software Ltd, Bangalore; Ramji Raghavan, chairman, Agastya Foundation, Bangalore; K R Sridhara Murthi, senior expert, office of Adviser to Prime Minister, Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation, Central Government; the Vice chancellor, VITU, Belgaum; Venkatesh Murthy, founder, coordinator, Youth for Seva; the principal secretary of Higher Education Department of the State; the principal secretary of E-governance Department of the State; the principal secretary of IT, BT and Science and Technology Department of the State; ad M K Sridhar, member secretary, and executive director, Karnataka Knowledge Commission, Bangalore, said a government notification.
2-day Meet on Quality Improvement in Schools
A two-day convention of officials of the Education Department to debate on issues concerning improving quality of education in schools would be held on June 23 and 24.
Officials of the rank of Block Educational Officers and above would be invited to the interaction to the convention and about 500 officials would take part, according to the Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri.
He said a committee has been set up to guide the department on improving standards of education in vocational training centres under National Vocational Educational Qualification Framework Policy which was evolved by the Centre.
To give a new dimension to vocational education, he said new methods would be adopted and introduced from the next academic year (2012-13), he said.
Industries would be involved in the exercise so that these vocational training centres can roll out the manpower that suits the industry, Kageri said.
The government is conducting a special programme in all its schools on July 5, 2011, with the participation of elected representatives to attract more students in Government run schools. MLAs, MPs and elected members of all local bodies would participate in school programmes on that day, he said.
The state is initiating measures to implement the Right to Education Act and the Law Department has been asked to draft the necessary rules, he said.