Science graduates prefer biotech: Survey

Biotechnology has emerged as the preferred choice for 82 per cent of science graduates showing interest in pursuing it as a career as against professional courses in agriculture, according to an Assocham survey.The chamber's paper on 'Prospects in Agriculture vs Biotechnology' revealed that a meagre 18 per cent of 500 science graduates said they would pursue post-graduation in agriculture to push up innovations in the sector to serve needs of 70 per cent of India's population.Due to the dependence on external factors such as rain, availability of inputs and quality seeds at affordable rate, agriculture has been unable to attract investment from the majority of businessman. The chamber said this further attributes to graduates' disinclination towards the sector

IIT-Kanpur to help Bhutan set up management school

A five-member delegation from Royal Bhutan University visited IIT Kanpur to seek its help in establishing a world class management institute in capital Thimpu.
Besides developing the infrastructure of the institute and arranging for its faculty, IIT-K will also be designing the curriculum for its MBA course.The delegation, headed by Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Bhutan University Dr. Dasho Pema Thinley, is on a two day visit of IIT-K. Acting Director of the IIT, Professor Kripashankar said that the delegation will discuss issues relating to faculty and student exchange programme, development of curriculum and IIT internships for Bhutanese students during their visit.

Coaching class bags $12 m in foreign funds

Mahesh Tutorials Educare Pvt. Ltd received FDI worth $12 million (about Rs49 crore) from Mauritius-based Helix Investments to expand its operations in India and abroad.With current revenue of Rs35.5 crore, the tutorial, which has a strong presence in Mumbai, wants to have a turnover of Rs150 crore by 2010. Most importantly, a stock market listing—an initial public offering (IPO)—could be likely in the near future.In 2000, Career Launcher received FDI of $1 million from Intel Corp.’s investment arm Intel Capital.Other coaching institutes are not far behind. Mumbai-based IITian’s PACE, which comprises former IIT professors, coaches students for the IIT entrance examination. IITian’s PACE is currently in advanced stages of talks with three foreign venture capitalists to finance a one-stop solution for all the educational needs of a child coming from the wealthy class.
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Bribery Charge

The student of IIT, Kharagpur, who had accused his teacher of demanding a bribe to change his assessment, reportedly confessed before the inquiry committee, set up to probe the charge, that he had actually wanted to pay the teacher for his grade change.The three-member inquiry committee set up by the institute’s director recorded Subhas Kumar’s statement on 16 August wherein he reportedly admitted to have offered to pay his teacher, Dr S Chakraborty, to change his grade. The inquiry committee also recorded the statements of the two witnesses to the alleged demand, Deepak Raj Kindo and Ravi Kumar, on the same day.source-Statesman