[Assam] Day2: Assam 2007: Pt2; engg colleges, NRAs & C

Tue Jul 3 22:04:55 PDT 2007

Thank you, Umesh for providing an exhaustive account of Assam 2007.

--Ram da

On 7/3/07, umesh sharma <jaipurschool at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi,
>
> In the Day 2 of the meeting (on Sunday July 1st, 2007) we arrived just in
> time to have the lunch (got value for money - the $110 we had paid each for
> the Assam 2007) - I was able to identify the dish with the shrimp (and
> avoided a painful alergy outbreak ) .
>
> At the same time meeting of Assam Society was going on - I could make out
> the sentences in English which were focused on non-profit work and
> fund-raising (of about $2,500 only) and projects been sponsored and
> monitored in Assam.
>
>  Later Partha-da Gogoi presented a passionate presentation for the
> self-help groups and business initiative and mentoring for engineering
> students etc  http://www.nepif.weblet.in/   North East Professional
> Institutes Forum
>
> under the leadership of Assam Institute of Management
> http://www.aimguwahati.com/ -- which was later shown in front of the Chief
> Minister --
>
> alongwith a presentation slideshow of http://www.pearllifeline.com/ funded
> and spearheaded by an NRI/NRA
> http://www.assamtribune.com/may0507/Photo4.html who advised US President
> George Bush on medical stuff.
>
>
> http://www.posoowa.org/2007/06/30/a-need-for-expanding-engineering-education-facilities-in-assam-for-economic-growth-and-human-development/
> After that was the persuasive presentation for promoting engineering
> college by Jugal-da Kalita based on research by Jugal-da (IIT , Phd UPenn -
> Ivy League Univ, Prof Computer Science, Colorado) , Umesh-da Tabildar (IIT ,
> NASA, USA ), Jukti-da Kalita (IIT, IIM, PhD Columbia) , Mantu-da Bhaishya (
> BITS, Pilani ) , Ganesh-a Bora (PhD Kansas - Agriculture engineering)  ,
> Durba-da Bhattacharya (Prof Computer science - Tejpur Univ, Assam)
>
> --- with comments on it by  Gautom Barua (Director IIT- Guwahati Computer
> Science) and other IIT profs and Dipankar-da Medhi (Prof Computer Science at
> Kansas and AssamNet Co-founder)
>
> The Chief Minster was in a state of bliss --- especially after the
> negative reception  he received at Boston conference where he was only
> questioned about the annual flooding of Guwahati (he later spoke of Global
> Warming which might lead initail floods by melting of glaciers followed by
> drought - when no more glaciers). He said that he is so pleased with these
> presentation which have a positive note and aim to improve the situation of
> Assam.
>
> Main Points of the engineering college presentation -- Orissa has 13,000
> employed by Infosys for computer work -- even though has much worse travel
> connection than Assam. Gautam Barua (IIT - G director) was told by Infosys
> Chief (Nilekani is IIT batchmate of Gautam-da ) that Assam only produces 750
> engg grads compared to 13,000 by Orissa - and Infosys wants 80% of its
> employees to be local -atleast.
>
> Second, Assam has 2.5% of India's population but only 0.2% of its
> engineering colleges and only 0.17% of its engineering graduates. I agreed
> with Jugal-da that engineering education might act as a "pull" in improving
> basic education (at school level) .
>
>  Later during lunch Jugal-da, Partha-da and others were having lively
> discussion with the CM. The CM had declared that his govt had declared
> already that the year 2007 was the Year of Education and passed a Bill
> (confirmed by his ADC later to  me) to open privately run engineering
> colleges etc. Jugal-da however, told me that he was not able to lay hands on
> any such Bill being passed by Assam govt - but may have been introduced.
>
> I was within one feet of the CM and  even made eye contact but I conceded
> to the stalwarts waiting to talk to him - who could have more immediate
> impact or synergy.
>
> Partha-da in his very professional approach  showed that it was possible
> to  have business outreach delegations to US  -- since backward states like
> Jharkhand and  Uttranchal have been  making waves in US. Utpal-da Brahma
> (IIT, IIM  and  National Defense  Academy  selected  ) was of the opinion
> that  first  local Indian companies need to  be invited to Assam and  based
> on their  performance MNCs would  get attracted to  invest  (FDI) in Assam.
>
>
> There are more than one way to skin a cat , however!!!!
>
> Jugal-da and Partha-da rightly noted that NRAs have yet to get involved
> with entrepreneurial ventures and thus, professional education is the key to
> economic development of Assam -- a fact whole heartedly agreed  to by Assam
> Chief Minister.
> He did say the Assam's economy was growing at 3% before his tenure and now
> is at 6% and want it to go up to 8-9%  to catch up with rest of India - and
> negated my question (anonymous) that corruption was on the rise otherwise
> how could current growth be possible.
>
> (My comment - Indian embassy in DC has now opened doors for anyone seeking
> corroption of any other info - under RTI - Right To Info Act)
>
> Any comments?
>
> Umesh
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Umesh Sharma
>
> Washington D.C.
>
> 1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
>
> Ed.M. - International Education Policy
> Harvard Graduate School of Education,
> Harvard University,
> Class of 2005
>
> http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
>
> http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
>
>
>
>
> www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
>
>
>
>
> http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
>
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