Albert Einstein

About Einstein...

Einstein's father

 

Einstein's mother

 

House of Einstein

 

Einstein's childhood photo

 

School class photograph in Munich , 1889. Einstein is in the front row, second from right. 
He did well only in mathematics and in Latin (whose logic he admired).

Was Einstein's Brain Different?

 

Of course it was-people's brains are as different as their faces. In his lifetime many wondered if there was anything especially different in Einstein's. He insisted that on his death his brain be made available for research. When Einstein died in 1955, pathologist Thomas Harvey quickly preserved the brain and made samples and sections. He reported that he could see nothing unusual. The variations were within the range of normal human variations. There the matter rested until 1999. Inspecting samples that Harvey had carefully preserved, Sandra F. Witelson and colleagues discovered that Einstein's brain lacked a particular small wrinkle (the parietal operculum) that most people have. Perhaps in compensation, other regions on each side were a bit enlarged-the inferior parietal lobes. These regions are known to have something to do with visual imagery and mathematical thinking. Thus Einstein was apparently better equipped than most people for a certain type of thinking. Yet others of his day were probably at least as well equipped-Henri Poincaré and David Hilbert, for example, were formidable visual and mathematical thinkers, both were on the trail of relativity, yet Einstein got far ahead of them. What he did with his brain depended on the nurturing of family and friends, a solid German and Swiss education, and his own bold personality.

A late bloomer: Even at the age of nine Einstein spoke hesitantly, and his parents feared that he was below average intelligence. Did he have a learning or personality disability (such as "Asperger's syndrome," a mild form of autism)? There is not enough historical evidence to say. Probably Albert was simply a thoughtful and somewhat shy child. If he had some difficulties in school, the problem was probably resistance to the authoritarian German teachers, perhaps compounded by the awkward situation of a Jewish boy in a Catholic school.

Einstein in the Bern patent office

 

Einstein when his light bending theory conformed

 

Einstein in Berlin with political figures

 

Einstein in a Berlin synagogue in 1930, 
playing his violin for a charity concert.

 

The Solvay Congress of 1927

 

 

E = MC^2

 

 

 

POSTWAR SIGNING

 

Einstein in his study in his home in Berlin, 1919.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Einstein at his home in Princeton, New Jersey

 

 

signature of the legend

 

   

  

Source: Internet

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Dr. B. R Ambedkar

Bhagavad Gita

Book
Bhagavad Gita

Complete List of Noble Prizes Winners

Complete List of Noble Prizes Winners

For complete list of noble prizes winners visit the following site.


http://www.nobelprize.org/

ఇంజినీరింగ్ లో చేరారా? ఇది మీకోసం!

ఇంజినీరింగ్ లో చేరారా? ఇది మీకోసం!

ఎంసెట్‌ కౌన్సెలింగ్‌ ప్రక్రియ దాదాపు పూర్తయి, రాష్ట్రంలోని ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ కాలేజీల్లో తరగతులు ప్రారంభమయ్యాయి.

మనరాష్ట్రంలో ఏటా లక్షల సంఖ్యలో విద్యార్థులు ఇంజినీరింగ్‌లో చేరుతున్నారు. కానీ వీరిలో చాలా తక్కువమంది మాత్రమే మంచి ఉద్యోగాలు  సాధించ గలుగుతున్నారు.

కాలేజీలో ప్రవేశించిన రోజు నుంచే ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ కోర్సు స్వభావం, కెరియర్‌పై విద్యార్థులు అవగాహన పెంపొందించుకుంటే ఆశించిన ఫలితం ఉంటుంది.

ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ను విజయవంతంగా పూర్తిచేయడంతోపాటు, మంచి భవిష్యత్తును అందుకోవాలంటే... మొదటి ఏడాది నుంచే చక్కటి ప్రణాళికతో కార్యాచరణను రూపొందించుకోవాలి.

దీనికి ఉపకరించే సూచనలతో ఈ కథనం... రచయిత డి.నిరంజన్‌బాబు


ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ కోర్సుల్లో చేరిన విద్యార్థులు మొదటగా కాలేజీ వాతావరణంలో త్వరగా ఇమిడిపోవడానికి ప్రయత్నించాలి. చాలామంది విద్యార్థులు గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాలు, చిన్న పట్టణాల్లో ఇంటర్మీడియట్‌ పూర్తిచేసుకొని ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ కోసం నగరాలకు వెళ్తున్నారు. అందువల్ల విద్యార్థులు మొదట కాలేజీ పరిసరాలకు అలవాటుపడటం, ఇతర విద్యార్థులతో స్నేహపూర్వకంగా మెలగడం, కాలేజీలో అందుబాటులో ఉన్న వివిధ సౌకర్యాలను తెలుసుకోవడం ముఖ్యం.

మీరు చేరిన యూనివర్సిటీ పరిధిలో ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ మొదటి సంవత్సరం అకడమిక్‌ క్యాలెండర్‌ను క్షుణ్నంగా తెలుసుకోవాలి. బ్రాంచికి సంబంధించిన తొలి ఏడాది సిలబస్‌, అవసరమైన పాఠ్యపుస్తకాలను సేకరించుకోవాలి. కాలేజీ సమయాన్ని దృష్టిలో ఉంచుకొని ఇతర కార్యకలాపాలకు సమయాన్ని కేటాయించుకోవాలి.

తరగతి నుంచి నేర్చుకునేది సగమే..!
మనరాష్ట్రంలోని యూనివర్సిటీల్లో మొదటి ఏడాది ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ తరగతులు సాధారణంగా సెప్టెంబరు మధ్య నుంచి ప్రారంభమై, ఏప్రిల్‌-మే 2012తో ముగుస్తాయి. సెలవులను మినహాయిస్తే 7-8 నెలల్లో క్లాస్‌ వర్క్‌ పూర్తవుతుంది. సెమిస్టర్‌ పద్ధతైనా, వార్షిక పద్ధతైనా... మొదటి ఏడాది విద్యా ప్రణాళిక తీరిక లేకుండా ఉంటుంది. విద్యార్థులకు విశ్రాంతి తీసుకునే సమయం పెద్దగా ఉండదు. దీన్ని దృష్టిలో ఉంచుకొని విద్యార్థులు స్వల్ప, దీర్ఘ కాలాలకు పటిష్ఠమైన ప్రణాళికను తయారుచేసుకోవాలి. ఏప్రిల్‌ నాటికి ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ కోర్సును విజయవంతంగా పూర్తిచేయడం ఎలాగనేది దీర్ఘకాలిక ప్రణాళిక కిందికి వస్తుంది. రోజువారీ తరగతులు, చదువుకోవడం, ఇంటర్నల్‌ పరీక్షలను ఎదుర్కోవడం మొదలైనవి స్వల్పకాల ప్రణాళికగా రూపొందించుకోవాలి.

* తరగతులకు హాజరవడం, కాలేజీకి తిరగడానికి పట్టే సమయంపోగా మిగిలిన కాలాన్ని హోమ్‌ వర్క్‌కు, పాఠ్యపుస్తకాలు చదువుకోవడానికి, ఇతర అంశాలకు ప్రణాళికా బద్ధంగా కేటాయించుకోవాలి.

* వృత్తివిద్యా కోర్సుల్లో కాలేజీ తరగతుల నుంచి నేర్చుకునేది 50 శాతమే ఉంటుంది. మిగతా సగాన్ని లైబ్రరీ, బృంద చర్చలు, ఫ్యాకల్టీతో మాట్లాడటం ద్వారా నేర్చుకోవాలి. విద్యార్థి సొంత ప్రణాళిక, ఆసక్తి, చొరవపైనే ఇది ఆధారపడి ఉంటుంది. ఈ దశ నుంచే సొంతగా నేర్చుకోవడం అలవాటు చేసుకోవడం కెరియర్‌కు చాలా మంచిది. పాఠ్యపుస్తకాలను చదవడం, స్వయంగా నోట్సు తయారుచేసుకోవడం ద్వారా ప్రయోజనం ఉంటుంది.

క్లాసులో జరిగే బోధన నుంచి విద్యార్థులు వీలైనంత ఎక్కువగా గ్రహించడానికి కృషిచేయాలి. దీనికి అవసరమైన కొన్ని సూచనలు...

* క్లాసులోకి ప్రవేశించే ముందు మెదడును ప్రశాంతంగా ఉంచుకోవాలి. బోధన ప్రారంభం కావడానికి పది నిమిషాల ముందే క్లాసుకు చేరుకోవాలి.
* అధ్యాపకులు చెప్పే అంశాలపై దృష్టి కేంద్రీకరించాలి.
* రన్నింగ్‌ నోట్సు రాసుకోవాలి. ముఖ్యమైన సాంకేతిక అంశాలను నోట్‌ చేసుకోవాలి.
* క్లాసులో, డిపార్ట్‌మెంట్‌లో మీకు తలెత్తే సందేహాలను అడిగి, నివృతి చేసుకోవడానికి ప్రయత్నించాలి.
* క్లాసులో నీరసంగా ఉండకూడదు, నిద్రపోవద్దు.
* క్రమం తప్పకుండా కాలేజీకి, క్లాసులకు హాజరవ్వాలి. చాలా యూనివర్సిటీల్లో హాజరుకు కూడా మార్కులుంటాయి.
* ఏరోజు హోమ్‌వర్క్‌ ఆరోజు పూర్తిచేయాలి.
* క్లాసులో చెప్పబోయే పాఠ్యాంశాన్ని ఇంటిదగ్గర ముందుగానే ఒకసారి చూసుకొని వెళ్లడం మంచిది.

తరగతులు పూర్తయ్యాక...
క్లాసులు పూర్తయ్యాక ఏం చేస్తున్నారనేది కూడా చాలా ముఖ్యం. రోజూ లైబ్రరీకి వెళ్లడం అలవాటు చేసుకోవాలి. క్లాసులో చెప్పిన అంశాలపై లైబ్రరీలోని వివిధ పాఠ్యపుస్తకాలను చదివి అవగాహన పెంపొందించుకోవాలి. పాఠ్యాంశాలపై మరింత స్పష్టత కోసం అవసరమైతే ఇంటర్నెట్‌ను ఉపయోగించుకోవచ్చు. ఇంటర్నెట్‌లో ప్రముఖ సంస్థల అధ్యాపకుల ఉపన్యాసాలు, మెటీరియల్‌ లభిస్తాయి. మీరు ఎంచుకున్న బ్రాంచిలో, సబ్జెక్టుల్లో తాజా పరిణామాలను ఎప్పటికప్పుడు తెలుసుకోవడం తప్పనిసరి. వారానికోసారి అకడమిక్‌ జర్నళ్లను, మేగజీన్లను చదవడం ద్వారా ఇది సాధ్యమవుతుంది.

* క్లాసులోని ఇతర విద్యార్థులతో స్నేహపూర్వకంగా మెలగాలి. ఒకట్రెండు వారాలు సహ విద్యార్థులను పరిశీలించి, మీ ప్రవర్తన, ఆలోచనా ధోరణికి సరిపోయేవారితో పరిచయం పెంచుకోవచ్చు. వారితో సబ్జెక్టు గురించి చర్చించవచ్చు. పాఠ్యపుస్తకాలు, మెటీరియల్‌ లాంటివి పంచుకోవచ్చు. దీనివల్ల భయం, ఇతరులకంటే తాను తక్కువ ప్రతిభ గలవాడినేమోననే ఆందోళన దూరమవుతాయి. అధ్యాపకులతో కలివిడిగా మెలుగుతూ సబ్జెక్టు సందేహాలను నివృతి చేసుకోవాలి.

సిద్ధాంతం - ఆచరణ
వృత్తివిద్యా కోర్సుల్లో ప్రాక్టికల్స్‌కు ఎనలేని ప్రాధాన్యం ఉంటుంది. ఇంజినీరింగ్‌లో రాణించాలంటే ప్రాక్టికల్స్‌లో ప్రతిభ చూపాలి. సిద్థాంతాలు, ప్రయోగాలను కలిపి అర్థం చేసుకోవడం ద్వారా సబ్జెక్టుపై స్పష్టత పెరుగుతుంది. ప్రాక్టికల్స్‌లో ఎంత ఎక్కువగా అనుభవం ఉంటే అంత మంచిది. దీనివల్ల విశ్లేషణ సామర్థ్యాలు పెరగడంతోపాటు ఆత్మవిశ్వాసం పెంపొందుతుంది.

* మొదటి ఏడాది ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ కోర్సులో 75 శాతం సబ్జెక్టులు సైన్స్‌, హ్యుమానిటీస్‌కు సంబంధించి ఉంటాయి. మిగిలిన 25 శాతం కామన్‌ సబ్జెక్టులు ఉంటాయి. దాదాపు అన్ని యూనివర్సిటీల పరిధిలో మొదటి సంవత్సరం 90 శాతం సబ్జెక్టులు అన్ని బ్రాంచీల విద్యార్థులకు ఒకే విధంగా ఉంటాయి. ఒకట్రెండు పేపర్ల విషయంలో తేడాలు ఉండొచ్చు. పాఠశాల స్థాయి నుంచి చదువుతుంటారు కాబట్టి ప్రాథమిక సబ్జెక్టులైన మేథమేటిక్స్‌, ఫిజిక్స్‌, కెమిస్ట్రీ సంబంధిత అంశాలను తేలిగ్గానే అర్థం చేసుకోవచ్చు.

* ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ సంబంధిత సబ్జెక్టులైన డ్రాయింగ్‌, ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ మెకానిక్స్‌, ఎలక్ట్రానిక్‌ డివైజెస్‌ అండ్‌ సర్క్యూట్‌ థియరీ (సర్క్యూట్‌ బ్రాంచిల వారికి); కంప్యూటర్‌ ప్రోగ్రామింగ్‌ సబ్జెక్టులు విద్యార్థులకు కష్టం అనిపించవచ్చు. క్లాసులో ఇచ్చే వర్క్‌షీట్‌లను క్రమం తప్పకుండా సాధన చేయడం ద్వారా ఈ సబ్జెక్టులో మంచి మార్కులు తెచ్చుకోవచ్చు. అలాగే పాత ప్రశ్నపత్రాలను, పాఠ్యపుస్తకాల్లో ఇచ్చే అభ్యాసాలను సాధన చేస్తే వీటిపై పట్టు సాధించవచ్చు.

భవిష్యత్తుకు పునాది...
దీర్ఘకాలిక ప్రణాళికలో భాగంగా మీకు ఏ రంగం అంటే బాగా ఆసక్తి ఉందో తెలుసుకోవాలి. ఇంజినీరింగ్‌ పూర్తయ్యాక ఉన్నత చదువులకు వెళ్లవచ్చు లేదా ఉద్యోగం చూసుకోవచ్చు. ఎం.టెక్‌., ఎం.ఎస్‌., ఎంబీఏ, తదితర ఉన్నత కోర్సులు చేయాలంటే గేట్‌, జీఆర్‌ఈ, టోఫెల్‌, క్యాట్‌ లాంటి పరీక్షలు రాయాలి. వీటిపై ఇప్పటినుంచే అవగాహన ఏర్పరచుకోవాలి. ఆయా పరీక్షల స్వభావం ఎలా ఉంటుంది, ఏ అంశాలుంటాయో తెలుసుకొని సంబంధిత మెటీరియల్‌ను సేకరించుకోవాలి. బీటెక్‌ తర్వాత ఉద్యోగం చేయాలనుకుంటే క్యాంపస్‌ ప్లేస్‌మెంట్లకు అవసరమైన సామర్థ్యాలపై దృష్టిపెట్టాలి. టీసీఎస్‌, ఇన్ఫోసిస్‌, విప్రో, సీఎంసీ, హెచ్‌సీఎల్‌, తదితర కంపెనీల నియామక పద్ధతులపై అవగాహన పెంపొందించుకోవాలి. ఐఈఎస్‌, యూపీఎస్‌సీ, ఏపీపీఎస్సీ పోటీ పరీక్షలతోపాటు ప్రభుత్వ రంగ సంస్థలైన ఇస్రో, డీఆర్‌డీఓ, బీఈఎల్‌, భెల్‌, ఎన్టీపీసీ, వీఎస్‌పీ, బీఎస్‌ఎన్‌ఎల్‌ మొదలైన కంపెనీల్లో మీ బ్రాంచీకి లభించే ఉద్యోగాలు, కంపెనీల నియామక విధానాల గురించి తెలుసుకోవాలి.

* క్యాంపస్‌ నియామకాల సందర్భంలో కంపెనీలు సబ్జెక్టు తెలివితేటలతోపాటు కమ్యూనికేషన్‌ సామర్థ్యాలు, చురుకుదనం, నాయకత్వ లక్షణాలు, నలుగురిలో కలిసి పనిచేయడం, పని పట్ల నిబద్ధత, సాఫ్ట్‌ స్కిల్స్‌, ప్రవర్తన, వ్యక్తిత్వం, ఆలోచనా ధోరణి, తదితర లక్షణాలను క్షుణ్నంగా పరిశీలిస్తాయి. అందువల్ల ఇప్పటి నుంచే వీటిపై అవగాహన ఏర్పరచుకొని, సామర్థ్యాలను పెంపొందించుకోవాలి.

* ఇంగ్లిష్‌లో భావ వ్యక్తీకరణ సామర్థ్యాలు నేటి అవసరం. ఇందులో వెనుకబడిన విద్యార్థులు ప్రత్యేకంగా దృష్టిపెట్టి నేర్చుకోవాలి. ఇంగ్లిష్‌లో ప్రావీణ్యం అభ్యర్థిలో ఆత్మవిశ్వాసాన్ని పెంపొందిస్తుంది. ఎన్డీటీవీ లాంటి ఇంగ్లిష్‌ వార్తా చానెళ్లను చూస్తూ ఉచ్చారణను గమనించాలి. ఇంగ్లిష్‌లో మాట్లాడాల్సిన అవసరం వస్తే 'ఎస్‌' లేదా 'నో' అని ముగించకుండా, చిన్న చిన్న వాక్యాలు మాట్లాడటానికి ప్రయత్నించాలి. రోజూ కొంత సమయం ఆంగ్ల దినపత్రికలను చదవడానికి కేటాయించాలి. ఆసక్తికరమైన సైన్స్‌ జర్నళ్లను చదవొచ్చు. క్రాస్‌వర్డ్స్‌, జంబుల్స్‌ లాంటివి సాధన చేస్తే ప్రయోజనం ఉంటుంది.

source: http://chaduvupage.blogspot.com

Companies look for leadership traits

Companies Look for Leadership Traits

Students not just falter only in communication skills but majority lack knowledge in their core subjects, say experts


Get started: Most of the HR managers test the candidates grip over area of specialisation, understanding of mathematics and statistics and project work. At 23, Sridhar a graduate in computer science engineering, from a reputed private engineering college, finds himself at a crossroads. He could not get into a company via the campus drives and neither has he had the inclination for higher studies. His academic track record is impressive, but he says that he faltered in the interviews due to lack of good communication skills.

A recent survey by NASSCOM says that only 25 per cent of the students churned out from the numerous engineering colleges are readily employable. While at the same time, China is scoring ahead, ticking at almost 85 per cent on the employability quotient.

It is not just that the students falter only in the arena of communication skills, majority of them lack knowledge in their core subjects, be it mechanical engineering or computer science engineering, says the Centre Head of Mahindra Satyam Ravi Eswarapu. “Companies look for certain skills, and the skill sets differ from company to company. Companies like Google and Yahoo may look for skills in core subject areas, whereas companies like Infosys, Wipro or for that matter Mahindra Satyam might look for graduates who are okay with the subjects but are good in communication skills. Whatever may be the matter, a majority of the students lack the requisite skill sets,” says he.

IT scenario

Despite the depressing atmosphere in Europe, US lowering its dependency on India and slashing its billing rates and competitors like China, Philippines and Mexico catching up fast – The IT industry is growing and will grow. Ravi points out that the domestic sector will play a major role in the coming years. He says that there is no dearth in quantity, but the quality is very low. “The percentage of entry level hiring is steady and will be growing, but at present many of the companies are switching on to low cost alternatives such as B.Sc. (computer science). The idea is, when the same work can be extracted from a B.Sc. graduate, why invest on hiring an engineer and spending the same amount of money on training,” he says.

It is estimated that IT and ITES companies in India spend millions on training for the entry level entrants.

The problem of skill sets is not very pertinent with tier-I institutes, it is more relevant and prevalent in tier II and III institutes.

Considering engineering entrants in the IT sector, skill sets can be divided into five categories- technology, process, project management, soft skills and academic excellence. When it comes to technology most of the IT companies come with the assumption that the candidates would have programming knowledge of C, C++, Java and HTML, Database Management System, Data Structures and Algorithms.

The companies also look for candidates who have the basic understanding of software engineering, business and system requirements management, software design, software testing, software quality management, software configuration management and software reverse engineering.

The companies feel that the candidates should have the knowledge of project management concepts.

Knowledge of English language, both in oral and written format, is a must. Further companies look for leadership traits, business etiquette, team player features, attitude, passion towards work and meeting etiquette.

Most of the HR managers test the candidates grip over area of specialisation, understanding of mathematics and statistics and project work.

“Project work plays and important role in the recruitment of a candidate and students should not take project work lightly. More than the project that one has done, the recruiters look for the comment given the assessor,” points out Ravi Eswarapu.

Principal of Pydah College of Engineering and Technology R.P. Das adds, “project work is an integral part of the engineering study. And it is disheartening to note that students do not pay any interest. It has already been found out that there are many hubs that sell project works to students for a handsome fee. Neither this practice nor the ‘cut and paste' culture are a healthy trend. And that is one reason why we have introduced the idea of doing projects within the campus and we give all support, including mentorship,” says Prof. Das.


Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-educationplus/article2337974.ece

For want of higher-order skills

                              Have all skills?: Graduating engineers need to have multiple talents


Engineering students are neither creative nor good at problem solving and hence fail to get jobs in the competitive global market


The Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell is all set to commence the counselling process for admissions to engineering courses from July 7. Students should be careful in their choice of college. The quality of teaching staff, lab facilities and other infrastructure vary from college to college and have a bearing on the process of learning and acquiring skills.


A recent research revealed that engineering graduates in the country are falling short of professional, core employability and communication skills. Engineers with such skills are in short supply in IT and infrastructure, power and water, and many other sectors.

The survey conducted by the World Bank — “Employability and Skill Set of Newly Graduated Engineers in India” (2011) — stated a majority of employers in India are not satisfied with the skills of newly hired engineering graduates. Only 64 per cent of employers said they are “somewhat satisfied” with the current engineering graduates. Abut 3.9 per cent of employers rate the skills as “not at all satisfied” while 16.1 per cent are “not very satisfied.”

The higher education system has responded to the increased demand for engineers by massively expanding production of engineers. For example, Karnataka alone provides admissions to 70,000 students in 184 engineering colleges. But the system has not addressed the issue of imparting quality education and the kinds of skills demanded by employers in the global market.

Comparison

The survey report, authored by Andreas Blom and Hiroshi Saeki, found that engineering graduates were not good at problem solving, creativity, use of modern tools, system designing to needs, application of mathematics, science and engineering knowledge and customer service. They lacked knowledge of contemporary issues too. The survey said that “Indian employers are less satisfied with their engineers compared to U.S. employers.” There has been an average decline in the quality of students, said the Bank which surveyed employers in 20 sectors, including IT, power and infrastructure.

Must-learn skills

Half of the respondents were large companies with over 500 employees, with 40 per cent from North India, 27 per cent from the West and 19 per cent from the South. Interestingly, where the employers found the fresh engineering graduates most lacking in is critical thinking and problem solving.

Besides professional skills, the employers look for (a) core employability skills, which cover generic attitudinal and affective skills such as reliability and team work; and (b) communication skills. Employability and communications skills are often referred to as soft skills. Engineers who are in high demand possess these sets.

Employers are likely to perceive soft skills asmore important than professional skills. However, engineering graduates with limited and weak professional skillsare undesirable for employers.

The report said memorising textbooks for examinations is not a skill appreciated by the employers.

Many experts ask if the Indian engineering education system trains students to memorise science and engineering knowledge, without adequately emphasising the applicability, analysis and out-of-the-box thinking that employers look for.

Engineering firms look for more analytical and creative engineers to compete for value-added IT orders in the global market.

Institutions need to focus on learning rather than memorisation and mere understanding.

The report said the curricula should be designed in a way where students learn complex and practical issues within a limited time.

Collaboration

Employers ask for different professional skillsdepending upon the economic sectors they are involved in, the firm size and the region. Colleges have to prepare their graduates to meet the demand for skills from different sectors and hence have to increase their interaction with various kinds of employers.

Colleges should customise programme outcomes to meet the specific demand. Further, extra-curriculum activities such as internships and involvement of institutions with community would also help students to deepen the understanding of demanded skills and respond well to the market.

The employers think that graduates are relatively strong in lower-order thinking skills such as knowledge and understanding, use of basic and advanced computers, and applying knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering, but fall short when it comes to the more complex tasks such as application of appropriate tools to solve a problem, and analysis and interpretation.

Another area, considered most important by employers, and where a large gap was found is ‘soft skills' — integrity, teamwork, reliability and willingness to learn.

However, most employers were very satisfied with the English communication skills of the new graduates. “The survey found that colleges are doing very well meeting the demand for English skills, since the graduates are rated in English.”

The reasons for demanding higher-order thinking skills are likely to be a result of increased international and national competition, the focus on increased quality products and innovation.

As skills acquired at school and at the workplace become obsolete more quickly in the globalisation era, higher-order thinking skills and an ability to learn new and more complex skills are indispensible to respond to accelerating technological change.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/education/issues/article2134691.ece

When was the last time we planted a tree?

When was the last time we planted a tree?
                                                  - ARVIND SRIVATSAV

Every year World Environment Day just passes by — people paste posters of a green world, distribute pamphlets on planting saplings and saving trees. Free tree saplings, free vermi compost bags are also on offer. Not to mention the e-mail forwards on how to revive the green cover.

Is this enough? While the world is moving in geometric progression, the one plant that we have got on our desktop table is less than a billion fractions in comparison.

We are doing our bit, isn't it? By doing what? When was the last time we planted a tree or a shrub in our neighbourhood? Except for a handful of green lovers who continue to believe in a green world, and are desperate in handing down a green environment to future generations, all others are busy sending out emails and/or sms. It is our day out in a year to plant some seeds in our garden (?) just for the sake of doing it. Do we follow it up? Do we water it and nurture it? Some enthusiastic children are given saplings in schools or volunteers take home saplings to their luxurious apartments that have cemented surroundings and do not host a terrace garden. The plants wilt with no one having time to tend them with care.

Take a look at the realtor's map. Basement for parking 20 cars, pavement for a morning jog, 60 x 40 space for a gym, 30 x 40 party hall, 10,200 sq. ft. auditorium, so on and so forth. Did we read 1 sq.m for every 30 sq.m-long space for 10 trees? I guess not. Trees, the darlings of lung space, are not part of the plan. The blueprint will consume unnecessary space if we plant some trees. Trees can be messy with fallen leaves and broken branches, noisy monkeys and chirping birds. We want the maximum benefit out of the space. Neither the builder nor the buyer is worried about the green posts on the walkways.

We are moving into a passive world, where we expect somebody to read our emails, sms, and posts and plant those trees for us; we won't do it ourselves.

We are sincere citizens and would continue to light 10 bulbs in the training rooms when just four are enough. Drive an SUV with just one person and expect the government to give us wide roads by cutting the trees. We use plastic bags while we can afford to carry a cloth bag or jute bag to the store. The cart vendor whips out a thin non-reusable plastic bag to pack the vegetables or fruits right at our doorstep. Do we have the heart to refuse and run up for a bowl or bag back home?
Global warming cannot be contained by half-hearted, lackadaisical tree planting measures. It is high time we realised that forwarding emails does nothing better than igniting a fraction of a billion brains to go green.

  source: http://www.hindu.com/op/2011/06/05/stories/2011060552641900.htm

Mother Teresa Quotes

Mother Teresa Quotes

Here are some famous quotes by Mother Teresa. These quotes reveal her thinking and are a guiding light and source of inspiration to others.

• Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

• Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.

• Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.

• Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

• Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.

• Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.

• Good works are links that form a chain of love.

• Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

• I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.

• I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.

• I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.

• I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

• I think I'm more difficult than critical.

• I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?

• I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn't touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God. " If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

• If we want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.

• If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

• If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

• If you want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.

• In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

• Intense love does not measure, it just gives.

• It is a kingly act to assist the fallen.

• It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.

• It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.

• It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.

• It is impossible to walk rapidly and be unhappy

• Jesus said love one another. He didn't say love the whole world.

• Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.

• Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.

• Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

• Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.

• Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given.

• Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.

• Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.

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• Loneliness is the most terrible poverty.

• Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.

• Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.

• Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home.

• Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus.

• One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.

• Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.

• Peace begins with a smile.

• So many signatures for such a small heart.

• Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.

• Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my high vocation, and its many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness, or impatience.

• The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.

• The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.

• The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

• The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved.

• The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.

• The success of love is in the loving - it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done.

• There are no great things, only small things with great love. Happy are those.

• There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.

• There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.

• There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things that we could use.

• There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough.

• We are all pencils in the hand of God.

• We can do no great things, only small things with great love.

• We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.

• We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

• We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.

• We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

• Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.

• We, the unwilling,led by the unknowing,are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much,for so long,with so little,we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.