Press Information Bureau Government of India
Ministry of Human Resource Development 
 
23-February-2012 16:43 IST 
Virtual Labs Project Launched
 
The  Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of India today launched Virtual Labs — a collection of ninety-one virtual laboratories containing hundreds of experiments in nine disciplines of science and engineering. As part of Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD)’s National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), Virtual Labs is part of a comprehensive undertaking to provide easily accessible and high quality education throughout India.
 
Virtual Labs’ primary focus is to provide graduate and undergraduate college and university students with the ability to perform their required laboratory experiments using only the World Wide Web, a standard computer, and an Internet connection. Virtual Labs allow students to practice and better learn the science and engineering
behind the experiments that they are required to perform. Virtual Labs also allows the sharing of costly equipment across the country, and in very rural areas, students will be able to perform experiments that they would not otherwise be able to access.
 
Nearly 300 department heads, faculty, and staff representing 152 institutions have been trained across India. Over 20 Nodal Centres have been created, institutions who have expressed their interest to champion Virtual Labs in their organisations and geographical areas. 
 
The Pilot Phase of the Virtual Labs project started in April 2009.  During this phase, approximately twenty labs were developed as proof of concept.  The Main Phase began in April 2010.  So far, over 80 Virtual Labs have been developed, and are undergoing field trials in various parts of the country.
 
Two types of virtual labs have been developed under this project. In the Simulation Based Virtual Labs the experiments are modeled using mathematical equations.  The simulations are carried out remotely at a high-end server, and the results are communicated to the student over the internet.  Simulation based Virtual Labs are scalable and can cater to a large number of simultaneous users.
 
Using the Remote Triggered Virtual Labs the actual experiments are triggered remotely.  The output of the experiment (being conducted remotely) is communicated back to the student over the internet.  This class of Virtual Labs gives the student the output of real-time experiments.  Typically, time-slots are booked before conducting such experiments. All Virtual Labs can be accessed through a common website: www.vlab.co.in.
At the user end, a PC and broadband connectivity enables the user to access Virtual Labs.
 
These Virtual Labs will be very useful for Engineering College Students who do not have access to good lab-facilities, High-school students, whose inquisitiveness will be triggered, possibly motivating them to take up higher-studies, Researchers in different institutes who can collaborate / share equipment and engineering
colleges, who can benefit from the content and related teaching resources. Currently 85 Virtual Labs have been developed comprising of 769 experiments. Trainings and workshops have been held all over India to disseminate knowledge of these Virtual Labs. Future efforts will involve development of virtual labs in different subjects and wide dissemination of this knowledge.   
A Collaborative Platform for Development of Virtual Labs has been created that assists the faculty with authoring and maintaining Virtual Labs. The platform hosts over 825 experiments developed by many of the partner institutions. The Collaborative Platform provides the server side architecture for ensuring that virtual labs run securely, can effectively serve thousands of students simultaneously, and reserve time slots for experiments that require scheduling. The Collaborative Platform also provides tools to help teachers monitor their students’ progress and make changes to the instructional material. Student interest in Virtual Labs has also been enthusiastic. The Virtual Labs site (vlab.co.in) has had 233,570 site visits and 1,034,443 page visits in just the
last 6 months. There are over 4500 registered users from 134 countries and handles around 100GB of traffic per month with visitors from India, United States, Malaysia, Philippines, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany,Pakistan and so on. 
 
With the launch of Virtual Labs Indian students will have easy access to an encyclopedia of science and engineering knowledge presented in a way that is engaging, immersive, and enjoyable. Virtual Labs will allow students to explore, discover, and learn wherever they are and at their convenience. 
 
List of Virtual Labs that are ready 
 
A.        Electronics & Communications       
Virtual Advanced Lab for Interactive Design and Test in Electronics
Virtual Microwave Laboratory
Wireless Lab
Engineering Electro-magnetics Laboratory
Queuing Networks Modelling Lab
Hybrid electronics Lab
RF microwave characterization Lab
Transducer and instrumentation virtual lab
Electronic design using DSP,FPGA,CPLD and Micro controllers
through simulation and direct access of the hardware
Digital Electronic Circuits Laboratory
Digital Signal Processing Laboratory
Fading Channels and Mobile Communications
Basic Electronics
Systems, communication and control laboratory
Speech Signal Processing Laboratory
Digital VLSI Design Virtual lab
Signals and Systems Laboratory
Electromagnetic Theory
Virtual Electric Circuits
        
B.        Computer Science & Engineering       
Problem Solving
FPGA & Embedded systems lab
Computer Architecture & organization 
Advanced Network Technologies
Software Engineering
Data Structures
Computer Programming
Data Mining
Databases
Computer Organization
VLSI
Digital Logic Design
Speech Signal Processing
Mobile Robotics
Computer Graphics
Image Processing
Pattern Recognition
Artificial Neural Networks
Virtual Advanced VLSI Lab
Cryptography Lab
 
C.        Electrical Engineering       
 Sensors Modeling & Simulation
Industrial Automation Laboratory
PLC
Analog Signals, Network and Measurement Laboratory
Real Time Embedded Systems Laboratory
Electrical Machines Laboratory
Creative Design, Prototyping & Experiential Simulation Lab
Ergonomics Lab for Assessing Physical Aspects of Design
Virtual English and Communication
Virtual Anthropology Lab
 
D. Mechanical Engineering 
Metal Forming Lab
Vibration and Acoustics
Micromachining laboratory
Kinematics & Dynamics of Mechanisms
Mine Automation and Virtual Reality
 
E.Chemical Engineering      
Process control, reaction engineering and unit operations lab
Chemical Engineering
Simulation of Control of Magnetic Levitation System
Virtual Lab for Mass Transfer
 
F. Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering    
Bioreactor Modeling & Simulation lab 
Biomedical and Signal processing Laboratory 
Virtual Proteomics Laboratory 
Neurophysiology (pilot)
Neuron Simulation Lab (pilot)
Biochemistry Virtual Lab I 
Biochemistry Virtual Lab II
Population Ecology I
Population Ecology II
Immunology Virtual Lab I
Immunology Virtual Lab II
Microbiology Virtual Lab I
Microbiology Virtual Lab II
Molecular biology Virtual Lab I
Molecular biology Virtual Lab II
Cell biology Virtual Lab I
Cell biology Virtual Lab II
 
G.Civil Engineering   
Strength of Materials Lab
Fluid Mechanics Lab
Soil Mechanics Lab
Basic Structural Analysis Lab
Surveying Lab
 
H.Physical Sciences      
Physical sciences
Virtual Advanced Mechanics Lab
Virtual Optics Lab
Virtual Electricity & Magnetism Lab
Virtual Heat & Thermodynamics Lab
Virtual Modern Physics Lab
Virtual Harmonic Motion and Waves Lab
 
I.Chemical Sciences       
Analytical Lab
Virtual Chemistry Lab
Virtual Lab in “Charge and Particle size Determination in
Colloidal Systems”
Virtual Lab in “Absorption Spectroscopy”
Virtual Lab in “CD Spectroscopy”
Physics of Biomolecules
Physical chemistry lab
Physical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry


source :  www.vlab.co.in.

‘Talking dictionaries’ to help save languages

London: Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and the internet may help
save the world’s endangered languages, including Ho from India, from
extinction, according to linguists.
 
Some 3,500 of the world’s 7,000 languages are expected to be
extinct from use by the end of the century. Now, a team has unveiled eight
“talking dictionaries” as part of a project to save thousands of ancient
tongues on verge of extinction. 

The lexicon features Ho which is a Munda language of Austroasiatic
language family spoken primarily in India by about 3,803,126 people. Written
with the Devanagari and the Varang Kshiti scripts, it’s spoken by Ho people.
The script was founded and developed by pandit Lako Bodra.
 
Digital dictionaries also feature 32,000 written words and, 24,000
audio recordings from native speakers from remote corners of the world, ‘The
Daily Telegraph’ said.
 
David Harrison, from Swarthmore College in Philadelphia, project
leader, said, “You can have a language spoken by only 50 or 500 people in only
one location, and now through digital technology that language can achieve a
global voice. “Endangered language communities are adopting digital technology
to aid their survival and to make their voices heard around the world. This is
a positive effect of globalisation.”
 
The talking dictionaries feature languages like Siletz Dee-in from
Oregon and Matukar Panau, an Oceanic language from Papua New Guinea which has
only 600 surviving speakers. PTI 
 
Source | Times of India | 20 February 2012

Latter of Librarian : A Proposal by Heart and mind based on reality not on physolophy: true librarian

Dear Sir,

In this regard, I would like to put forth few of my views regarding the above subject. 

1. we don't have any doubts about the functioning of ILA. Yes, we all know it is active and working for the betterment of profession. But, when the sixth pay commission has send it's proposal and MHRD publish it. Then many of our senior library professionals come forward with the anomalies in the sixth pay circular. They have posted it via various online forums and some of them were also sent to our associations and UGC too. But, none of them were considered by the UGC committee. One of the issue was regarding the appointment rules of Deputy Librarian and non-requirement of Ph.D. degree for that post. That time, we expect our national level association shall come forward to help those library professionals regarding the matter. I dont know whether ILA has made some representations regarding that. But the main issue I want to put forth is maybe ILA was trying to represent but there may be a communication gap. I think ILA should communicate, whatever they are doing or trying to do for the profession via LISFORUM, NMLIS, MLOSC etc. so that it can bridge the information divide between the association and lis professionals all over.

2. We all know, the 'status of librarian' has been the subject of discussion and has been discussed on various platforms from decades and we thank ILA for achieving the payscale parity for librarians along with other teachers. But there are few other question's in my mind regarding the status of Librarians. They are,

a) The person who's holding a strong position in University, a professor status, permanent member of senate and so many other notable holding at university level is socially called as "Librarian"(University Librarian). This position need 18 years experience at librarian at college level or 13 years experience at Assistant Librarian at University level and offcourse Research and other criteria's also.

b) The person who's working in a College library as head of library department is also called as a "Librarian". This position now need PG in library and Information Science with NET/SET/SLET or Ph.D.

c) The person who's working in a Public Library at A, B, C, D level as a main person in the library mostly having no rights in decision making regards library is also called as "Librarian"(Public Librarian). Needs SSC / HSC / Graduate with 3 month library training certificate / C.Lib / B.lib.

d) UGC has given library professionals parity in payscale, but in status they are still the "other academic staff" and not the "teaching staff" in the Institution.

e) In state Maharashtra, Librarians are included in the definition of Teacher in University Act. In other few states, they are not included. In forthcoming Maharashtra Public University Act, University Librarian has be mentioned as "Director, Knowledge Resource Centre", other designation's are not being changed.

f) In Maharashtra, Government has recently accepted the demand of librarians to became a principal of college and a GR's has been published in this regard. But in other state librarians are still struggling to be a principal.

g) In Andhra Pradesh(confirm) and Karnataka(not confirm), Government College Librarians and University level Library Professionals has been designated as Professor in Library and Information Science, Associate Professor in LIS, Assistant Professor in LIS. I have the circular of Andhra Pradesh with me.

In this regard, can we expect from our association to create a draft of unique designations and get it sanctioned from UGC and MHRD(if needed) so that the library professionals can get some unique and respectable identity in their institutions and well as social life.

3. There is one more important point which we found in Maharashtra and dont know about what other state library professionals are facing. Though, Librarians are included in the definition of teachers in Maharashtra, but whenever some Government Resolution or Circular is passed regarding the college teachers, the librarians has to struggle and convince the Government to publish a separate GR for them as the Director of Education refuses the proposal of librarians b'coz of the word "Librarian" was not there in the earlier GR,Circular. This situation is faced recently when the circular on the increment in retirement age of college and university teachers is published by Government of Maharashtra. It is found that except 6th Pay, the library professionals have to struggle every time to get the benefits given to college teachers by the government, and the government also publish a separate GR for the librarians. 

4. Some College Library Professionals in Maharashtra are being considered as a teaching faculty and their names are included in Teaching Muster, but in 60% institute's their names are put in non-teaching muster. In some colleges, where library professional's name is included in the teaching muster, it is written at the bottom of the muster even after the teachers junior to him. Though, there is a circular of Joint Director Office, Nagpur(Maharashtra) in this regard, some institutes refuses to accept as they think that circular as region bounded  for Nagpur region only.  

5. To contest for the senate elections or to become a research guide(3 years teaching experience required after Ph.D.) is still a hard task for librarians as the statutes and laws ask "Teaching Experience" for these post and Librarians are kept out of it just because his working experience is not considered as teaching experience. 

6. The CAS facilities available for library professionals differs from other teachers post and they are also not included in 10% post for professors in the Institute.

As library professionals in Andhra Pradesh are being called Assistant P, Associate P and Professor, they might not be facing this problem.

I would like to request our association to look into this matter and frame some innovative guidelines at national level, so that the library professionals would not have to face problems mentioned above and also have a following suggestions.

1. The issues which are being handled by ILA in past, the issues which are under discussions with UGC and the future issues to be taken by the ILA shall be communicated either through the ILA's website or through online forums or both. 

2. The Association should make a call and accept grievance's and suggestions from the library professionals and if they are of national level should try to carry forward them and communicate all about the status of that problems. ILA can start online help forum regarding this matter.

3. The Association should publish all the GR's and Circulars regarding librarians on their website so that the library professionals who's facing the problem will get benefited.

4. The Association should formulate unique designation's (Probably Assistant Professors, Associate Professor, Professor in LIS) for all library professional around the country and get it sanctioned from UGC(& MHRD), so that the benefits given to college teachers will automatically be transferred to library professionals without any problem. Also, there is a need to change the required qualification for senate member, research guide and other equivalent designations where "teaching experience" is need,  "Experience" shall be considered instead of "Teaching experience" for these posts.

5. The Association shall try to bring parity in CAS facilities available for library professionals with other teachers post and attempts can also be made to include Library Professionals in 10% post for professors.

Anyone who has started a business has his or her own rules and guidelines, so I thought I would add to the memo with my own. My "rules" below aren't just for those founding the companies, but for those who are considering going to work for them, as well.

1. Don't start a company unless it's an obsession and something you love.

2. If you have an exit strategy, it's not an obsession.

3. Hire people who you think will love working there.

4. Sales Cure All. Know how your company will make money and how you will actually make sales.

5. Know your core competencies and focus on being great at them. Pay up for people in your core competencies. Get the best. Outside the core competencies, hire people that fit your culture but aren't as expensive to pay.

Related: Mark Cuban on Why You Should Never Listen to Your Customers 

6. An espresso machine? Are you kidding me? Coffee is for closers. Sodas are free. Lunch is a chance to get out of the office and talk. There are 24 hours in a day, and if people like their jobs, they will find ways to use as much of it as possible to do their jobs.

7. No offices. Open offices keep everyone in tune with what is going on and keep the energy up. If an employee is about privacy, show him or her how to use the lock on the bathroom. There is nothing private in a startup. This is also a good way to keep from hiring executives who cannot operate successfully in a startup. My biggest fear was always hiring someone who wanted to build an empire. If the person demands to fly first class or to bring over a personal secretary, run away. If an exec won't go on sales calls, run away. They are empire builders and will pollute your company.

8. As far as technology, go with what you know. That is always the most inexpensive way. If you know Apple, use it. If you know Vista, ask yourself why, then use it. It's a startup so there are just a few employees. Let people use what they know.

9. Keep the organization flat. If you have managers reporting to managers in a startup, you will fail. Once you get beyond startup, if you have managers reporting to managers, you will create politics.

10. Never buy swag. A sure sign of failure for a startup is when someone sends me logo-embroidered polo shirts. If your people are at shows and in public, it's okay to buy for your own employees, but if you really think people are going to wear your branded polo when they're out and about, you are mistaken and have no idea how to spend your money.

11. Never hire a PR firm. A public relations firm will call or email people in the publications you already read, on the shows you already watch and at the websites you already surf. Those people publish their emails. Whenever you consume any information related to your field, get the email of the person publishing it and send them a message introducing yourself and the company. Their job is to find new stuff. They will welcome hearing from the founder instead of some PR flack. Once you establish communication with that person, make yourself available to answer their questions about the industry and be a source for them. If you are smart, they will use you.

Related: Is Any Publicity Good Publicity?

12. Make the job fun for employees. Keep a pulse on the stress levels and accomplishments of your people and reward them. My first company, MicroSolutions, when we had a record sales month, or someone did something special, I would walk around handing out $100 bills to salespeople. At Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions, we had a company shot. The Kamikaze. We would take people to a bar every now and then and buy one or ten for everyone. At MicroSolutions, more often than not we had vendors cover the tab. Vendors always love a good party.

This article is an edited excerpt from How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It (Diversion Books, 2011) by Mark Cuban.