Bits & bytes
"India's young workforce to give it an edge"

In the coming years, India will benefit from a huge advantage compared to other countries — a young labour force, resident director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr Josh Felman, said in Mumbai recently.

''At a time when Japan and even China are ageing rapidly, more than half of India's population is below the age of 25. In fact, India will account for one-quarter of the increase in the world's workforce over the next five years,'' said Dr Felman while addressing the first ICRIER-Nehru Centre Seminar on the 'State of the Economy' held at Nehru Center in Mumbai.

The seminar was chaired by chairman, IDFC Asset Management, Dr Vijay Kelkar, who is also the General Body member, Nehru Centre.

Competition and opportunity have made companies more efficient and profitable, in turn spurring investment and exports and boosting economic growth, pointed out Dr Felman. Hence, he insisted that investment is now as important as consumption and in the process, the economy has been transformed. The export sector is now more important than agriculture and the industrial sector is blossoming. The economy may be taking off, he added. — UNI

Scholarship for NRI children

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has launched a scholarship programme for Non-Resident Indian children for the academic year 2007-08.

Under the scheme titled Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC), 100 admission-cum-scholarships will be offered each year for undergraduate courses in Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management, Journalism, Hotel management, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

"A booklet containing details of the programme can be obtained from the Indian Missions or from the ministry's website," Vinod K Sachdeva, spokesperson for the Indian High Commission in Canada said recently.

The last date for receipt of applications is March 23.

Entrance tests will be conducted on May 6, he said. — PTI

Aptech Computer Education, the flagship brand of global learning solutions major Aptech Limited, has launched a state-of-the-art centre at San Salvador, El Salvador. Aptech has opened up this centre at the Universidad Francisco Gavidia (UFG) campus.

UFG is San Salvador's Premier University for Technology and Science studies with over 10,000 students and provides education using classroom, television and virtual (Internet) modes. The Aptech Certified Computer Professional (ACCP) Programme would be offered as one of the Higher Education Professional Programmes, from their Centro de Educaci`F3n Continua (Centre of Continuing Education), housed on the university campus.

Says CEO and Managing Director, Aptech, Pramod Khera, "With the inauguration of Aptech’s center in El Salvador, a new horizon of new-age technology has been thrown open for students here. Industry today demands highly trained and academically fit individuals to drive the industry and economy. The opening of this centre is a very positive step towards achieving this. I wish this venture great success."

Aptech’s current international operations encompass countries across Africa, Latin America, South East Asia, China, West Asia, APAC and SAARC. — TNS

Brunel University (UK) has announced an International Engineering Design Competition for those non-UK students who have received an offer of a place on the Engineering Design M.Sc programme at the university. The winners would receive a `A32,500, `A32,000 or `A31,500 bursary as the prize. The deadline for entering the competition is May 15, 2007.

The eligibility requirement for Brunel University’s Engineering Design M.Sc programme is a good first or second class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and an IELTS score of 6.0 or more. The programme has been accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers as equivalent qualification to Part III of their CEng requirement, the holder of which will gain admission to the Chartered Mechanical Engineer class. The course is one year’s duration and the fee for the 2007/8 session is `A310,200. For more details, email: chandigarh@educationoverseas.com — TNS