The  School has gone a step ahead and brought out a unique Parents and Students Handbook to familiarize them with the school. A hardbound 130 plus pages, creatively executed, a high quality book not many institutions can boast of talks about its origin, philosophy, vision, values, curriculum, campus life and many other things.

The School Board of Directors headed by Dr. R. Prabhkar Rao, Chairman and Retired Director General of Police-Andhra Pradesh, Jamuna, yester years well known actress, Justice V. Neeladri Rao and Prof. A.S. Sastry have unveiled the Hand Book.

This picturesque book is a delight to go through about it and brings the school life live to the reader.  The book is unveiled in a press conference held in city today by its Chairman of the Board Dr.R. Prabhakar Rao, who is a Retired. Director General of Police.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. R. Prabhakar Rao said Abhyasa International Residential Public School has just completed 18 Years in her Mission of preparing the Children for Life with her Vision of ” Imbuing Confidence, Creativity and Character for a Competent India ”

The unique feature of Abhyasa school Curriculum is the “Social Responsibility ” that the school imbues among her students. This is what sets the school apart from the commercial milieu ! Several of our students represented Youth Assembly at United Nations.

The school will be initiating a 24×7 medical diagnostic clinic on her Campus, for the villagers of Toopran, by this year- end, in collaboration with the US based NetdotOrange Software company that would actually provide a free online diagnostic services to the poor.

Speaking on the occasion Vinayak Kalletla, Founder Principal of the school said most schools run campaigns on the publicity of their board exam results – showcasing the 96 percent result of their students. But little do most of us stop to think : ” if a child has to score 96 percent in an examination, that covers hardly 0.5 percent of the complete knowledge available in this Universe – then how much that child would have actually neglected others learning processes in life and concentrated 100 percent on that 0.5 percent knowledge only to secure 96 percent in board exams and at the end of it all this 96 percent certificate is only a passport to Good Universities and colleges and not a real certification of the Life Skills gained by the child to prepare himself or herself for life…

Abhyasa does not position herself as a school based on her board exam results… But as a school that builds the Character and Values of the student, along with the all important Leadership and Life skills necessary to be manage Life and also manage the successes in life !

“Science Fairs are the culmination of research, hands on work, and experimentation. The enjoyable part is to witness the transfer of knowledge gained when a student explains and answers questions in a thought out way to every person that is interested in the “why” and “how” of the work the students have done” – Allan Villiers – K–8 Principal.

The students were very enthusiastic to perform their experiments.  Students learnt a lot through research about their projects and the hands on experiments .It was a fun filled day for ALL! – Ms. Poonam Singh – Grade 4A Homeroom teacher

The Science Fair experiments of Grade 4 were excellent. Children were able to relate to the topic they were handling and they were also enjoying themselves. – Nisha Prasad, Parent

The Science Fair was great fun! The parents, teachers, and students enjoyed my project on ‘Static Electricity’ as I made a Can roll towards a charged Balloon .As soon as we finished showing experiments we went to watch the ones done by other grades. I enjoyed a lot!-Vignesh

My experiment was about ” Surface tension:” and “Capillary Action” .Teachers and students were eagerly listening to my explanations of the projects I had done. I worked hard on my projects and posters. It was fun doing and sharing the experiments with so many people. – Yui Okamoto

The Science Fair was really exciting as I got to talk to many people and showed them my wonderful experiment on Reflection of Light in a Smoke Box. People could easily see and understand the process of reflection of light as it fell on a plane mirror and was reflected. -Tasnuva

Stating that it was an eye-opening experience for all, Mr. Shane Kells, Head of School, Canadian International School expressed his views on how schools play a crucial role in moulding future scientists & how modern scientific technology has brought in tremendous development in various fields thereby improving the quality of life. When students work together, they learn to appreciate each other’s’ ideas and build-up collaborative and problem solving skills, he added.

Bigger than ever, Portfolio’13 will be a two day event culminating the sincere efforts and learning of UG & PG students into Research Based Presentations, Exhibitions and Fashion Shows. Additionally, the venue will be flooded with aspiring students from outside the Academy who will come to explore their possible future in the fields of design, fashion and business at Portfolio’13.

Day One :17th May, 2013, research based business & retail presentations will be given by our students from Retail, Business & Technology departments in front of industry’s top management officials. Chief Guest, Mr. Mukesh Mathur, Executive Director and Business Head, Oracle Retail India, and Guest of Honour, Mr. Pradeep Katyal, CEO, Utsav Fashion, will grace the occasion and felicitate the award winners. Besides, there will be renowned names from the Fashion Business & Retail domains at the venue encouraging students.

Day Two : 18th May, 2013, will begin with exhibitions of students’ projects from various departments such as Textile Design, Interior Architecture & Design, Communication Design and Retail, Business & Technology Departments. Inauguration of exhibitions will be done by renowned Fashion Designers Ms. Meera Ali and Mr. Muzzaffar Ali.

A prize distribution ceremony shall be there towards the evening where winning graduating students from all the departments will be awarded by Industry leaders and Chief Guests.

The main attraction of Day two will be three Fashion Shows where ensembles created by 108 students of Fashion Design Courses will be sashayed by models on the stage. The students will be encouraged by Guests of Honour, Mr. Sunil Sethi, President, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), Rina Dhaka and Vineet Bahl, eminent fashion designers of India, at the grand finale in the evening.

Please find attached Media Invite for your reference. Kindly bring a print out of the same and we shall provide you the entry passes at the Media Registration Desk at the venue.

Event details for your reference:

Event – Portfolio’13
Date & Time:
17th May, 2013 – Day 1 (Friday) – 07:00 pm onwards (followed by drinks and snacks)
18th May, 2013 – Day 2 (Saturday) – 11:00 am – 09:00 pm (tea/coffee, snacks and lunch during the day)
Venue – Halls No.: 8, 9 & 10, Pragati Maidaan, New Delhi
(*** Entry from Gate no.: 1 & 7)

The traditional method of designing by hand rendering has been replaced by the use of computers. With the advent of computers and advanced technology, has it limited the creative ability of a designer or has enhanced the creative process of graphic designing?

Graphic design as a profession and the industry itself has gone a sea change since the advent of computers particularly since the launch of first Apple desktop workstation in early 80’s. But it was the PC desktop revolution, which reached every home due to low-cost entry and software piracy, which created the next wave of graphic design revolution. The ability to design something and then see it in the print format using a desktop color printer, was next to a magic since till mid 90’s the most common form to transfer your creation to a paper was either using the cheap Silk-Screen printing or using the expensive CYMK film based printing. Both of these were a little out of reach since one needed a client to fund the printing, but with the low-cost desktop color printers readily available, graphic design also started becoming popular. Another aspect, which popularized the heavy use of computers in graphic design process, was the ability to commit a mistake and simply press (Ctrl + Z) or the undo command, which was available in all graphic software. This was a dream as compared to the earlier handcrafted process of graphic design, where it was near to impossible to reverse a mistake. The very act of experimenting and watching it live on a monitor enabled designers to stretch their imagination far and wide. The time gap between an idea and its visual representation on screen also got reduced drastically. In the initial phase the core aspect of experimentation was software driven, where a designer worked within the limitations of software or rather a designer’s imagination was limited to software only. As the technology progressed further, better and more responsive software were available, which ran on faster and cheaper machines and such new better software further enhanced the final graphic output.

“ Most of the graphic designing ability comes from the exposure of one’s brain to new visuals. This exposure can come through books, magazines or through television as the main media. Computer generated graphics enjoyed a great fan following amongst its practitioners, so when someone got inspired from a graphic, he/she tried to create something new out of this visual inspiration. This act of getting inspired and creating something new got a big push from the ability of a designer to share the creation via internet says Vijaybahu Joshi VP- Country Design Head at Express KCS Pvt. Ltd.” With the popularization of Internet and several avenues to download free images and fonts the aspect of graphic design and originality also started getting diluted. Ulhas Moses, founder design director of UMS Design Studio also that “Designers now find it easy to create something, which they are familiar with by using computers and this has brought in a certain sense of complacency in designed products. The handwork or mixed media aspect is entirely lost but few designers from the industry are consciously working in this space too.”

Graphic design education also adopted computers as their main tool and students were expected to produce professional looking design solutions by end of their course. But leaving apart few of the good design institutions, most of the graphic design education got focused around learning the tool, which are computers, software and techniques. It is a little sad to say that computers haven’t contributed to the graphic design process and by process it means ‘the act of solving a problem’ feels Saurabh Deb an NID alumnus and Art Director with Business Standard. Computers have only contributed to the over-all visual quality of the final output and how soon this can be created. But design process by and large is still strategic and this requires a deep sighted education into graphic design and management principles. This is something, which computers can’t teach.

Essential qualities of a Good Graphic Designer. What are the vital ingredients to be ingrained in aspirants to become a good graphic designer?

One of the most vital ingredients of a good graphic designer is his/her ability to listen patiently and get in to the deeper aspects of any problem. This requires humility, patience, training and love for one’s profession says Prof. G.V Sreekumar of IDC, IIT Bombay. Most common mistake, which graphic designers often do is to confuse themselves as ‘artists’ or rather ‘fine artists’, which is an entirely different profession, because the aspect of ‘I, me and mine’ are most important in art and this is exactly opposite in Graphic Design. The key ingredients for any graphic designer are empathy, knowledge of scientific graphic design theories, branding-aesthetic sense and working knowledge of management. A good graphic designer sees his/her profession as a business, which benefits the client by solving a problem through a design solution, which is right for a given set of circumstances and also carries an acceptable visual quality. Pranay Chettri, Creative Director at MRM Worldwide – McCann also said that “A good graphic design solution doesn’t always mean that the visual quality must be that of ‘Sistine Chapel or of Taj Mahal’ but something, which is just right for the problem. Graphic designers often forget that every product or service does not require a premium class treatment. They feel offended if they are asked to create something, which is perceived as low-cost/cheap, but they also need to know that human mind feels comfortable when they see something, which they believe is cost effective and it actually turns out to be cost effective.” A good graphic designer understands very well that the notion of price, class and luxury means different to different set of people. The ability to understand this only comes from humility, knowledge and acceptance.

What are the necessary tools, which are made in use by the modern graphic designers?

The notion of tool is pretty subjective. “If you are working for a project, which requires an earthly crafty feel to it (to meet the communication objective) then your tools will be your hand and mixed media art mainly says Prachi Malandkar an alumnus of IDC, IIT Bombay and a practicing graphic designer from Mumbai.” You might have to draw, sculpt or paint something to create the graphic form. To maintain the earthly feel you might also use handcrafted script or calligraphy. You may also have to collaborate with an artist to achieve this goal. The role of high-end computer graphics will be close to nil in this situation, but yes, you still need a computer, a camera and a high-end scanner to put everything together. But if you are working for a high-end smart phone communication project, then you’ll require 3D animation, advanced special effects along with a suitable typography and imagery to convey your message. This can be only created on high-end graphic software (2D & 3D) running on advanced computer stations, where a designer controls this system using an in-screen tablet device, while using a pen-stylus. Quite a bit of such imagery is also sourced from stock photography sites. It is also very likely that for projects, which require high-end 3D imaging and special effects, more than 3-4 graphic designers will be working together, where as in the former example only a designer and an artist may be required to collaborate. For projects, which require extremely high-end and complicated graphic imagery, one might also outsource these to specialized imaging studios in India or abroad.

Today the graphic industry is moving at pace. In this competitive world of creative spectrum, how one can sustain and grow himself?

“This is a very relevant question. In the absence of a uniform education system in the Graphic Design field, most graphic designers are made to learn some bit of composition and lots of software skill, which gets redundant with the passage of time. If a designer is trained in the scientific theories in graphic design and management practices, then only with a bit of up-gradation one can shift from print to digital and vice-versa says Vijaybahu Joshi VP- Country Design Head at Express KCS Pvt. Ltd.” A good graphic designer is more focused on problem solving than aesthetic beauty, since the latter is subjective to the product and socio-economic category that the brand operates in. It is very sad that since the last 30 years, the focus of graphic design is on aesthetics and then on software techniques. The level of disappointment goes high with that fact that in India there are just a handful of two-three institutes, who teach the scientific theories in design and management as part of their visual communication course.

Another mistake, which most graphic designers do, is to limit their knowledge to art and ad-campaigns only. A good graphic designer is well connected with the financial developments in the world, technology up gradations, business sense and also empathize with the challenges, which anyone running a business may have. “I have very often noticed the frustration on a creative director’s face, when they were informed that there are financial limitations with a project and they need to innovate to communicate an idea, without going into expensive photo-shoot or ad campaigns says Ankur Kansal, former Director of Communications with American Express India.”

Scope of Graphic Designing as a Career.What are the future prospects of Graphic designing?

Realizing that innovation is the engine for the growth of prosperity and national competitiveness in the 21st century, the President of India declared, starting with 2010 as the ‘Decade of Innovation’. The Prime Minister of India approved the setting up of a National Innovation Council (NInC) under the Chairmanship of  Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the PM to discuss, analyze and help implement strategies for inclusive innovation in India and prepare a Roadmap for Innovation 2010-2020. NIC would be the first step in creating a crosscutting system, which will provide mutually reinforcing policies, recommendations and methodologies, to implement and boost innovation performance in the country.

Keeping in view the announcements made at the Nation Innovation Council and the decision to set up inclusive design centers across different educational disciplines in the country, it is very evident that the scope of design will increase and hence graphic design too will get a boost as a discipline.

What are the popular courses and institutes, one can opt for to become successful in his designing career?

Of all the choices available within the design industry; product design, graphic design, fashion design, animation design, automobile design and Interaction design are the most popular choices. With the print design industry gradually getting phased out, the value of Interaction Design will increase many folds by 2015-2020, so even if you are trained in traditional print aspects of graphic design, there is an opportunity to learn interaction design from a premier design institute and join the rising field of interaction design. Having said this, this does not mean that print design also has no interactivity in it. The entire field of traditional direct marketing, book design and board games deal in interactivity in print domain only.

It will be also worthwhile to mention here that those graphic designers who identify the discipline of design as a ‘problem solving activity’ rather than associating this as a field of aesthetics, will have a longer market demand and better job prospects, feels Saurabh Deb an NID alumnus and Art Director with Business Standard. As mentioned earlier too the most common mistake, which graphic designers often do is to confuse themselves as ‘artists’ or rather ‘fine artists’, which is an entirely different profession, because the aspect of ‘I, me and mine’ are most important in art and this is exactly opposite in Graphic Design.

Detailed list of courses in design

Graphic designing is a broader term. What all occupations / placements one can avail while choosing graphic designing as a career path?

The two clear choices, which exist within the domain of graphic design is between print design and interaction design. Being a print designer there are several kind of industries you can opt for viz. you can join a magazine design, newspaper design or book design group. All these will come under publication design. Besides that you can also join an advertising or design firm, which offers several kind of creative services to external clients on a project-to-project or retainer basis. You can also join the in-house design teams of any large or small corporate firm and help them with their internal or external marketing objectives. Many pharmaceutical firms have such internal design facility with them. If you have a good command on English and are trained in design management too besides your graphic design education, then you can join also specialized brand development firms operating in India. Some of these are international design firms too. If you have a good financial backing, then you can also establish your own design firm.

Similar level of opportunities also exists for interaction designers. Several advertising offices have in-house digital design divisions and with new exclusive firms offering services in digital domain only, the opportunity to join these firms is also there. Besides this being an interaction designer you can also join a software development firm, commercial web portal or any other corporate or institution as part of their in-house web development team. You can also join a media house in their in-house design division for their motion-graphic assignments, but for this you need to do a motion graphic course for television media.

————— By Vijaybahu Joshi

Note: Design course details are available at : www.designinindia.net

Author’s Profile:

Vijaybahu Joshi is a senior design professional with over 17 years of industry experience. He has worked in the past with leading advertising agencies, brand consultancies and design firms as Sr. Creative & Design Director. He specializes in Brand identity development, advertising communication design, direct marketing campaigns, web design and communication process management.

In his present role as a VP & Country Design Head at Express KCS, he is responsible for setting the corporate design vision for the organisation and also creating a framework for design improvement across all service verticals of design. Besides this he also heads the Design & innovation cell at ExpressKCS, which conducts research and designs the quality improvement programs, perform design audits, work on new project trials and also offer design support for the Marketing needs of the organization.

Vijaybahu holds a master’s degree in Design (M.Des) from Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay with specialization in visual communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (B.Arch) from The School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

There was celebration all around as 573 students who passed out from the University with flying colors were awarded their degrees today.

Among the students who were awarded degrees were 511 B Tech pass outs, 29 M Tech, 30 MBA and 3 LLM.

The function was presided over by Justice AK Patnaik, Hon’ble Judge of the Supreme Court of India, who as the chief guest inspired the students by his powerful speech.

The Judge told the students that while they excel in their profession, they must also remember their social responsibility and work to improve the communities within which they live and work.

Joy and enthusiasm was palpable at the campus as the alumni collected their degrees and rejoiced while sharing memorable moments with their friends.

Speaking at the occasion, Prof Prem Vrat, Vice Chancellor of the ITM University lauded the achievement of three of the institution’s engineering students who have secured top ranks at the Maharishi Dyanand University, Rohtak, with which ITM was hitherto affiliated.

“Aakanksha Pahwa of Electronics and Instrumentation, Lokesh Choudhary from the Department of Civil Engineering and Mr. Yatin Garg of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, have topped amongst over 70 engineering institutions, affiliated to the Maharishi Dyanand University. In fact most of the top 20 positions in MDU have been secured by our students,” said a proud Vice Chancellor.

The main objective of this initiative is to help students in their last minute preparation for the CET exam and guide them in their preparation for seat selection through ipomo’s unique room concept. Based on its past experience of supporting students for CET, ipomo’s CET Room 2013 will comprise of 203psi, Rank-Seat Finder, College Info and CET Announcements.

203psi is a unique self-assessment service with which students can evaluate their knowledge and problem solving skills in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology. The scores appear immediately after a test and prepare the students to face the pressure of CET.

As an initial step, periodic tests will be conducted and students will have an opportunity to compete with their peers across the state. The first round of tests, innovatively called “Good Night Tests” – will be held at 10 pm every day, starting from April 19th till April 26th 2013. 20 questions will be asked for each subject (Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology) to be completed within 20 minutes.  The final test will be conducted on April 28, 2013, in which there are 60 questions for each subject to be completed in 60 minutes.  The instantaneous results will enable the students to know their position among other participants.

After the CET exams, Rank-Seat Finder service in the app helps the students to find the right courses/colleges for them based on their expected test results and be prepared for the counselling. Colleges are filtered based on the cut-off ranks of previous year CET admission.

College info provides details on various colleges highlighting their facilities and strengths for the aspirants.

CET Announcements include CET related news and developments, available on regular basis. The CET Room on ipomo can provide effective and user-friendly support to parents and students during the entire cycle of CET administration process.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hari Prakash Shanbhog, Founder & Managing Director, ipomo said, “We are indeed glad to introduce the first of its kind app to the student community across the state, preparing for the CET exams. This is a well structured program and help students to understand how prepared they are to attempt the exams. As a self assessment tool, this app enables the student to check their ability to perform under pressure.  All information is available under one roof on the click of a button. “

This free app can be downloaded in three quick steps:
•         SMS <ipomo> 7259002341
•         A return message from ipomo will indicate the web link from where the app can be downloaded
•         Clicking on the web link will download the application.

The students/parents can download this app into his/her GPRS enabled mobile. It is intelligent and flexible enough to adjust and render, based on the mobile phone capability – ranging from feature phone to smartphone.

The company was looking to hire fresh MBA & B.Com/BBA students. The position offered by the company to the students was Asst. Sales manager with a salary package of Rs. 216000 Per Annum.

On the occasion the company personnel Ms. Tanya and Harish Kumar Usretey were welcomed by the staff members. The presentation about the company profile and job specification was given by Ms. Tanya.

Ajay Khare, Director, Career College of Management, said, “The students were looking enthusiastic towards the campus drive. As per the interest of the students, we are inviting the companies for the placement purposes.”

The recruitment process started with written test and was followed by the personal interviews of short listed candidates. The company selected 10 students in the campus drive.

Prof. Pradeep Jain, Director, Career College graced the occasion with his presence. Mrs. Smita Gupta, Dean, Academics helped students with their queries and wished them all the best for the placements.

Incidents have occurred around the world, where a handful of institutions misled students by charging excessive fees or providing a poor quality of education; damaging the reputation of the international education sector.  The Government of B.C. is taking a leading role in addressing the issue.

To ensure high quality education remains one of British Columbia’s competitive advantages, the Province continues to strengthen quality assurance, which serves as the foundation of the post-secondary education system. B.C.’s. EQA seal enables international students to readily see which post-secondary institutions are recognized as having met or exceeded government quality assurance standards in British Columbia. The Government’s seal of quality demonstrates the level of commitment the Province has to the international students that come to B.C. each year.

International education is estimated to be the fifth largest industry in BC, generating annual revenue of over $1.8 billion. There are over 100,000 international students studying in B.C. from countries such as the UK, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and throughout North America. When an international student chooses to study at an institution with the EQA seal, they can be assured they will receive a quality education.

The students of Career College of Management organized a plantation program at their premises recently. These students very well understand the importance of trees in our life and contributed their bit in making the world a better place to live.

The plantation program was organized under NSS (National Service Scheme). The students of NSS unit of the college participated in the activity and planted the trees in the college premises. They all pledged to plant more and more trees with the time and take care of the plants and to provide with basic needs as and when needed. The students also took the responsibility of awakening the citizens by telling them the importance of trees in our lives.

Dr, Ajay Khare, Director, Career College of Management, said, “Nowadays, everywhere we hear the ongoing destruction of our natural resources. The simplest thing that we can do to help is to plant a tree. It is such a simple and basic task, and the truth is that, every tree makes a difference. The plantation program organized by our students under the NSS activity was an initiative to save our planet.”

Career College of Management offers uncompromising quality of education, thus motivating students to become good career professionals and also responsible citizens. The college aims to give to its student’s practical business orientation and encourages students to be involved in live projects of industry during the course of study.

Sydney Institute of Business and Technology (SIBT – part of the global education group Navitas) provides students with a launch pad for success and a softer transition to the second year of Macquarie University, after completing their first year units at SIBT.

Like many students from New Delhi, Jia Trivedi received top marks in her final year of school and was eager to enrol in a top university. After reviewing her long term options, she realised that she would need more than a top degree to set her apart in a job interview, and an international education with work experience was likely to make her resume more competitive.

Jia, 21, started looking at overseas universities in the UK, America and Australia before setting her sights on Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. The only hurdle was the lack of an October intake for the Degree of Commerce. Jia was not willing to wait until Macquarie’s first semester in February so she turned to SIBT.

“I realised that waiting up to six months to start university could leave me at a competitive disadvantage, so I enrolled in the Diploma of Commerce program at SIBT. By the end of the first semester I knew I had made the right choice. My high marks and the smaller more supportive environment made the transition from my year 12 studies to university level learning much easier,” Jia said.

SIBT Campus Director & Principal Sonia Jeffares said overseas diploma and pathway programs have long been stigmatised by parents and students who see them as a back-door route to university studies. However this stereotype is definitely changing.

“More than half of the students currently enrolled in our Diploma programs are top students. These students and their parents are aware that the additional support and smaller learning environment at SIBT can provide a smoother transition from high school to university level course work. Most of our students continue to be high achievers, both in their final two years of university and indeed in their chosen careers,” Ms Jeffares said.

Jia is an example of this high achieving cohort, having graduated from SIBT as a top student and continuing to excel in her Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Macquarie University. She is currently interning at Coca-Cola Amatol, working in Accounts Receivable – a career making opportunity.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in enquiries and enrolments from students all around India who are keen to enroll in the prestigious Macquarie University programs, but would like to start their overseas studies in an environment more customised to their individual needs,” Ms Jeffares said.

SIBT prides itself on the support system provided to students, such as one-on-one time with the teachers, academic drop-in sessions and early academic intervention strategies. Students’ academic success is the main priority and with the progression rate higher than the national average, the system can be considered a success.

Pathway institutions have become a popular route for students whose parents may worry that the transition from a private school environment to a large university campus may be difficult for their child, Ms Jeffares said.