Software 2.0

Software 2.0 is pioneered by Andrej Karpathy. 

Neural networks are the pioneers for Software 2.0. 

"Gradient Descent can write better code than you." 

Software 2.0 consists of two components - 1. data sets that define the desired behaviour. 2. neural net architecture that gives the rough skeleton of the code.  

https://karpathy.medium.com/software-2-0-a64152b37c35

Malnutrition of children in India

This is quite a staggering figure - "Almost two million children under the age of 5 die every year in India."

The article continues "India is committed to achieving Millennium Development Goal 4 on reducing child mortality but this commitment is not reflected in this budget. Out of the total allocation earmarked for children in this budget 2009-10, only 11.1 per cent is for schemes in the child health sector."

Source

Primary and Secondary Education online resources available free

Here are few online resources available free – being promoted by the Govt/other NGOs… Got this info from a recent APJ Kalam speech…

CII-Shiksha (www.shikshaindia.org) is a free programme helping schools and teachers use technology for their teaching and learning. The Shiksha movement aims to help teachers to not just use readymade content but also become resource creators. More than 3000 schools have been provided the Shiksha content. Over 10000 teachers have access to the free Shiksha content. During the last 8 months over 1000 teachers have been trained in various Open Source e-teaching based software and this number is growing. The free Shiksha Portal can be accessed from this web portal: www.eshikshaindia.in

Sakshat - This programme is specially designed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to help the students to learn that entire syllabus of 10+1 and 10+2. The online answering system for the questions by students. You may access this from www.sakshat.ac.in.

At the primary and secondary school level, Government Municipal Schools in Karnataka have introduced the accelerated learning model using computer based animated courses. This was pioneered by the Azim Premji Foundation which has brought down dropouts from schools substantially.

NCERT has prepared the National Curriculum framework under Prof. Yashpal’s leadership (Great communicator of science) and modified the CBSE syllabus for promoting creative education at all levels through the application of learning by doing concept.

Free Computer Training Offered in Chennai

FREE NANDINI COMPUTER SCHOOL AT KORATTUR & PERUNGUDI IN CHENNAI
FOR THE BENEFIT OF LOWER INCOME GROUP

Nandini Voice For The Deprived, a Chennai based NGO invites applications from boys and girls belonging to lower income group for the six months long free computer course in Nandini Computer School. The students do not have to pay any fees whatsoever.

Free Nandini Computer School is functioning at Korattur and Perungudi in Chennai.

Free Nandini Computer School are also functioning at other centres in Tamil Nadu at Nagercoil, Dindigul and Perambalur.

At any time, around 250 students from lower income group are studying in the free Nandini Computer Schools at several centres in Tamil Nadu . In the last few years around 4000 students from lower income group including differently abled persons have passed from Nandini Computer Schools and most of them have already been placed in jobs.

In Nandini Computer School, students are taught basic computer operation including

* Introduction of the computer * Coral Draw
* DOS * DTP
* Wordstar * HTML Basic
* MS Office * Photo Shop
(MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point) * Internet browsing
* Foxpro * Tally
* Adobe Pagemaker 6.5



Boys and girls who have passed plus two and whose family income is less than Rs.4000/- per month are eligible for admission. The maximum age limit is 23 years.

Placement services would be extended to the successful students. The course would commence on 1st July, 2009.

Those who are interested can contact:

N.S.Venkataraman,
Trustee
Nandini Voice For The Deprived
M-60/1, 4th Cross Street,Besant Nagar, Chennai-600 090
Phone: 24916037
E-mail: nsvenkat@md4.vsnl.net.in
Web: www.nandinivoice.org

Source

Educational Information Awareness

I got the below information through a forward mail.
All top universities in the world including our IIT's are offering free education to everyone through video lectures, audio lectures and animations ( interactive). But a few of us know about them. This is an effort to create awareness about the Best free educational resources available in the world.
Here are...

1.Free video lectures and animations on all subjects <http://freevideolectures.com/> Huge Collection of Text materials and videos on all Engineering and Medical Sciences.

2.Joint venture by IIT's and IISc <http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/>

3.MIT Open Course <http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html> Text materials, video lectures on all subjects

4.MIT world <http://mitworld.mit.edu/> Video lectures

5.MIT lecture Browser <http://web.sls.csail.mit.edu/lectures/> browse video lectures on all topics

6.World Lecture Hall <http://web.austin.utexas.edu/wlh/index.cfm> you can find any course here, where ever it is.

7.WGBH Forum Network <http://forum.wgbh.org/wgbh/> videos on all subjects

8.Vega Science Trust <http://www.vega.org.uk/> Physics Special

9.Micro Biology Video Library <http://www.microbiologybytes.com/video/videoindex.html> Biology

10.Animations <http://www.maxanim.com/index.htm> Genetics, Biochemistry, Immunology, Physiology etc...

11.National Institutes of Health <http://videocast.nih.gov/default.asp> Medicine Special
Business, Management and Leadership

1.HBR Idea Cast Archive <http://www.hbs.edu/entrepreneurs/>

2.Interviews with Great Entrepreneurs <http://www.hbs.edu/entrepreneurs/>

3.HARVARD Working Knowledge <http://hbswk.hbs.edu/>

4.Stanford University Videos <http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/av_lectures.html>

5.Knowledge @ Wharton Business <http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm>

6.Huge Collection of many other including the above all <http://freevideolectures.com/business> .
Other Useful Search Engines
1. Google Book Search <http://books.google.com/> Search the all books.

2. Google Code Search <http://www.google.com/codesearch> searches public source code

3.Google Scholar Search <http://scholar.google.com/> searches all the Scholar papers.

4. Educational Special Search Engine <http://freevideolectures.com/search.com> searches all sites for e-books, study materials, video lectures, animations, including Google videos, Yahoo videos, you tube, Google code search, Scholar, Book search.

NREGA

NREGA is undoubtedly a program that is transforming a lot of lives in rural india. Kudos to the people behind it, including Jean Dreze one of the architects, and the PM!

Here are few interesting articles:
"The complaints are many and often justified. People are sometimes exasperated by the way the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme works. But there is unanimity on its worth and value, writes P Sainath. " More details here

"More and more women in Tripura are participating in NREGA works, ensuring success of the scheme. The challenge lies in involving the menfolk too and implementing NREGA in insurgency-hit regions. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports. " Read more here

Scholarship for First 20 Top Rank holders from Rural Govt Hr. Sec. School

Got this information from a forwarded mail:
With the mission of ensuring world-class education to meritorious students across all economic strata, SSN College of Engineering, established by HCL founder Shiv Nadar, has decided to give scholarships to 20 Plus Two first rank holders from rural government higher secondary schools in the State.
Students selected for this scholarship, amounting to Rs. 22 lakh per year, will get total financial assistance for the entire duration of their study at the college, including their hostel expenses.
A statement from the college, already offering over 400 scholarships, said eligible candidates can get the applications free by sending their requisition letter with copy of mark statement latest by May 26 to Subramaniann, Administrative Officer, SSN Trust, 211/95, V.M. Street, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. Ph. - 044 - 24986474. E-mail: subramaniann@ssn.edu.in <mailto:subramaniann@ssn.edu.in>
The requisition letter should carry details about the applicant's family, proof of having come first in the school and other details. Applications should reach the SSN Trust by June 4.

The alternative power list of India

The alternative power list of India
Quite inspiring indeed!