ZILS launches Kidscare division

Kidscare, the childcare division of the Mumbai-based Zee Interactive Learning Systems Ltd which has over 400 Kidzee franchised schools across India and abroad, is poised to enter the childcare market whose potential is valued at Rs.10,000 crore per annum. According to Arun Khetan, chief executive of ZILS, the rapid socio-economic change of the past two decades and emergence of nuclear families and “two job households” has necessitated the delegation of care and supervision of children to childcare centres. “By excelling in the domain of pre-school education ZILS has not only succeeded in addressing the needs of contemporary society, but has also mastered the art of addressing the growing toddler, which has won the appreciation of thousands of parents, who underwent the unique Kidzee experience. This has given us the expertise and confidence to essay backward integration into the childcare sector with the promotion of Kidscare,” says Khetan. The concept originated with the launch of Zee Education about a decade ago and more specifically with the launch of Kidzee, a household name for providing quality pre-school education through a network of more than 400 schools spread over 180 locations in India and UAE. Novel engineering degree programme IPS Academy, Indore has introduced a four-year engineering degree programme in fire technology and safety engineering approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The academy has taken up the challenge to fight natural and man made disasters by providing educated and trained people in this field, in collaboration with the Institute of Safety and Fire technology (IFSFT), Indore. “By virtue of its growing role in saving life and property on a large scale, safety and fire engineering is fast becoming a noble profession. Indian industry estimates the requirement of industrial safety and fire technology personnel at over 100,000 per year. Anybody investing his future in this sunrise industry is creating a great opportunity for himself, in addition to getting a head start over job seekers in other fields,” says Prof. A.L. Mehta, director of IFSFT. Zhejiang Medical invites applications Zhejiang Medical University (ZMU) China, situated on the outskirts of Shanghai, has announced terms for its MBBS intake for the academic year starting September 2006. The base eligibility criterion for admission is a minimum 60 percent average in physics, chemistry and biology in Plus Two. Established in 1912, ZMU is one of the oldest higher education institutions in China and is managed by the education department of the government of China. With a faculty strength of 3,500 full-time and associate professors spread over 22 schools, ZMU offers 212 education programmes in its 130 departments and 34 specialist schools. ZMU also has a teaching hospital with a capacity of 5,000 beds. Moreover to promote self and supplementary study, its library comprises 6,260,000 volumes, over 100,000 e-books and 17,000 journal subscriptions. The curriculum is as per the requirement of the Medical Council of India and WHO (World Health Organisation). The medium of instruction is English. “ZMU’s residential facilities are of international standard with air conditioning and heating systems…