Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, Lonavla Established in 1924, KYI is a premier, highly respected yoga teaching-learning institute offering teacher training and research opportunities for the growing number of yoga aficionados worldwideAlthough the ancient mind and body science that is yoga originated in India from where it has spread to the rest of the world ‚ especially the US where it is a $3 billion (Rs.12,000 crore) industry ‚ in its country of origin this popular science is a preserve of the informal sector and a few scattered institutions. “Our biggest problem is the shortage of trained yoga teachers and standardisation of curriculum and teaching. With thousands of small-time yoga institutes and trainers around, the essential principles and purity of yoga, which basically consists of asanas, pranayam, meditation and allied activities, have been diluted. At the same time, the growing craze for yoga among the rich and famous has created employment for yoga teachers in hotels, hospitals, health clubs and several other sectors,” says O.P. Tiwari (76) secretary of Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute (KYI), Lonavla (Maharashtra).Established in 1924, KYI is a premier, highly respected yoga teaching-learning institute offering teacher training and research opportunities for the growing number of yoga aficionados worldwide. “The objective of this college is to train intelligent and educated men and women in the basics of yoga in its pure and pristine form,” says Tiwari. Currently this 83-year-old institute has 100 students (including 25 from abroad) on its muster rolls, instructed by a permanent faculty of ten.Located in the picturesque hills of Lonavla, the Kaivalyadhama Institute sprawls over a 170 acre campus on the Mumbai-Pune Express highway and houses several forested hills within its boundaries. Despite its austere ashram-style ambience, the institute boasts contemporary facilities including air-conditioned rooms with attached baths, seven classrooms, a library with 27,000-plus volumes and 35 journal subscriptions. Surprisingly, unlike most yoga institutes in the informal sector, KYI has an annual budget of Rs.1 crore and a well-developed infrastructure. The institute‚s green campus is dotted with 14 buildings representing a built-up area of more than 150,000 sq. ft. The SADT Gupta Yogic Hospital and Health Care Centre is housed in a separate spacious building. The hub of activity at KYI is the yoga training centre christened the Gordhandas Seksaria College of Yoga and Cultural Synthesis. This student and teacher training college is managed by the Kaivalyadhama Shreeman Madhava Yoga Mandira Samiti, and admits an aggregate 200 students and 150 teacher trainees per year.Yet perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of KYI is the reputation it has built for conducting scientific research into this ancient mind, body and spirit science. The institute‚s research centres manned by five full-time researchers conducts studies in asanas, pranayam, meditation, etc. The development of yoga through note-taking and publication of study papers of the yogic sciences was the initiative of KYI‚s founder Swami Kuvalyananda, who after promoting the institute in 1924, presided over its growth and development until his death in 1965. O.P Tiwari, then secretary of the institute is his anointed successor.The body of research studies conducted at KYI has received widespread acclaim and has majorly helped in the global acceptance of yoga as a legitimate and scientifically proven health science. “As far back as 1962, the Ford Foundation had offered to fully fund yoga research at KYI. But on the advice of the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who promised all support from the Union government, Swami Kuvalyananda declined the Ford offer. As a consequence the institute gets an annual maintenance grant of Rs.65 lakh from the Central government. In addition we used to receive ad hoc capital grants to help develop new facilities and infrastructure. But capital grants have been discontinued for the past seven years,” says Tiwari.Meanwhile with the reputation of KYI as India‚s premier yoga training institution having spread worldwide, the institute has been able to generate substantial revenue independently. In fiscal 2006-07, KYI generated Rs.33 lakh by way of fees income from students and prospective teachers. “Since we continue to receive an annual maintenance grant from the Union government, a substantial percentage of our revenue is re-invested to develop infrastructure and research facilities,” says Tiwari.However despite its stellar reputation, university status has eluded KYI. “Because of uncertain government policies on the teaching of yogic sciences in education institutions, KYI has not transformed into a first-of-its-kind exclusive university for yoga. We are in talks with the Central government and hope to get deemed university status very soon,” he says.Besides the sprawling campus at Lonavla, KYI has satellite centres in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhopal as well as in France, USA and affiliated centres in China and South Korea. Future plans include introduction of a B.Ed programme in yoga as well as short-term professional courses in yoga therapy; digitisation of the library and collaborations with research institutions and hospitals for advancement of yogic sciences. Admission and feesKYI, Lonavla is a premier Central government recognised yoga training institute. It offers the following programmes:Diploma in yoga education. The annual intake capacity of this nine-month programme is 50 Indian students and 20 foreign nationals. Graduates of recognised universities with a minimum average of 45 percent are eligible for admission. Fee: Rs. 23,500 for Indian students and US$ 4,250 (Rs.1.70 lakh) for foreigners.Certificate course in yoga. The annual intake capacity for this six-week course is 65 Indian students plus 15 foreign nationals. Persons with a class X or equivalent qualification are eligible. Fee: Rs.9,000 for Indian students; US$1,000 (Rs.40,000) for foreigners.Advanced teachers‚ training course in yoga. The annual intake capacity for this one-month programme is 20 Indian and foreign nationals. Three years of teaching experience in yoga is required. Fee: Rs.15,000 for Indian students and US$1,500 (Rs.60,000).Diploma in yoga therapy. The annual intake capacity for this two-year programme is 20 Indian and foreign nationals. Science graduates with 60 percent plus average are eligible. Fee is Rs.26,500 per year for Indian students and US$4,400 (Rs.1.76 lakh) per year. Hostel facilities are available on campusFor further information contact KYI, Kaivalyadhama Lonavla, Dist Pune 410403; Tel: 091-2114-273001; e-mail: kdham@vsnl.com; www.kdham.comArun Srivastav (Lonavla)Queen‚s University, Canada Established by a royal charter of Queen Victoria in 1841, Queen’s is consistently ranked among the top three universities in Canada in institutional surveysSituated on the northeastern shore of lake Ontario, Queen‚s University, Canada enjoys a sterling reputation for scholarship and research. It is consistently ranked among the top three universities in Canada in institutional surveys and recently the Toronto-based Maclean‚s magazine rated Queen‚s #1 for employing the most award-winning faculty of any institution of higher education in Canada. A public-funded varsity, Queen‚s is highly selective with the average percentage of students admitted in 2006 being 89. Currently its 17 faculties and schools offer a wide range of undergrad, postgrad, and doctoral programmes to 16,817 full-time students from 129 countries. Established by a royal charter of Queen Victoria in 1841 ‚ 26 years before the birth of the Canadian confederation ‚ Queen‚s was the first university to grant degrees in the then province of Canada; the first university west of the maritime provinces to admit women; the first to acknowledge a student union and hosted the country‚s first session of the dominion of Canada‚s parliament. “Throughout its history, Queen‚s has remained true to its core mission of expanding the intellectual horizons of its students in an environment of discovery, freedom of inquiry and sensitivity to the needs of society. In the years ahead, Queen‚s will continue to be dedicated to shaping the lives of its students and to contributing to the life of this country and beyond,” says Karen R. Hitchcock, principal and vice-chancellor of Queen‚s.Kingston. On the edge of Lake Ontario is the historic town of Kingston, midway between Toronto, Ontario and Montreal. With a population of only 114,000, Kingston often tops national surveys for its high quality of life and vibrant downtown. The first capital of the dominion Canada, it boasts some fine examples of 19th century architecture. The city is also home to one of the world‚s best freshwater sailing areas and was the venue of the XXI Olympiad (1976). The town enjoys a relatively mild climate by N. American standards with pleasant summertime temperatures of between 20oC and 30oC. However, mean temperatures can plunge to -200C in winter. Campus facilities. Queen‚s main campus sprawls across 100 acres on the southwestern edge of downtown Kingston. However, the campus is not a neat, composite unit. University buildings, especially on the peripheries of the campus, are interspersed with private homes, shops, and hospital buildings. The main campus is renowned for its old limestone buildings, romanesque revival and neo-gothic architecture. It hosts most of the teaching and administrative buildings packed into a relatively small space; walking time from one end of campus to the other is approximately 10 minutes. Adjacent to the campus, and also within walking distance, is the Kingston General Hospital (affiliated with Queen‚s), which is a designated National Historic Site as it was the locus of the first parliament of the province of Canada from 1841-1843. The main campus also houses Chernoff Hall, one of the largest chemistry research complexes worldwide and winner of Research & Development Magazine‚s ‚ËœHigh Honours‚ in the 2003 Laboratory of the Year competition.There is also a smaller expansion known as West Campus which is approximately a 15-minute walk from the main campus. West Campus hosts additional student residences, the faculty of education, and Richardson Memorial Stadium (home of the Queen‚s Golden Gaels). The university‚s six main libraries house over 2.3 million volumes, plus almost 4 million other non-book items such as videos, maps and artefacts. Sports facilities are provided at the Physical Education Centre and students have the option to choose from 48 men‚s and women‚s varsity sports teams. Moreover there are over 500 students clubs and associations on campus. Construction of an ambitious project ‚ the Queen‚s Centre ‚ which will house athletic, recreational, academic and student life facilities under one roof is currently underway.Admission. The minimum eligibility criterion for admission is successful completion of Plus Two. Overseas students whose mother tongue is not English have to demonstrate English language ability. An IELTS score of 7 or above or a TOEFL score of 5 is the minimum requirement although some faculties are more demanding.All admission applications must be made through the Ontario Universities‚ Application Centre (OUAC), 170 Research Lane, Guelph, ON, N1G 5E2. Students can also apply online at www.ouac.on.ca. The next deadline for receiving applications is February 16, 2008. OUAC forwards admission applications to Queen‚s Admission Services which subsequently acknowledges receipt of the application via e-mail to the applicant. Thereafter a March 17 deadline is given for providing documents demanded in the application form.For further information contact the Admission Services, Gordon Hall Queen‚s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; e-mail admission@queensu.ca; website: www.queensu.ca. Accommodation. Queen‚s University guarantees housing to all first-year foreign students in one of its 13 residential buildings, including two new halls of residence. Halls of residence range from small buildings housing 68 students to larger units which accommodate upto 800 students. Most residences are designed in traditional style offering comfortably furnished double and single rooms with access to common lounges and laundry facilities, and are equipped for high-speed internet access and telephone service. A wide range of meal plans are available to students. Eight halls of residences are co-ed, while four are gender segregated. Moreover the university‚s apartment and housing service manages university owned rentals.  This includes two apartment complexes in West Campus and a number of properties (houses/apartments) located in the vicinity of the main campus.Degree programmes. Queen‚s University offers a range of undergrad and postgrad programmes across 17 faculties (see box).Scholastic options at Queen‚sQueen‚s University offers a wide range of undergrad, postgrad and diploma programmes in its 17 faculties and schools: Faculty of arts and science, School of computing, School of music, School of kinesiology and health studies, Faculty of applied science, School of business, Faculty of education, School of English, Faculties of health sciences, law, nursing science, medicine, School of policy studies, School of urban and regional planning, Queen‚s theological college. For details of academic programmes offered by these faculties visit www.queensu.ca. Tuition fees (annual): C$15,086-21,344Personal expenses (annual): C$11,461-12,996Summiya Yasmeen