UGC, AICTE warn edtech startups, institutes; Walmart has metaverse plans; Sony enters Tamil cinema with Kamal Haasan

Ed-tech startups, institutes warned against outsourcing arrangement  The Universities Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education, have warned higher education institutes in the country that outsourcing of various programmes to ed-tech startups is not permitted, and said that action could be taken against them. The Regulations governing higher education institutes in India mandate that they shall not offer open and distance learning and/or online programmes under any franchise arrangement and the institutes themselves are completely responsible for the programmes, according to a notice by the UGC. However, some ed-tech companies are taking out advertisements that they are offering degree and diploma programmes in association with some universities and institutions recognised by the UGC, the commission said. Such a franchisee arrangement is not permissible and action will be taken against defaulting ed-tech companies and institutes, and students should check the recognition status of any programme before enrolling them, UGC said. The AICTE has issued a similar warning. Walmart preparing to get into the metaverse Walmart appears to be venturing into the metaverse with plans to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, CNBC reports. The big-box retailer filed several new trademarks late last month that indicate its intent to make and sell virtual goods, including electronics, home decorations, toys, sporting goods and personal care products, and, in a separate filing, the company said it would offer users a virtual currency, as well as NFTs, according to CNBC. DeHaat acquires Helicrofter to expand operations in Maharashtra DeHaat, an agri-tech company, has acquired a B2B agri-input marketplace startup, Helicrofter, adding more than 2000 agri-input retailers and 30 sellers in the state of Maharashtra. DeHaat today reaches more than 700,000 farmers in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Founded in 2020 by Siddhartha Choudhary, Helicrofter is a farm input e-commerce platform designed to do away with supply chain inefficiencies in the rural ecosystem. Despite the pandemic, Helicrofter has been generating revenue since the very first month of its inception and has achieved annual revenue of more than Rs. 50 crore, according to a press release from DeHaat. Sony enters Tamil Cinema in partnership with Kamal Haasan Sony Pictures Films India, the Indian production arm of Sony Pictures International Productions, has struck a deal with Kamal Haasan, Tamil megastar and filmmaker, to produce Sony’s debut Tamil feature, Deadline reports. Currently untitled, the film will star Sivakarthikeyan and will be written and directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. The project will be produced by Sony, Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran, and co-produced by God Bless Entertainment, according to Deadline. Theme music courtesy Free Music & Sounds https://soundcloud.com/freemusicandsounds

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