Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Semester system at undergraduate level under study

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore July 16. The Minister for Higher Education, G.Parameshwar, told the Legislative Council today that the semester system would be introduced at the undergraduate level over a period of time.

Replying to a query during Question Hour, he said the semester system had been introduced at the postgraduate level and, for some specialised courses, at the undergraduate level. The changeover was based on the recommendations of the University Grants Commission.

Dr. Parameshwar said a new syllabus had been introduced in Mysore, Karnatak, and Bangalore universities. The Visvesvaraya Technological University had taken steps to revise the syllabi for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Inquiry

The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, B.K.Chandrashekar, replying to a question of B.S.Yediyurappa (BJP), said an inquiry would be conducted into the sale of textbooks earmarked for free distribution among poor schoolchildren. The State Government would take steps to prevent the sale of free textbooks. It would be ensured that such textbooks did not carry a price tag and that all pages in such books carried a stamp that they were for free distribution.

Prof. Chandrashekar said it had come to the notice of the Government that free textbooks were indeed being sold in certain places. A case had been registered in Dharwad District and criminal action initiated against those involved. The distribution of free textbooks for certain classes had been delayed because of non-supply of books by four companies. These companies would be blacklisted.

The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Kagodu Thimmappa, replying to a question from Basavaraj Horatti and M.P.Nadagouda, said the Government was aware that the people of two villages — Gowdagondahalli and Hirebennehatti, in Jagalur taluk of Davangere District — were suffering from a strange skin infection. It was largely due to lack of personal hygiene and nutritious food. Dental fluorosis was prevalent among villagers owing to the high fluoride content in the drinking water. The villagers of Nidasesi in Koppal District were suffering from skeletal fluorosis, which again was due to high fluoride content in the water.

The Health Department had taken several steps to educate people on how to prevent fluorosis.

The Minister for Housing, C.R.Sageer Ahmed, replying to a question from Jalaja Nayak, said the Government would shortly come out with a new housing scheme for the poor with financial assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).

Because of complaints about the poor quality of construction of the Ashraya Houses, the Government had permitted the beneficiaries to construct their respective houses or to supervise the construction.

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