Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

20 new courses, four learning centres

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala University will offer 20 new courses and will institute four study centres in 2008-09, a year in which the university will be re-accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The new courses include M.Phil. programmes in nano science and nano technology, theatrical arts, performing and visual arts and genetics and genomatics.

The university will set up an Ayyankali chair, an Information Studies Centre under the Department of Library and Information Science, an Aquarium Research Station, and an Institute of Communication and Information Technology which will focus on e-journalism, e-learning and media convergence.

The university would increase the fee for degree courses fixed in 1978.

These announcements were made in the University budget for 2008-09 presented here on Wednesday by the convener of the finance committee of the Syndicate, A.A. Rashid. The budget expects a non-plan income of Rs.130.39 crore and expenditure of Rs.139.83 crore, with a revenue deficit of Rs.9.44 crore.

An MSW programme will be started by the Department of Sociology, a PG diploma in geomatics will be offered at the Centre for Geo-Information Science and Technology and on in e-marketing and e-banking at the Department of Commerce.

Certain M.Phil./PG diploma programmes will be offered with assistance from the UGC; these include courses in knowledge management, learning disabilities, opto-electronics and laser technology, conservation biotechnology, cyto-genetics, herbal drug technology, seed science and technology, bio-process technology, genomics and protonics, actuarial science and astrophysics.

The budget has set apart Rs.88.32 lakh for student welfare measures. Rs.25 lakh have been set apart for providing accident insurance cover for students and Rs.10 lakh for providing scholarships for students from financially backward families. Rs.3 lakh has been earmarked for giving gold medals for those who get first rank in examinations.

The university will set up a finishing school to provide employment training for its students, a placement cell for UIT students and a competency training centre for students from the marginalised sections of society. This centre will provide personality development programmes and IT training for SC/ST students.

The Institute of English, the departments of Russian and German and the centres for Australian studies, Canadian studies, English language studies and comparative literature would be reorganised and reconstituted into an Institute of English and Foreign Languages. The possibility of instituting courses in French, Latin, Syriac, Chinese and other European languages would also be explored, Mr. Rashid said in his budget speech.

The university’s observatory would be upgraded to a national centre for research in astronomy and astrophysics. The Population Research Centre would be developed into an centre modelled on Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram.

Special projects would be implemented at the Oriental Research institute and Manuscripts Library on its centenary year, at the Population Research Centre on its golden jubilee year and at the Publications Division on its 70th year of operations. The university will publish 70 books to mark the occasion.

Steps would be taken to computerise, in phases, all examination related activities and to digitise examination records. Insurance cover would be given to costly equipment in teaching departments and to the rare manuscripts in the manuscripts library. A comprehensive insurance scheme would be instituted for university employees.

Construction activities worth Rs.918.50 lakh would be undertaken in 2008-09. These include a greenhouse for the Department of Botany, laying of a synthetic track, and modernisation of Senate Hall. Rs.1 crore has been earmarked for setting up a rainwater harvesting scheme. Rs.5 crore has been set apart for various activities to be undertaken in connection with the NAAC team visit.

A legal service cell would be set up at the Department of Law to offer free legal assistance to women and those from the marginalised sections of society.

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