The stage is set for introducing National Cadet Corps (NCC) as an optional subject in all undergraduate courses offered by degree colleges affiliated to Mangalore University from the next academic year. The Academic Council of the university in its meeting on Friday approved a proposal to this effect.
Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara College, an autonomous college of the university, at Ujire, introduced NCC as an optional subject in arts, science and commerce courses from the current academic year as per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The council of the university on Friday approved a proposal on who was eligible to teach the subject. According to it, regular commissioned service officers with postgraduate degree from a recognised university in defence and strategic studies/defence management studies or regular commissioned service officers with postgraduate degree from Indian National Defence University could teach the subject. The eligibility had been fixed by a committee constituted to frame syllabus of NCC subject. However, the syllabus of the subject was yet to be tabled before the council for its approval.
Procedure
Vice-Chancellor T. C. Shivashankara Murthy, who presided over the meeting, said that non-autonomous colleges under the university which wanted to introduce NCC as an optional subject in any undergraduate course could apply seeking affiliation for the course before the end of this academic year when the university invited applications for affiliations of the colleges and courses, usually in December.
Prof. Murthy said that commissioned service officers in NCC units under the university could teach the subject. If a college wanted to introduce the NCC subject it was not mandatory to have a NCC unit in the college.
The Vice-Chancellor said that if a college successfully managed the course for five years it could introduce postgraduation in NCC. If it managed the postgraduation course for five years later it could introduce research in the same subject.
Principal of SDM College B. Yashovarma told The Hindu that the college has introduced the subject for B.A., B.Sc, and B.Com. courses. There were 12 students who have opted for it this academic year. Another college which has introduced the subject in Karnataka from the current academic year was Lalbahadur Shastri College, Sagar, Shimoga district, he said.
The MHRD had permitted only two colleges to introduce the course in the State this year, he said.
