Madurai Kamaraj University has decided to offer new masters courses in Anthropology, Psychology, Gene Technology and Biomedical Sciences. Resolutions to this effect were passed at the meeting of the university’s Syndicate on Tuesday.
According to officials privy to the proceedings, the Biomedical Sciences course will be offered in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University. Similarly, the course in Psychology was likely to be offered in collaboration with M.S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation, university sources said.
Stating that steps would be taken to try to commence these courses in the coming academic year, officials said the existing faculty members and infrastructure would be adequate to handle the new courses.
The university had also decided to rededicate the health centre at the university with better facilities so that it could serve not only the staff members, but also people in rural areas around the university, a senior official said. “Everything is ready. The facility will be rededicated to the public within a few days,” the official said, adding it would be open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Stating that there were a number of villages around the university, the official said the facility would be beneficial to the economically backward people from these villages as they could get basic tests for diabetes and hypertension done at a minimum cost of ₹ 10 to ₹ 20.
Interestingly, 31 years after the installation of the statue of late Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, the university has taken steps to construct stairs to facilitate garlanding of the statue.
Until now, on important occasions, a wooden ladder would be brought on which the dignitaries would precariously climb to reach the top of the pedestal to garland the statue installed near the main entrance of the MKU. The new Vice-Chancellor, M. Krishnan, had to do the same when he garlanded the statue before taking charge on January 2. Sources said a public sector bank had assured to sponsor the funds for this.
