The Academic Council of Mangalore University at its meeting on Thursday approved a proposal enabling the university and the colleges affiliated to it to offer seven postgraduate diploma courses in different streams of biotechnology after obtaining approval from the government.
The council approved another proposal, according to which, the university and the colleges affiliated to it could offer certificate, diploma and postgraduate diploma courses in Tulu, both in regular and correspondence modes after the government approved it.
The council passed three draft regulations governing these courses.
The university and the colleges affiliated to it can offer these courses only after the Governor who is the Chancellor of the university approves the draft regulations.
Vice-Chancellor T.C. Shivashankara Murthy presided over the meeting.
The seven one-year (two-semester) postgraduate diploma courses proposed are in fermentation and bio-processing; cellular and molecular diagnostics; protein expression and scale up; biosensors and medical devices; nutraceuticals and food processing; plant genetic transformation, genome, seed and marker analysis; bioinformatics and rational drug design; pre-clinical, clinical research, bio-statistics and data management; and plant tissue culture and micro-propagation.
Select bachelor degree and PG degree holders may apply for these courses.
Selection will be made through the Karnataka Biotechnology Aptitude Test consisting of 100 multiple choice questions to be answered in 100 minutes, followed by an interview. Those who have passed the SSLC or equivalent examination may apply for the six-month certificate course in Tulu.
Those who have passed pre-university and certificate course in Tulu may apply for the one-year diploma course. Any degree holders and diploma holders in Tulu may seek admission to the one-year postgraduate diploma in Tulu.
Teachers
Prof. Murthy said that the government had introduced Tulu as the third optional language for students from sixth standard. But schools did not have qualified teachers to teach Tulu.
Tulu certificate, diploma and postgraduate diploma holders may serve as Tulu teachers in schools.
To a question by a member of the council, the Vice-Chancellor said that the university would consider positively if the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy submitted a proposal to it to introduce courses in Kodava language.
The university had Kodava Samskritha Adhyayana Peeta. The academy and the peeta could work out the course content.
The university would do the needful on offering them, he said.
Registrar (Administration) K Chinnappa Gowda, Registrar (Evaluation) P.S. Yadapadithaya and Finance Officer P. Pakkeerappa were present.
