Bharathidasan University would establish a training centre for inclusive education for differently abled persons in Tiruchi soon, Vice Chancellor K.Meena announced.
The centre would be set up with Rs, 25 lakh donated by Syndicate member and Chairman of Cethar Vessels Limited K. Subburaj, she said at the Senate meeting here on Saturday amidst appreciation from the members. The proposed centre was inspired by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's interest shown for the welfare of the differently abled people by way of forming a separate department, Dr. Meena said.
The university is also likely to start an extension centre in Thanjavur. The proposal mooted by N. Anbusaravanan at the meeting of the Senate on Saturday was welcomed by many members who said the proposed centre would eliminate needless travel to Tiruchi by students and teachers of colleges in and around Thanjavur. The Senate accepted the resolution moved by J. Manjula for starting a distance education centre in Kumbakonam to enrol economically backward candidates in large numbers. A suggestion for similar centres in Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karur was made by K. Rajalingam. The house had mixed views on the university's decision to reduce the number of skill-based electives under the choice-based-credit-system to three from the existing six. M. Sheik Mohamed, S. Sekar and Rani Muralidharan urged the university not to dilute its focus on generating employable graduates, when some members, citing practical difficulties, felt that the concept of skill-based courses could be done away with.Dr. Sheik Mohamed wondered how the number of skill-based papers could be reduced when there was a clear directive from the Director of Collegiate Education to universities to conduct six skill-based programmes in under-graduation. Colleges could exercise the flexibility for making the choice of programmes from the list of 50 options provided by the Directorate of Collegiate Education, he said.
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Syndicate Member P.M. Mansure said the Syndicate's decision was based on the views expressed by a majority of colleges and that the issue would be discussed again in the meeting of principals next month.The Senate could not arrive at a decision satisfying members on double valuation for PG papers. By a resolution V. Annamalai said double valuation was a must to make evaluators more serious since the score in post-graduation determines eligibility for lectureship. Syndicate member Rajagopal said as per the norms of the TANSCHE, single valuation was applicable for both UG and PG. P. Gnanavelan and a few others wanted the university to rein in the section of government-aided and self-financing colleges that charged fee for M.Phil programme over and above the stipulated amount.
Most members appreciated the recent amendments introduced by the university towards encouraging research. She assured that the Syndicate would consider the proposal mooted by M. Najimudeen for exempting examination fee for first-generation graduates. At the outset, Dr. Meena placed on record the services rendered by the former Vice-Chancellor M. Ponnavaikko for three years. Dr. Mansure presented the academic report for 2008-09.