Postgraduate seats in government colleges may go up from next year

The Academic Council of the University of Mysore (UoM) resolved at its meeting here on Wednesday to increase the intake of students to postgraduate (PG) courses in government degree colleges from the next academic year (2018-19).

This decision was taken after the meeting was told that the proposal from the government colleges for enhancing the intake in Mysuru district was turned down by the Local Investigation Committee (LIC) constituted for the purpose. Lingaraja Gandhi, Director, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Board (PMEB), UoM, told the meeting that the committee had rejected to raise the intake while retaining temporary affiliation to the courses.

The meeting, chaired by Vice-Chancellor (acting) Dayananda Mane, was told that the intake of students in some private colleges had been increased while denying the same for government colleges. For example, permission was granted to a private college for increasing the intake from 40 to 60 seats.

Maharani’s Women’s Science College had sought an increase of intake from 21 to 26 (five additional seats) for M.Sc. (Botany) course besides 10 seats (34 seats from the existing 24 seats) for M.Sc. (Physics) for 2017-18. Government Degree College in K.R. Nagar had sought an increase of 10 seats to the current intake of 20 seats for MSW course. These proposals had been turned down. Some members opposed permission for increasing the intake of seats citing lack of facilities in government colleges. Mr. Gandhi felt the increase in seats would have helped many poor students to pursue the courses. The meeting was told that some private colleges charge hefty fee for the courses that are offered in government colleges. Responding to this, Ramachandre Gowda, MLC, suggested that permission for increasing the intake of seats can be granted after taking an undertaking from the heads of the government colleges for providing all necessary facilities upon increasing the seats. The council unanimously approved his suggestion.

The meeting also resolved to send a proposal to the government for considering and making suitable amendment that those who have passed their degree in MA Public Administration were alone eligible to teach undergraduate and postgraduate in public administration.

The council approved the proposal to award a special cash prize of ₹50,000 to the director of PMEB, Mr. Gandhi and his team who coordinated with the MHRD in connection with National Institutional Framework India Rankings-2017. UoM secured the fifth rank among the State-funded universities in the country and the top rank among the public universities in the State in the recently announced NIRF India Rankings-2017. UoM stands 57th in the overall ranking category of higher educational institutions.

The meet resolved to consider candidates who have passed State and National level tests (K-SET and NET) that qualify them for lectureship in universities and colleges and Ph.D. degree holders as guest lecturers in the university in the next appointments besides strictly complying to roaster system. Registrar Rajanna and Registrar (Evaluation) Somashekar were present.