KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Governor N N Vohra, Chancellor of the Kashmir University, advised the Vice Chancellors of both the Kashmir and Jammu Universities to see that their Faculties have meaningful interactions with the entire teaching fraternity in the Colleges and higher secondary schools to enhance the standards of teaching and learning at all levels in the educational system.
He said this in the University Council meeting of the Kashmir University. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Pro-Chancellor of the University and Naeem Akhtar, Education Minister participated in the meeting, an official spokesperson said Friday evening.
The Chancellor and the Pro-Chancellor suggested sharper focus on the quality of the upcoming infrastructural projects in the main and the off-site campuses of the University.
Prof Andrabi, Vice Chancellor, reported the outcome of the review undertaken by the University of all existing courses offered in the off-site campuses, consequent to which certain courses had been dropped.
Chancellor advised that such reviews should be carried out on a continuing basis so that, dynamically, the less relevant courses are suitably modified or dropped and new courses introduced to meet the aspirations of the students vis-à-vis the emerging job market requirements.
The Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor and the Education Minister took note of the comparatively improved performance in the Humanities arena as compared to the rather inadequate performance in the past years.
It was noted that the number of research papers in the Humanities subjects had increased. VC was advised to continuously raise the level of research work and the publications flowing there from.
While considering various academic matters, the Council approved: Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) by Educational Multi Media Research Centre (EMMRC); conduct of back to back examinations of 1st and 2nd semester batches (2016-17) and of the 2nd & 3rd semester batches of 2015-16 in the Undergraduate courses as a contingency measure in view of the recent unrest; substitution of semester-end examinations by continuous unit-wise assessments in each of the Post Graduate programmes, as per the proposed scheme; reservation of 60% seats for English Honours graduates for admissions to the M A English course; approval of draft statutes and regulations governing semesterized Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) for undergraduate level courses; approval of Statutes governing the 2 year B Ed. programme through Directorate of Distance Education; and creation of one supernumerary seat for admission to the various PG courses in the main campus for the candidates from Kargil.
The Council approved introduction from Academic Session 2016 of M Ed Supplementary Programme at Government College of Education, Srinagar and While reservations for specially-abled candidates in teaching and non-teaching jobs in the University.
The Vice Chancellor informed the Council that efforts are being made to expand and strengthen the existing sports infrastructure in the main and in the satellite Campuses; funds have been earmarked by the UGC for establishment of a new Gym with 50 bedded sports hostel in the main Campus and purchase of sports gear for every campus under RUSA funds.
In the research arena, the University secured 2 Ramanujan, 3 Ramalinga Swami, 5 Kothari and 6 Inspire Fellowships; Indo-US 21st Century Knowledge Initiative Award for “Proactive management models for the effects of climate change on the range expansion of invasive species” and successful completion of an Indo-German Project “Colonization history and population genetics of highly invasive Asteraceae species;” the University has also secured 18 research projects valuing Rs. 15.3 crore; 41 students were selected in TCS and Ligare and 59 qualified in the NET/JRF Examinations.
The VC informed that initiatives have been taken to ensure continuous interaction between academic/professional Departments of the University and industrial/business houses, both in the public and private sectors, where in the Business School and Department of Business & Financial Studies are working in collaboration with HDFC Bank, Asian Paints and Godrej for joint certification; Department of Bio-Technology has been successful in placing its students through Biotech Consortium India Ltd. (BCIL).
VC informed that routine academic discourse, academic calendar and infrastructural development had been seriously disturbed due to the unrest in the Valley and, to compensate for the lost time, teachers have been asked to prepare e-notes and hand outs to be uploaded on the University website.
An in-house developed live e-tutorial application has been launched successfully through the university website.
The VC informed that while during 2001-2016 the University had garnered 8,119 citations, during the current year (2016), already, 1,523 citations had been secured; KU has become the first University in India to have e-Recruitment for Associate Professor and Professor level positions; a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Genetics has been successfully launched; 3 courses in food technology have been approved and funds sanctioned under the Global Initiative on Academic Network (GIAN) programme during 2015-16.
