Colleges were launch pads of new affiliations, innovative centres, schemes offering free coaching, more strikes and more some authoritative changes in the past two weeks.
Here’s the fortnightly round up of everything that happened and you haven’t already read on Campus Watch.
1) Delhi University has roped in the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct online exams for courses and colleges that hold entrance exams. The pattern and syllabus will remain the same; only the procedure and rules remain to be finalized. This might lead to students from the rural and lesser privileged areas facing issues while writing the exam.
2) The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras inaugurated the Center for Computational Brain Research (CCBR) on May 20. Funded by an IIT alumnus, Kris Gopalakrishnan, the centre aims at exploring the interface between neuroscience and other engineering disciplines. It will be dedicated to the study of understanding the inner workings of the brain and using the same to further enhance computer science.
3) All affiliated universities and institutions to the University Grants Commission (UGC) will now observe May 21 as Anti-Terrorism Day “to wean away the youth from terrorism and showing as to how it is prejudicial to the national interest.” The activities might include debates, discussions, symposium, a pledge-taking ceremony and film screenings.
4) The ordinance for 16% reservation (under the social and educationally backward castes category), for members of the Maratha community in post graduate medical colleges, was finally approved by the governor of Maharashtra Vidyasagar Rao on May 20. This has left less than 12 seats in fields like orthopaedics and psychiatry in top colleges.
5) The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has signed a five-year MoU and launched a joint PhD with the Taiwan-based National Chiao Tung University (NCTU). Students who will be admitted to the programme will spend half their time in both institutes and be assigned a mentor from each of the countries. A student would need to be selected in the IIT-Delhi for PhD and, thereafter, apply to research with the NCTU and vice versa.
6) The UGC has proposed a National Academic Credit Bank (NACB) in place of the current system of CBCS (credit- based choice system), which would make inter-university degrees a reality. It would allow students to join one university, pursue their course in another university and earn a degree from a different university.
7) The UGC and AICTE, India’s higher education regulators, “cautioned” students against taking admissions in universities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) “and advised them against it” as they are neither established nor have the approval of the Indian state.
8) Around 12 students were taken into preventive custody for selling “Modi pakodas” wearing their degree robes “to welcome Modiji for giving them new employment under pakoda yojana,” wanting him to know how “great it is to sell pakodas for the educated youth.” This happened near a rally venue of the PM in Chandigarh.
9) Jamia Millia Islamia’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) will be offering free coaching services for the next batch of UPSC aspirants, like every year. The entrance test to secure admission happens in 12 centres and two parts – general studies and essay writing. With the RCA providing free coaching with hostel facility to 200 students every year, it has been extended to candidates belonging to minorities, members of the SC and ST community and women (of all communities) to prepare them for Civil Services (Preliminary and Main) examination.
10) Teachers and students of KMCT Ayurveda Medical College at Mukkom are planning to intensify their ongoing strike, which was launched three days after four senior teachers were terminated without notice. The protest seeks reinstatement of teachers and payment of fair wages to teachers.This has also delayed the exams of the final year students.
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The post In Case You Missed It: 10 Important Things India’s Campuses Witnessed This May appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.