Speakers at the Zakir Hussain institute seminar in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Jan. 6: Students planning to undergo technical and vocational training will soon have another institute option.

Dr Zakir Hussain Institute is starting courses this year that would benefit not only students from Bihar but also from other states such as Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and others.

The institute will work with other institutes in the state and outside to initiate technical and vocational courses. Director-general of Dr Zakir Hussain Institute Uttam Kumar Singh said: “Students who want to pursue technical courses often have to forgo their dreams in the want of options or because of the course charges.

The courses started by the institute would not only ensure employment but would also offer a fair chance to students from both urban and rural areas to get placements. Students from Patna, Bhagalpur, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Pune, Bangalore, Lucknow and others would be offered professional courses of three months, six months, one year and two years at nominal charges.

The courses will be affiliated under Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) and Karnataka State Open University. Candidates who are only Class VIII-pass can apply for these courses.”

According to the institute’s accreditation to Karnataka State Open University, technical and vocational courses would be started across the country of which Dr Zakir Hussain Institute would be the nodal agency. Bachelor and masters degree in fine arts courses like music, dance and animation would also be offered in Patna, Bhagalpur and Jamshedpur. Acting, film-making, cinematography, photography and animation courses would be started from this semester only.

Singh said Ignou, New Delhi, would provide a certificate, diploma or associate degree to the students.