Calcutta University has sought opinions from principals of its 153 affiliated colleges about the infrastructure available to them so the university can take a call on rolling out the four-year undergraduate programme in compliance with the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the undergraduate board of chairpersons and deans held on Wednesday.
The principals have been asked to fill up a Google form, listing the number of teachers, lab facilities, classrooms and other facilities available in their colleges.
The state education department had on March 17 written to all state-aideduniversities to take appropriate steps for the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme “from the forthcoming academic session”.
Calcutta University’s interim vice-chancellor Ashis Chatterjee said he would hold a meeting with the principals after going through their responses.
“We first need to get an idea about the infrastructure available to them. The university has a large number of colleges spread across districts like Howrah, Hooghly and South 24-Pargaanas,” Chatterjee told The Telegraph.
Education minister Bratya Basu had earlier said implementation of the four-year undergraduate programme by all higher education institutions “may require physical and human resource upgradation”.
A senior official of the university said unless they knew about the infrastructure available at individual colleges, they would not be in a position to decide on an infrastructure upgrade.
The state-aided universities and their affiliated colleges and the unitary universities now follow a three-year undergraduate programme.
The CU official said the four-year undergraduate programme has it that students who secure 75 per cent marks in the first six semesters and wish to undertake research at the undergraduate level can choose research in the fourth year.
“Among other things, UGC’s regulations say the departments offering a four-year UG degree (honours with research) must have required infrastructure such as computer lab and software, and laboratory facilities to carry out experimental research. Before we can think of creating an infrastructure on a par with what has been recommended by the UGC, we have to first know about the infrastructure available in each college,” said the official.
MoU signed
Caring Minds and Jadavpur University signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for two diploma courses- — diploma in student counselling and diploma in career counselling.
The two one-year courses are being offered by Caring Minds will include both practical and mock sessions. ]The session will begin in the last week of June.
Diploma in student counselling is available inboth online and offline mode and diploma in career counselling in offline mode.
Classes will be held twice a week. Minimum eligibility is Class XII and registration began on Saturday.
