Gauhati University

Guwahati, May 6: Gauhati University is going to offer four popular pass course subjects under humanities through distance learning mode in a bid to cope with the acute infrastructure and teacher shortage in introducing semester system in the degree courses from this academic session.

Sources in Gauhati University told The Telegraph that the university has asked the Institute of Distance and Open Learning, the branch of the university which offers distance education, to offer four degree subjects under pass course — political science, education, history and philosophy.

“The institute will follow the same syllabi, which will be followed by the students of regular pass courses, in these four subjects. The number of pass course subjects in distance mode will be increased next year,” the source said.

“The students who will pursue pass course subjects through distance mode will be given same credit as regular students,” he said.

The source said the students who will pursue the pass course subjects from the institute would not need to pay admission and examination fees. They just have to pay for the cost of study materials.

The university is hopeful that if students pursue their pass course subjects through distance learning, the pressure on the colleges will be come down and it will help in smooth implementation of the semester system.

With the launching of a community radio centre by the Institute of Distance and Open Learning, the source said the students who will pursue their pass course subjects from it would be able to learn using three modes — through the community radio centre, study materials and weekend classes.

The source said as soon as the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council declares the results of the Class XII examinations, the university, through a notification, would ask the students to follow the new system.

The principal of a city college, however, said as education through regular classroom mode was preferred over the distance mode, the system would put students in a fix. “It will become a hybrid education. And, at the same time, why will we allow our students to pursue one subject from our college and another subject from a different institute?” he asked.

The universities of the state have decided to implement the semester system in the degree courses following UGC directions. Till now, the semester system in the state exists in masters courses only, excluding two recently introduced bachelor courses — BCA and BBA.

However, the move of the universities to introduce semester system faced stiff resistance from teachers of the degree colleges who complained that the infrastructure and manpower in these colleges were inadequate to introduce the new system. They demanded that the universities take up the matter with the state government so that the infrastructure of the colleges was improved and teachers were appointed before introducing the semester system.

A senior official, closely related with implementing the system, said they have prepared the syllabi and work schedule in a way that the new system could be introduced with the existing teachers and infrastructure.

“I think the existing strength of teachers and infrastructure is sufficient to introduce the new system. We have prepared the syllabi and work schedule in a way that there will be no such problem in introducing the semester system,” K.K. Deka, vice-chancellor of the Dibrugarh University, said.