Bhubaneswar: The anthropology department of Utkal University has been notified as a national resource centre (NRC) for online refresher programmes for higher education faculty members.

It was recently selected from among the 75 NRCs notified by the ministry of human resource development recently. Under this initiative, all in-service teachers, irrespective of their subject and seniority, will have an enabling opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments in their disciplines through the technology based online refresher course.

The authorities feel it will give the university a special place in the national level.

"The decision will bring more central grants to the university. We will work to prepare training materials now," said vice chancellor S.M. Patnaik. The materials will be prepared for anthropology and sociology teachers, staff members working in anthropology museums, members and professionals of Anthropology Survey of India and tribal research institutes of the country.

The task of the NRCs will be to develop the refresher module, including the latest trends in the earmarked discipline, by June 15 every year. The training materials will be uploaded and made available through SWAYAM to all the teachers from October 1 every year and based on the response, the course can be repeated the following January.

The NRC will publish the list of faculty who have been certified by December 31, 2018. Following that, the UGC will issue order/regulations for the purpose of career progression and academic performance indicators.

The vice-chancellor said they would begin new courses on the second campus, which would get operational in the 2018-19 academic session. The varsity was recently accorded full autonomy by the University Grants Commission.

Four new courses will be started on the campus -B.Ed and M.Ed, MA in public health and MBA in Rural management.