North Bengal University

Siliguri, April 3: North Bengal University (NBU) plans to offer MTech courses in five subjects from the coming academic session in August.

Food-processing, biotechnology, bio-informatics, pharmaceutical chemistry and chemical engineering are the subjects for the courses.

“One of the proposals we have taken up for the 11th Five-Year Plan is the introduction of these courses,” said B.N Chakraborty, dean, faculty of science.

Currently, NBU offers MSc degree in biotechnology. “MSc courses are more academic and open up possibilities in teaching and research. But the MTech courses are more industry-based and technology-oriented and are aimed at transferring lab-based technology to the industry,” Chakraborty said.

Likewise, the subjects chosen for the courses have a bearing on the region’s industrialisation process. “Food processing is an emerging area in north Bengal with immense growth potential and the government is keen to promote this sector here,” the dean said. “The MTech in food-processing will mainly include tea, fruit and mushroom,” he added.

Chakraborty said a faculty of technology has been formed through a government gazette notification. The university at present has two main wings — faculty of science and faculty of arts, commerce and law.

“The faculty will take care of all technical and professional courses offered by the university. While a number of new courses will be introduced, some existing courses like MBA and MCA will also be brought under the domain of the new faculty. We hope to start the courses by August.”

“We have sent the proposals to the University Grants Commission and expect a team from the UGC by mid-April here for their final approval,” Chakraborty said.

Registrar D.K. Sarkar said the decision now rests entirely with the UGC. “These courses are in the pipeline and are subject to the approval of the UGC,” he added.

According to the dean, the MTech courses will be approved by the All India Council for Technical Education. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has also agreed to a tie-up with NBU to create part of the required infrastructure, like high-tech laboratories.