No change in carry over system for diploma students

 The Minister for Higher Education R V Deshpande has appealed to the polytechnic students who are demanding the continuance of the eight subjects carry over system to put an end to their protest, stating that the government was bound by directions of the High Court.

These students are protesting the recent move by the Department of Technical Education to allow only those students who have failed in four or less subjects to go to the third and fifth semesters.

In August 2009 the Department implemented the four or less than four subjects carry over system by enacting the Regulations and Guidelines for Diploma Courses.

The next year, however, due to a change in the syllabus, this rule was made more flexible allowing students who even failed in eight or less than eight subjects to go to the next semester.

In 2012, when a batch of students challenged the rule and demanded that the students be allowed to go on to the next despite failing all subjects, the a single judge bench of the High Court ruled that the original order of August 2009 be implemented. This was subsequently upheld by a division bench.       
      
The Minister said that in the wake of widespread protests, the government had sought the opinion of the Advocate General, who had made it clear that the government had no option but to follow the directions of the High Court.

KSHEC meeting

A conference to discuss the implementation of the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) will be held in Karnataka by next month. This was made known at the meeting of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) here on Wednesday.

The issue has also been discussed by Deshpande, who is also the chairman of the KSHEC, with M M Pallam Raju, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, according sources in the department.

Meanwhile, Deshpande highlighted the need for short-term courses that have practical purposes in universities across the state.

A number of vice chancellor’s present at the meeting showed keen interest in the initiative, sources said.