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The varsity’s Academic Council, on Wednesday, approved a scheme by the National Insurance Corporation called Vidyarthi medical policy for students.
Besides cashless medical reimbursement at select hospitals, the scheme offers Rs one lakh for students to meet educational expenses if an earning parent passes away, or Rs 50,000 to parents if the student dies in an accident. This year, the scheme will cost the University around Rs 20 lakh.
Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev said the scheme was introduced to prevent poor students dropping out on account of high medical expenses. “Sometimes, in the event of the demise of the breadwinner in the family, students are forced to discontinue studies,” said Dev.
“This scheme will help them meet their educational expenses and also help them in taking care of their family.”
The Council approved setting up a research council -- on the lines of centrally funded research councils -- which will fund research projects. The University will allocate ten per cent of its annual budget towards the fund, which it hopes to raise to 20 per cent next year. Unlike the central councils, the BU research council will also fund projects by undergraduate students to inculcate the culture of research among them.
The Academic Council also approved a bridge course in English for students of 150-odd rural colleges in Bangalore Rural, Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts. This year, BU will tie up with British Council and Regional Institute of English to offer the course. However, for the next year, the varsity will train existing English teachers, who will in turn teach the bridge course to students.
The University will reserve one seat in admission to PG courses for single girl child as a measure to curb sex selection and female foeticide.
The Council also approved setting up a study group to define the functions and organization of the proposed Bangalore School of Economics. V-C Dr N Prabhu Dev and former Infosys director T V Mohandas Pai will chair the study group.