M'lore varsity to set up PME Board: VC

It would plan academic courses, research programmes and interaction with outside agencies for training extension and research

The Mangalore University will set up a ‘Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation’ (PME) Board as per Karnataka Universities Act 2000, Section 27, said Vice-Chancellor Prof T C Shivashankaramurthy.

Speaking at an academic council meeting here on Friday, he said that the PME board is vital in the functioning of an university. The board will be constituted to plan academic courses, research programmes and interaction with outside agencies for training extension and research, and to monitor from time to time the implementation of the programmes and activities formulated. It will be headed by a director.

The committee will also include Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Registrar (evaluation), two senior deans, expert, a representative from planning department and so on.

 The Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Board shall meet at least once in three months.

As per the guidelines of the UGC, a research project committee will be constituted. The committee will look into the major and minor projects being undertaken by the different departments. The director of the PME Board can be made as the director of the committee or any senior professor who has experience in the field of research will be made as the director.

Stating that different departments in Mangalore University have been interacting with the industries, the VC said that to make the interaction a formal, university industry interaction centre will be set up. It will help to promote interaction through mutual cooperation between teachers and industries, scientists.

The centre will have a director and an advisory committee.

School of studies

If everything goes as per the plan, then the Mangalore University will have seven schools of studies on its campus, after getting assent from the Chancellor. The statute on draft on the setting up the schools of studies has been okayed in the Academic Council and will be sent to the Chancellor after getting approval from the Syndicate.

The VC said that the higher education sector in the country is undergoing radical changes and many need-based inter-disciplinary programmes need to be evolved. For achieving academic excellence, it is desirable to bring in related programmes and departments under one umbrella as various schools of studies for the optimal utilisation of various facilities and sharing of faculty, resources and credits.

The schools which will be established are: School of languages and literature, school of social sciences, school of physical sciences, school of mathematical and computational sciences, school of social sciences, school of education and school of management sciences.

Every school shall be headed by a director who shall be nominated by the Syndicate for a period of two years from amongst the professors on rotation according to seniority. By signing MoU with other universities, it will help the students to share credits.

MA in Bharathnatyam

The VC said that the Chancellor has given assent to the regulations governing the choice based credit system (CBCS) for two years masters degree programmes in Bharathnatyam. The regulations governing certificate, diploma and PG diploma courses in Kodava have also received green signal.

The Council okayed to give gold medal in the name of Prof Thimme Gowda (for highest scorer in MSc in Chemistry), gold medal in the name of Prof A M Abdul Khader (for highest scorer in MSc in general chemistry), cash prize in the name of Dr B Damodar Rao for  highest scorer in MA in Kannada. The council okayed the proposal of Vidya degree College to close it down.

Registrar Prof P S Yedapadithaya, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof B Narayana and Finance Officer Prof Pakkeerappa were present.


Colleges may start NCC  as optional subject

All those colleges coming under Mangalore University jurisdiction who wish to start ‘NCC’ as an optional subject at under graduate level can do so from the next academic year.

Speaking at an academic council meeting here on Friday, Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor Prof T C Shivashankaramurthy said that SDM College, Ujire (an autonomous) has already introduced  NCC as an optional subject from the academic year, following the guidelines of the department of HRD. There is good response in the college.

The council okayed the qualification of teachers to teach NCC as a subject at under graduate level. The university has already constituted a sub committee to frame syllabus.

“As there are NCC officers in two to three NCC batallions in Mangalore, there will not be any problem in teaching the course,” the VC said.

As per the qualification prescribed by the committee, a regular commissioned service officers with masters degree from recognised university in defence and strategic studies/defence management studies or regular commissioned service officers with masters degree from Indian National Defence University can teach the subject.