Post-Inter 5-yr course, gurukulam get the nod

Hyderabad, May 9: The AP State Council of Higher Education on Tuesday decided to introduce the controversial five-year course after Intermediate in State universities from the forthcoming academic year, combining the three-year graduation and two-year post-graduation courses.


In other decisions, the council resolved to bring all State universities under a uniform Act, set up 21st Century Gurukul — a joint initiative with Carnegie Mellon University to train rural students to write competitive exams — in six locations and defer the common entrance test for admission to PG engineering courses. Following the decision to introduce the five-year course, the student can opt for a normal three-year graduation course or join the five-year course or join the five-year course and opt out after the third year with a graduation certificate, council chairman K.C. Reddy told this correspondent. Admission will be through a common entrance test to be conducted by the respective universities.



The council asked vice-chancellors of all State universities to take steps to introduce the five-year course from 2006-2007. The University Grants Commission has already gave approval for the course. The meeting suggested that Osmania University can launch courses in social sciences and Andhra University in life sciences on experimental basis. For the 21 Century Gurukulams, the council has tentatively selected Visakhapatnam, Rangapuram, Tirumala, Warangal, Srisailam, Kakinada and Anantapur.
Graduates, mainly from rural areas, can apply for the gurukulam through a common entrance test after mentioning his target: The UPSC exam for civil services, entrance tests for IIMs or other top institutes.



The government will secure Rs 1 lakh bank loan for the student and train him for the preferred competitive exam. If he is selected to his preferred institute, the student moves on. If he does not, he will be offered a seat in the existing Master of Science in Information Technology programme. A student can prefer to re-join the gurukulam for another year, but he will have to raise the fees himself.



The council, which met here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Mr Reddy, also resolved to bring all State universities under an uniform Act. According to council officials, there was an unanimity among vice-chancellors of all the universities on the need for a uniform and common Act for all the universities. “Every aspect of administration, curriculum, examination system and fees differs from one university to another as each university is governed by a separate Act,” a senior official said. The officials were of the view that setting up three new universities also necessicated the legislation of an uniform Act.

http://www.samachar.com/showurl.htm?...am~get~the~nod