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Cluster system to be implemented in 9 colleges in Hyderabad

The idea is to offer quality education besides access and more career opportunities to students for pursuing their higher education

By Yuvraj Akula

Updated On - 7 August 2021, 09:24 PM

Cluster system to be implemented in 9 colleges in Hyderabad — (file photo)

Hyderabad: Starting this year, the cluster system will be implemented in nine autonomous degree colleges in the city. The new system, on a pilot project, will be introduced in Osmania University College for Women, Koti, Nizam College, Government City College, Government Degree College for Women, Begumpet, Raja Bahadur Venkat Rama Reddy Women’s College, St. Ann’s College for Women, St. Francis College for Women, Bhavan’s Degree College, Sainikpuri, and Loyola Academy.

The cluster system, which will be multidisciplinary in approach, allows students to opt for courses that are not being offered in their college but available in other institutions within the cluster. The idea is to offer quality education besides access and more career opportunities to students for pursuing their higher education. To start with, the system will be implemented for second-year degree students in these select colleges.

“The cluster system will facilitate mobility of students and faculty from one institution to another institution. For instance, a BA History, Economics and Political Science student of one institution can pursue a Psychology or Mass Communication course being offered by another institution or vice-versa. Similarly, the teaching faculty can be exchanged between the institutions,” Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) Chairman Prof T Papi Reddy explained.

Not just allowing students to pursue their choice of course, credits allotted to the particular course will be transferred on completion. This new system will be executed between the institutions by entering into an agreement.

Apart from the mobility of students and faculty, the system will also facilitate pooling or sharing of the resources like library, infrastructure, best practices, and other human resources. For example, students of an institution can get access to a rich collection of books available in another institution. Likewise, the laboratory facilities will also be made available between the institutions.

To formulate modalities, the TSCHE on Friday constituted three working committees with principals of these colleges one each on academics and credits transfer, infrastructure and sharing of resources, and guidelines for implementation.

The committees have been tasked to study and prepare a timetable for offering courses and how courses and resources could be shared between the institutions. They have been asked to submit a report within 15 days. The TSCHE will monitor the colleges while Osmania University will monitor the cluster system.

“We are yet to finalise the number of agreements that can be made between the colleges under the cluster system. It could be between two or three institutions to start with,” TSCHE vice-chairman Prof R Limbadri said.