Osmania University unveils 21 point road map
Establishing civil services academy, revising the academic programmes, initiating student-centric, setting up a dedicated online-learning platform were among the 21 points.
Hyderabad: The next three years is going to be a time of transformation for Osmania University (OU).
According to the 21-point agenda announced by OU Vice Chancellor Prof D Ravinder, the university is looking to bring in sweeping changes in its functioning apart from enhancing its repertoire through the establishment of a civil services academy, revising academic programmes, student-centric initiatives and by setting up a dedicated online learning platform.
Prof Ravinder said the agenda was categorised into five areas – academic and research extension, student-centric initiatives, recruitment, administration and governance, and infrastructure development and security. The administration has decided launch a unique identification number which will be linked to Aadhaar number and biometric attendance of students. The UID will also be used for hostel admission, scholarships, other academic and examination related procedures, he said.
Institutional wings like a reading room complex and corporate relations directorate to interface with the industry for recruitments, internships, and workshops etc. are also on the anvil, he said, adding that plans were afoot to establish schools of excellence besides creating an academic bank of credits and also an innovation lab in the CFRD building.
The university will revise the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, making them job oriented and with emphasis on imparting English communication skills to students, particularly from Telugu medium background. They will be provided training through the Centre for English Language Training on the campus. A training centre of Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge on the OU campus has also been proposed, with the government responding positively to the proposal, the VC said.
To overcome teaching staff shortage, the administration will go for direct recruitment as the State government has already accorded permission. Services of the retired professors will also be taken. Construction of new hostels and a centenary memorial building are also planned, he said, adding that there also plans to go for a closed campus with a compound wall on the periphery.
‘Hold 10 days offline practical classes before exams’
Osmania University Teachers’ Association (OUTA) on Friday urged Vice Chancellor Prof D Ravinder to hold at least 10 days offline practical classes before conducting examination.
“In science and engineering streams, students require hands on training of the instruments. Hence, at least 10 days practical classes should be conducted offline before holding examination for the benefit of students,” OUTA president Prof B Manohar said in a letter to the VC.
Stating that frequent change of almanac was causing a lot of inconvenience to teachers in completing the syllabus, he said while framing the almanac care should be taken to have 16 weeks of teaching per semester as per the UGC norms.
The OUTA wanted the university administration to expedite the process of implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme to the teachers. It also wanted the administration to pursue with the government matters pertaining to payment of UGC, RSP 2016 arrears to in-service teachers and pending arrears to retired teachers.
The teachers have asked the university to conduct interviews to senior professor position as demanded by the senior faculty earlier.
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