The Hindu : New Delhi News : Gargi College to begin the New Year on a high note

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 25, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Gargi College to begin the New Year on a high note

By Lakshmi B.Ghosh

NEW DELHI, DEC. 24. From launching Delhi University's first satellite classroom in its college to making way for one of the most ambitious research wings on the campus and using web based educational gadgets and opening a centre for well being, Gargi College is all set to start the New Year on a high note.

With the University Grants Commission (UGC) approving all nine proposals of Gargi College under the College with Potential of Excellence grant awarded to it, things are already on the move in the prestigious institution.

In all, the project includes five proposals from the science department and one each from the commerce section, women development cell, psychology department and elementary education section.

The science projects would include setting up of a research wing that would act as an interdisciplinary centre. From nanotechnology and green chemistry to plant tissue culture and cellular culture, the research wing will act as a place that would allow teachers and students to move beyond the boundaries of curriculum.

Apart from this, the microbiology section has proposed the use of special software that will facilitate teaching of the subject. A similar proposal has been made here for the teaching of mathematics, often seen by students as the difficult subject.

One of the six Delhi University colleges that offer the elementary education course, Gargi College is also all set to launch a web portal that will act as the information platform for students as well the documentation point of all the problems encountered by students when they go to schools for their training.

"We would also encourage schools to be part of the portal as it would make it easier for the two sides to communicate. We would be using the fund money to maintain the website as it will be an expensive affair.

We are already in consultation with a few organisations that have expressed interest in sponsoring the portal, so in about another three months, we should have this in place,'' said the Gargi College principal, Hema Raghavan.

The college is also all set to launch the first online course from the campus. To be conducted in collaboration with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the college will be offering a post-graduate diploma in financial management and financial services that will be offered on the Hughes satellite platform.

While the first course can be pursued along with the third year, the course for financial services can be taken up by students who have given their third year examination.

Hughes, which is already conducting courses for top institutes like the Indian Institute of Management and the Xaviers Labour Research Institute, will make its foray into Delhi University with this project. "We may also make this course open for other college students, as it is one of its kind.

Since admission to the course would be through an entrance, we are looking at keeping it open to students from other colleges too,'' said Ms. Raghavan.

Another strong point of the college is the Women's Development Centre which is now planning many more workshops and seminars.

The only Delhi University college to offer applied psychology, Gargi College is also all set to start a Centre of Wellbeing that will promote positive thinking.

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