BANGALORE: The Bangalore University Academic Council on Saturday gave its nod for four city-based institutions to be recognised as research centres offering Ph.D. programmes.

An expert committee headed by S. Ravindra Reddy had recommended recognition for the Department of Social Work, Kristu Jayanthi College; M.P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research; Centre for Psycho-Oncology for Education and Research and the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society. The recognition will be valid for five years, initially.

While the department at Kristu Jayanthi College will offer Ph.D. in Social Work, the Birla Institute will offer doctoral programme in Physics. The recognition has a rider. All the institutions had to strictly adhere to the university's new Ph.D. guidelines.

On the university's decision to introduce multiple-choice questions in undergraduate examinations from 2008, some members voiced teachers' concerns on the difficulty in setting such questions in Sociology, for instance. Vice-Chancellor H.A. Ranganath said the varsity could not hold training programmes for teachers to set such questions.

The council had already decided that the multiple-choice questions would come into force for the 2008 examination of second semester students, fourth semester students admitted during 2006-07 and sixth semester students admitted during 2005-06. The new system would apply to all degree courses, except languages and L.L.B., B.E., B.Ed. and B.H.M.

To members' query on the university's delay in declaring examination results, Registrar (Evaluation) Parthasarathy drew attention to the acute shortage of staff. When the university was started in the 1960s, it had only 34 colleges under it. Today, when the number of affiliated colleges had grown several times, the staff strength had remained static, he said.

Responding to a complaint that revaluation results were not declared even after three months, Dr. Ranganath said he would now set deadlines for results. But he admitted that strict adherence to the calendar was not the norm anywhere in the country. However, he assured that the convocation certificates would be issued two months after the annual function.

Shortage of valuers was another stumbling block. The colleges also did not send internal assessment marks to the university on time. "I am hurt at the way Bangalore University is being treated," Dr. Ranganath said.

The council wanted the local inspection committees to apply the same standards while recommending or rejecting applications for permanent affiliation. It did not want a blanket ban on permanent affiliation. But many members felt if the university guidelines were strictly adhered to, no college would get the status.

On the development of the Kolar Postgraduate Centre, Dr. Ranganath said the university was calling tenders for classroom buildings, and arranging weekly lectures by the university teachers.

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