Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Senate approves varsity budget

Protest day: Students Federation of India activists holding a sit-in after barging into the Senate Chamber of the University of Kerala on Thursday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Senate of the University of Kerala at its meeting on Thursday passed the budget for the year 2008-09.

Replying to a submission by G. Balachandran, Syndicate member C. Bhaskaran said the university would consider awarding grace marks to National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers getting recognition for exemplary work.

In his reply to another submission raised by K.K. Anup, Mr. Bhaskaran said the university would hold discussions on including Senate members in College Councils.

Syndicate member V.P. Prasanth told the Senate that the university would take steps to avoid delays in the disbursal of funds collected for the Students Aid Fund for giving scholarships to students from poor families.

In reply to a submission by K.L. Vivekanandan, Syndicate member Mohammed Kunhu said some students did not get hall tickets for writing the recently held BA examinations as their application forms had not reached the university.

Those students were allowed to write the examinations he said.

Vice-Chancellor M.K. Ramachandran Nair, in his reply to a submission by K. Sunil Kumar, said the university would convene a meeting of students, teachers and non-teaching staff to discuss ways of making the conduct of examinations and the university administration more efficient. Senate member K. Sasikumar demanded that the university ask Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA) to construct compound walls for the University’s properties in front of the University Library and the Public Library.

Replying to this demand, syndicate member A.A. Rashid said necessary steps have been taken in this regard.

Thiruvananthapuram Government Dental College Principal N.O. Verghese was elected as the representative of the Senate at the Dental Council of India.

The Senate felicitated M. Jeevanlal, Principal, SN College, Cherthala and Esther Jayanthi, Principal, All Saints College, Thiruvananthapuram, for getting the University’s NSS awards for exemplary work.

Programme officers T. Pradeep, V. Mary Matilda Rose and volunteers R. Abdul Muneer and H. Shanitha Beevi were also felicitated.

In reply to a question by Vipin Jose, Syndicate member B.S. Rajeev said the University had taken disciplinary action against the former head of the Department of Biotechnology, S. Thankamoni, on the basis of complaints filed by students and teachers of the department and on the basis of letters from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Ministry of External Affairs.

In his reply to a question raised by K. Vidyadharan, Mr. Rajeev said the Lexicon Department had not been recognised as a teaching department.

Activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) barged into the Senate Chamber on Thursday afternoon to protest against the University’s decision to hike the application fee for PG courses from Rs.200 to Rs.500.

The protest was led by SFI State secretary A.N. Shamseer and State president P. Biju.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

TDB passes budget
Probe ordered
VS orders probe into Pothanikad accident
Capital expenditure to go up
Farmers’ forum seeks Governor’s help
Staff shortage hits work
Running for a cause
Shiv Sena blockade
Azhikode remembers V.K. Krishna Menon
For a more responsive force
Paediatric heart surgery programme at SAT
Senate approves varsity budget
Former Mining and Geology director dead
Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu