Karnataka - Mangalore   

Universities unable to follow common academic calendar

MANGALORE: The common academic calendar of events for universities in the State as suggested by Karnataka State Higher Education Council is not being followed for the academic year 2011-12.

According to it, undergraduate classes in universities should have commenced from June 1.

When contacted, K.M. Kaveriappa, Executive Director and member-secretary of the council, told The Hindu on Wednesday that according to his understanding, none of the universities had started their undergraduate classes as scheduled.

Announcement

The common calendar of events for universities was announced for the first time after the council came into being last year.

Mr. Kaveriappa said it might take some more time for the universities to synchronise their calendar of events. “The council's suggestion is only advisory in nature,” he said.

Streamlining

Minister for Higher Education V.S. Acharya told presspersons in Bangalore on November 16, 2010, and December 1, 2010, that a common academic year in all universities would streamline the functioning of higher education institutes and universities across the State. This would help students moving from one university to another in getting admission.

Opposition

Ummappa Poojary P., president, Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT), who opposed the concept of common calendar of events for universities, said that it would only undermine the identity and regional importance of universities. “Then why should we have universities? The government can open regional offices to manage colleges,” he said.

Difficulties

Mr. Poojary, who is a treasurer of Federation of University and College Teachers' Association in Karnataka (FUCTAK), said it was difficult for universities to follow a common calendar as local conditions varied. He said according to information received by the federation, none of the universities started classes on June 1.

T.C. Shivashankara Murthy, Vice-Chancellor, Mangalore University, said undergraduate classes of the university would commence from June 13. Last academic year, the classes had started on July 8.

Prof. Murthy said the university would be able to start its undergraduate classes on June 1 for 2012-13.

Memorandum

In a memorandum to Prof. Murthy on May 16, AMUCT had requested the university to commence undergraduate classes from June 20 as evaluation of answer scripts of examinations conducted in April-May, 2011 would be on till the third week of June. As teachers would be taking up evaluation work, starting the classes without teachers would be meaningless.

Prof. Murthy told The Hindu on Wednesday that teachers had now completed evaluating the answer scripts of a majority of degree courses except the scripts of B.Com, BBM, and English courses. Their evaluation was expected to be over by June 14.

Mr. Poojary said that AMUCT did not have any objection to re-open colleges on on June 13.

Mr. Kaveriappa and Mr. Poojary said probably Mangalore University would be the first in the State to start classes early on June 13.

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