Anna University to ‘restructure' PG courses with poor student patronage
This will mean that these programmes will either be merged with other popular PG courses and the sanctioned strength will be transferred to those courses, or the programmes will be suspended and the strength in the undergraduate (UG) level will be increased. This is being planned such that the total intake of students is not changed.
Consultations with various departments and stakeholders are under way. After a consensus is arrived upon, the university will submit a proposal before the Convenor Committee for approval.
Citing an example, a university official said an ME computer science engineering (CSE) programme was being offered with a sanctioned strength of 24 students, while another ME CSE (specialisation in big data analytics) programme had a sanctioned strength of 12. Due to poor patronage, the two courses would be merged, with a total sanctioned strength of 36. Electives, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cyber security, data science, and augmented reality/virtual reality, will offer students the flexibility to choose papers from any or each of these programmes, the official said.
Similarly, in the master's programme in Leather Technology, offered by the Central Leather Research Institute, which has a sanctioned strength of 24 students, only two students enrolled last year and three students the previous one. Sources said this could be because of the abundant placement opportunities available for undergraduates. A new proposal seeks to sanction six seats for the PG course while increasing the intake at the undergraduate level by about 15%.
Also, M.Tech in ocean technology, offered by the Civil Engineering Department, may be suspended, with plans to start a new course on climate change and disaster management. A similar proposal is being considered to merge the ME programme in solar energy with the ME energy engineering programme offered by the Mechanical Department of the College of Engineering, Guindy.
The newly introduced M.Sc. multimedia (specialisation in visual communication) course offered by the Media Sciences Department has also come under the scanner due to poor patronage, but a faculty member has opposed any move to suspend the programme.
'The restructuring exercise is aimed at enhancing the academic research and innovation ecosystem offered by different institutions at Anna University and improving its global ratings,' J. Prakash, Registrar of the university, told The Hindu. 'We have taken several steps to improve our QS World University Ranking from 383 this year to place within 150 next year, as mandated by the government. The restructuring of courses is one of the steps,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
How will the reformed GST impact India's economy
Last week, the Modi government proposed the biggest overall of the goods and services tax since its rollout in 2017. Aiming to collapse the current 4 slab structure into a simpler 2 slab regime with a special slab for what the government is called. As sin goods. The move, expected to reduce prices across essentials and consumer durables, comes amid US tariff headwinds and concerns about domestic demand. Guest: Sharad Raghavan, Business and Economy Editor, The Hindu Host: Kunal Shankar, Deputy Business Editor, The Hindu Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Listen to more In Focus podcasts:
Scroll.in
a day ago
- Scroll.in
US tariff on Indian exports will reduce demand ‘very substantially': Moody's
The combined 50% tariff on Indian exports to the United States is likely to reduce demand for Indian goods 'very substantially', The Hindu quoted a report by global ratings agency Moody's as saying on Monday. On July 30, Washington announced a 25% levy on goods imported from India as part of the so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries that have not finalised separate trade agreements with the US. US President Donald Trump had on August 6 issued an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on goods imported from India for purchasing Russian oil. This raised the US tariff rate on Indian goods to 50%. The Moody's report stated that India has 'experienced a sudden deterioration in its relations with the US', reported The Hindu. 'Given that we now expect tariffs to remain in place for the remainder of Trump's presidency, the drag on growth, particularly on investments and exports, will be notable,' it added. The agency stated that India's response to these developments will determine the effect on its growth, inflation and external position. India 'cozying up to Russia, China', claims US Meanwhile, White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has said that India needs to start acting like a strategic partner of the United States if it wants to be treated as one, claiming that New Delhi was 'now cosying up to both Russia and China'. In an opinion piece in The Financial Times, Navarro, one of Trump's closest advisors, wrote: 'India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs.' India has pushed back against the US, pointing to ' double standards ', since Washington has not targeted China or Europe for their purchases of Russian energy. After Trump announced the 25% additional tariff on August 6, New Delhi called the move 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable' and said it would take 'all actions necessary' to protect its national interests. India also noted that oil imports from Russia had risen as its traditional suppliers were diverted to Europe, and that the US had 'actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability'.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Back-to-back arrest of MSC vessels poses challenge to Vizhinjam port
The back-to-back arrest of around four vessels of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) following the shipwreck of its vessel, MSC Elsa III, off the coast of Kerala after calling at Vizhinjam International Seaport, and the associated litigations have cast a shadow on the prospects of the newly commissioned deep-water and container transshipment port. This comes at a time when the Vizhinjam port, where MSC is the anchor client, has been witnessing a decline in container discharge since May. The volume of containers handled dropped from 1.2 lakh TEU in May, to 99,976 TEU in June, although there was a slight uptick in July with 1.05 lakh TEU. Only 24 ships called at the port until August 17, against a record number of 51 ships in March. Speaking to The Hindu, a senior government source said multiple factors, including adverse weather conditions, affect cargo volume at the port. For instance, the world's largest container ship, MSC IRINA, had to wait for nearly a week at outer anchorage to get a berthing slot at Vizhinjam port on July 9 as there were around five to six ships in the queue then. Now, there is hardly any queue of ships. Moreover, after the docking of MSC IRINA, no ultra-large vessels called at the port, said the officer. Initially, Akiteta II, a sister ship of the MSC Elsa III that capsized off the coast of Kerala on May 25 causing widespread environmental damage, was arrested in the second week of July. Since then, the ship has been idling at the outer anchorage of the port after the shipping company challenged the admiralty suit filed by the Kerala government demanding ₹9,531 crore in compensation for the environmental and economic damage caused by the shipwreck. In the latest incident, the High Court ordered the arrest of MV MSC Palermo, berthed at Vizhinjam port, until the claim amount is deposited as security, in response to a compensation suit filed by four fishing-boat owners. Earlier, MV MSC Manasa F and MSC Polo II were conditionally arrested following similar suits by cargo owners to secure their claims ranging to several crores. 'Wrong signal' According to Vizhinjam port sources, the arrest of MSC vessels specifically at the Vizhinjam port sends a wrong signal to the world regarding the port, even as there is scope for recording such arrest of vessels at other ports in the country, including the Cochin port, said the officials. S.N. Raghuchandran Nair, president, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI), echoed the sentiment. 'We invited companies to Kerala after holding Vizhinjam conclave. This pattern of arresting vessels following one accident will dissuade investors,' said Mr. Nair. However, maritime law expert V.J. Mathew countered the argument, saying that the vessels can be arrested anywhere under the jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court. Since more vessels of the MSC call at Vizhinjam on a daily basis, it is the ideal destination to record the arrest and hold them responsible for the loss inflicted on the State, fishermen, and other stakeholders. There is no merit in the argument 'why it is Vizhinjam', he said. On the other hand, the greens, including Greenpeace India, demanded that MSC be held responsible and made to pay for environmental damage and livelihood loss. Meanwhile, the Vizhinjam port authorities maintained that, irrespective of the setbacks, the port is poised to achieve 1 million TEU cargo target by August itself.
