Latest news with #BDU
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Teachers' union slams Bharathidasan University administration for not getting NAAC re-accreditation
Academicians in Tiruchi have raised concerns over the non-renewal of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) certification of the Bharathidasan University (BDU), whose validity lapsed in March 2024. According to a copy of the certificate shared with The Hindu, BDU had obtained A grade with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.32 on a seven point scale, on April 1, 2019. The certificate was valid until March 31, 2024, five years from the date of issue. It was shocking that no serious effort had been made by the university administration to get re-accreditation by NAAC after it expired in March 2024. . This is a serious lapse,' P. David Livingstone, State president of Tamil Nadu Government Collegiate Teachers' Association (TNGCTA), said in a statement. NAAC evaluates higher educational institutions on their performance in areas such as educational processes and outcomes, curriculum coverage, teaching-learning processes, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, student services, and financial well-being. Though it is not linked to the validity of courses offered by institutions, colleges and universities with NAAC accreditation are often eligible for funding from University Grants Commission (UGC). 'The absence of a regular Vice-Chancellor is cited as a reason for not applying for re-accreditation. But this cannot be fully accepted because in the past, the University of Madras and the Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, had obtained re-accreditation during the interim tenure of the V-C committee. The irony is that the university always takes stern action on autonomous colleges when there is a delay in renewing their autonomy status,' Mr. Livingstone added. The TNGCTA also criticised the former vice-chancellor M. Selvam for neglecting the issue during his extended tenure. Academicians pointed out that the absence of a NAAC certificate could affect the future of the Centre for Distance and Online Education, which offers around 60 degree and diploma programmes, and was a major source of revenue for the BDU. When contacted, BDU Vice-Chancellor Committee Member V. Rajesh Kannan, told The Hindu that the varsity was in the process of applying for re-accreditation. 'The Self-Study Report of the university, [used by NAAC to assess institutional performance] has been updated. A few more issues have to be verified from our side before our submission is complete. Though NAAC does not affect the validity of our degrees, it is not ideal for an institution to delay the renewal for too long. We hope to complete submission by the end of June,' he said.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Institutions in Tiruchi rely on software tools to detect, prevent plagiarism in academic work
Educational institutions in Tiruchi are increasingly relying on software tools to curb plagiarism and eoncourage academic integrity among faculty and students. 'Anti-plagiarism software has gained importance in the past few years because international universities, journal publishers, as well as leading government agencies in India require all research submissions to have passed through their detection tests first. Though the fees for the commercial software is high, institutions have to integrate it into their system in order to maintain the quality of their academic work,' S. Srinivasaragavan, senior professor and founder head, Department of Library and Information Science, Bharathidasan University (BDU), told The Hindu. BDU receives close to 1,000 document submissions for verification through software tools in an academic year. 'Image recognition and mathematical formulae, which are public domain information, can be problematic when they are put through plagiarism detectors, but there are ways to work around these issues. The biggest advantage of software tools is that they allow scholars to avoid repetition of research topics. Faculty and students can improve their writing skills through revisions,' said R. Balasubramani, coordinator, BDU Research Ethics and Plagiarism and professor, Department of Library and Information Science. 'Before the software tools were introduced, it was not possible to check 'copy-paste' material in research papers easily. People could hack into submissions from other universities and pass off copied text as their own. Now, under the rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC), text with less than 10% similarity (with the original or cited material) alone will be approved. Once checked by the software, the librarian certifies the final document. So students and faculty members have to be careful about originality,' said R. Parameswaran, librarian, Chozha Central Library at the Central University of Tamil Nadu in Tiruvarur. At Bishop Heber College, up to 4,000 documents were vetted by software this year. 'The process has been opened up to include undergraduate and postgraduate projects, besides Ph.D and faculty articles. We will be incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) tools next year, to detect and restrict the use of text generated through ChatGPT,' said college librarian J. Gnana Prasad.
Express Tribune
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Eid security plan finalized for Peshawar
The Capital City Police Peshawar has finalized a special security plan to maintain law and order during Eidul Fitr. Under the plan, 3,500 police officers and personnel will be deployed across the city to ensure public safety. All police leaves have been cancelled and patrols by rider squads and mobile units have been increased, said an official press statement issued on Saturday. Security at all entry and exit points of the city has been tightened, with additional personnel stationed in key markets and on major roads. To monitor suspicious individuals, plainclothes officers have also been deployed. Sensitive locations and government buildings are receiving heightened security, including the deployment of female police officers and mounted police in busy market areas. According to the security plan, security has been placed on high alert at Eid prayer grounds, sensitive mosques, major markets, and entry points of the city. Enhanced patrolling by armoured police vehicles, the Special Combat Unit, the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU), and sniffer dog teams will also be in place. BDU teams will conduct sweeps at key Eid prayer sites before prayers commence. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Qasim Ali Khan and Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Masood Ahmed have instructed divisional Superintendents Police (SPs) to take strict action against aerial firing on Chand Raat, emphasizing cooperation with local religious scholars and community leaders to raise awareness against the practice. They have also issued directives to ensure strict implementation of the security plan across all divisions. During Eid holidays, security will remain on high alert at recreational spots, important offices, markets, bus stands, and all city entry and exit points to maintain peace and order. Meanwhile, in the early hours of March 29, a counter-terrorism operation was conducted in the remote hilltop area of Katlang, Mardan district, based on credible intelligence regarding the presence of armed militants using the location as a hideout and transit point, says a press statement by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information. He said that the operation successfully neutralized several high-value targets linked to ongoing militant activities in the region. Unfortunately, he said, subsequent reports had confirmed the presence of non-combatants, including women and children, at the periphery of the target zone, resulting in tragic civilian casualties which he termed an immensely painful and regrettable development. He said every effort was made during such operations to avoid collateral damage but the complex terrain, the deliberate tactics of militants to embed within civilian populations, and the fog of war could sometimes lead to unintended consequences.
