Latest news with #FDPs
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
V-Cs' of public varsities in A.P told to focus on reorientation of curricula, employability, research and global reach
Secretary Department of Higher Education, Kona Sashidhar, on Wednesday directed Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of all State Universities to focus on improving academic and administrative standards across their respective institutions. Speaking at a meeting organised by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE), Mr. Sashidhar directed the Vice-Chancellors and Registrars to focus on reorientation of curricula, to enhance graduate employability in line with the market and social needs. He also asked the universities to mentor other institutions, including ITIs, polytechnics, professional colleges, and general degree colleges, to ensure cohesive development across the higher education spectrum. He urged the Universities to function as skill clusters to address the diverse NSQF (National Skill Qualification Framework) levels, to provide seamless upskilling and reskilling opportunities, and enhance institutional visibility by maintaining comprehensive databases of all constituent and affiliated colleges under their jurisdiction. The Council Chairman, K. Madhu Murthy, stressed the need for collaboration among universities to raise academic standards, strengthen institutional governance, and improve global competitiveness. He reviewed court cases related to faculty recruitment and pointed out that these legal issues were impeding faculty recruitment. He directed the universities to resolve these cases in coordination with legal and administrative departments to ensure timely and transparent recruitment without compromising on quality or statutory compliance. On implementation of four-year UG Honours programmes with dual majors, he shared a detailed framework for the rollout of the programmes in line with NEP-2020, highlighting the introduction of dual majors as an innovative approach to foster inter-disciplinary learning. The universities were advised to adopt a uniform curriculum framework for technical programmes offered by engineering institutions across the State and to implement the Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) focussing on digital pedagogy and emerging technologies. Prof. Murthy said APSCHE would extend financial support to universities for organising FDPs. Emphasis was also laid on the establishment of functional and dynamic Research Boards in every university to foster a strong research ecosystem, secure external funding, and promote high-quality publications. The Vice-Chancellors were encouraged to strengthen their international outreach, design foreign-student-friendly policies, and leverage platforms such as 'Study in India' to enhance global visibility and attract international students. The universities were also advised to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of short-term internship programmes, ensuring effective industry engagement and experiential learning, employability skills, industry exposure, and research aptitude opportunities for students. Vice-Chairpersons of APSCHE K. Rama Mohana Rao and P. Uma Maheswari Devi, Secretary T.V. Sri Krishna Murthy and Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of all State Universities attended the meeting. Eom...
India Gazette
09-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
AICTE launches 500 Online ATAL Faculty Development Programs
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched 500 Online ATAL Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) for the financial year 2025-26. The program was inaugurated by Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE, at the AICTE headquarters in New Delhi. Vice Chairman Dr. Abhay Jere and Member Secretary Prof. Rajive Kumar also graced the occasion. The Council has already launched 500 offline FDPs for the year 2025-26. According to an official release, in his inaugural address, Prof. Sitharam emphasized the significance of FDPs in imparting quality training to faculty members, postgraduate students and research scholars. He highlighted the importance of acquiring sound domain knowledge and relevant skill sets to apply in real-life scenarios with industry connections. He further stated that this initiative demonstrates AICTE's commitment to promoting continuous professional development and enhancing the quality of technical education in India. Dr. Abhay Jere remarked, 'Since we have lectures by specialists in emerging areas during the FDPs, we should create a repository of some of the best lectures on our website so that others can also benefit from them.' The online FDPs aim to foster a culture of continuous professional development, with 500 programs proposed to be conducted this year. Each program will be a six-day online course covering various emerging areas, including Advanced Materials, Semiconductors, Space and Defense, the Blue Economy, and more. All Higher Education Institutions are eligible to apply for the Online ATAL FDPs. AICTE will provide a grant-in-aid of Rupees 1 lakh per FDP on reimbursement basis. These programs will benefit faculty members by enhancing their knowledge and skills, which they can further impart to their students. The application portal will open on May 10, 2025. Interested institutions may submit their applications until June 01, 2025. The 17 emerging areas covered under this FDP initiative are Advanced Materials, Rare-earth & Critical Minerals, Semiconductors, Space and Defense, Blue / Green Economy, High Performance Computing, Energy, Sustainability & Climate Change, Advanced Computing (Supercomputing, AI, and Data Science), Next Gen Communications, Smart Cities & Mobility and Agritech & Food Processing. It also includes Healthcare & Med-Tech, Disaster Management & Resilient Infrastructure, Manufacturing & Industry 4.0, Quantum Technologies, Hydrogen Energy, Cyber-Physical Systems and Cybersecurity and other emerging areas. (ANI)
