Higher Education
Colleges in South India
Educational News Today
Monday, Jan 19, 2009
Chennai: At least 13 academic departments of the University of Madras have not been able to attract enough students for postgraduate courses over the past several years. Patronage for these courses has been only between 8 % and 49% of the sanctioned strength over a five-year period beginning 2003-04.
The university offers 80 postgraduate courses in humanities, science and commerce streams through its 68 departments. Statistics compiled on the basis of admission figures provided by 59 departments revealed that the average students' enrolment has been poor or average in 13 departments. Some departments have also recorded zero student intakes in some years, a performance audit report prepared by the Principal Accountant General (Civil Audit) has said.
The courses which have attracted fewer students are: M.Sc Nuclear Physics, M.Sc Electronic Science, MA Political Science / Public Management, Ancient History and Archeology, Anthropology, Saivasidhandha, Jainology, Sanskrit, Philosophy, Kannada, Defence and Strategic Studies, Econometrics and French.
"Some of the courses are religious oriented courses and only selected students who have personal interest in these courses take them up," the university officials said in response to the audit findings.
Interestingly, not a single student joined MA in Saivasidhandha in the academic years 2003-04 to 2006-07, whereas the department has a sanctioned student intake of 10 every year. Likewise, last year no student enrolled for the MA in Philosophy although the sanctioned strength is 20. Just 21 students joined the philosophy department in five years, whereas the sanctioned intake for one year itself is 20.
University officials pointed out that the humanities stream has always been less attractive that the sciences stream and therefore, not many joined postgraduate courses.
Professor P Govinda Reddy of the anthropology department explained that not many students and parents were familiar with the availability of the MA in Anthropology in the university. "In the entire Tamil Nadu, the University of Madras is the only higher education institutions to offer a course in anthropology. No college or university in the state has instituted a course in anthropology even at the undergraduate level. Therefore, naturally joining MA Anthropology is not a popular option," Reddy told The Times of India.
The reality, though, is that there is a demand for students of anthropology in the job market. "We are unable to cater to the manpower requirement from non-governmental organisations, rural development department and social welfare department at the national level. Interestingly, social scientists and even medical doctors have evinced keen interest in pursuing doctoral studies (PhD) in Anthropology," he said.
To popularise the subject, the department is toying with the idea of introducing a five-year integrated MA Anthropology course in the university from the next academic year.
University officials also attributed vacancies in some departments to the communal reservation system that is followed while admitting students. "The vacancies exist (in some departments) because they cannot be filled up for want of eligible candidates under certain categories of community due to adoption of roster system," the officials said.
While this is the scene with the students' intake, the university is simultaneously grappling with infrastructure inadequacies in hosting students of some other departments that have attracted lots of students.
For instance, in respect of research oriented science subjects, the classrooms available are adequate for conducting theory classes for one batch of students alone, while the other batch is accommodated in the laboratory.
However, now the university is initiating steps to construct more classrooms in multi-storied buildings to meet future requirements of all its four campuses in Chepauk, Marina, Guindy and Taramani.
Poor patronage for 13 PG courses in Madras
Chennai: At least 13 academic departments of the University of Madras have not been able to attract enough students for postgraduate courses over the past several years. Patronage for these courses has been only between 8 % and 49% of the sanctioned strength over a five-year period beginning 2003-04.
The university offers 80 postgraduate courses in humanities, science and commerce streams through its 68 departments. Statistics compiled on the basis of admission figures provided by 59 departments revealed that the average students' enrolment has been poor or average in 13 departments. Some departments have also recorded zero student intakes in some years, a performance audit report prepared by the Principal Accountant General (Civil Audit) has said.
"Some of the courses are religious oriented courses and only selected students who have personal interest in these courses take them up," the university officials said in response to the audit findings.
Interestingly, not a single student joined MA in Saivasidhandha in the academic years 2003-04 to 2006-07, whereas the department has a sanctioned student intake of 10 every year. Likewise, last year no student enrolled for the MA in Philosophy although the sanctioned strength is 20. Just 21 students joined the philosophy department in five years, whereas the sanctioned intake for one year itself is 20.
University officials pointed out that the humanities stream has always been less attractive that the sciences stream and therefore, not many joined postgraduate courses.
Professor P Govinda Reddy of the anthropology department explained that not many students and parents were familiar with the availability of the MA in Anthropology in the university. "In the entire Tamil Nadu, the University of Madras is the only higher education institutions to offer a course in anthropology. No college or university in the state has instituted a course in anthropology even at the undergraduate level. Therefore, naturally joining MA Anthropology is not a popular option," Reddy told The Times of India.
The reality, though, is that there is a demand for students of anthropology in the job market. "We are unable to cater to the manpower requirement from non-governmental organisations, rural development department and social welfare department at the national level. Interestingly, social scientists and even medical doctors have evinced keen interest in pursuing doctoral studies (PhD) in Anthropology," he said.
To popularise the subject, the department is toying with the idea of introducing a five-year integrated MA Anthropology course in the university from the next academic year.
University officials also attributed vacancies in some departments to the communal reservation system that is followed while admitting students. "The vacancies exist (in some departments) because they cannot be filled up for want of eligible candidates under certain categories of community due to adoption of roster system," the officials said.
While this is the scene with the students' intake, the university is simultaneously grappling with infrastructure inadequacies in hosting students of some other departments that have attracted lots of students.
For instance, in respect of research oriented science subjects, the classrooms available are adequate for conducting theory classes for one batch of students alone, while the other batch is accommodated in the laboratory.
However, now the university is initiating steps to construct more classrooms in multi-storied buildings to meet future requirements of all its four campuses in Chepauk, Marina, Guindy and Taramani.
Courtesy: Times of India
copyright © 2003 - 2012, adroit techno solutions. all rights reserved.