Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Bangalore: The newly established 13 central universities across the country under Central Universities Act in 2009 are planning to adopt a national-level common entrance test to admit students for the academic year 2010-11, said Professor A.M. Pathan, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Karnataka (CUK), on Monday. He said the vice-chancellors of all the newly set up central universities are co-ordinating amongst themselves to evolve a system of conducting common entrance test that is likely to be held during June.

Prof. Pathan told presspersons that the Ministry of Human Resource Development was keen on a common entrance test for all the central universities in the country, numbering around 40. But this year the common entrance test might be restricted only to the newly established central universities, including the CUK situated in Gulbarga, as they had only a few courses on offer.
CUK-Gulbarga will introduce MA in Kannada language and literature, MSc in Geospatial Applications in Regional Development, MBA and M. Com courses from the academic year 2010-11 apart from BA (Hons) in English, Geography, Economics, History and Psychology integrated programme, MA in English and M.Phil (in English, Psychology and Economics) that commenced last academic year. The student strength of the CUK is likely to go up to 150 to 200 in the next academic year with the launch of new courses, he added.

Admission notification would be issued in April and the selection of candidates would be based on all-India entrance test. However, as per the provisions of the Central Universities Act there would be no specific reservation for students from Karnataka in the admission.The CUK is already in discussion with some universities in Canada for collaboration in common course design and exchange of faculty members and students. It would be realised in the next couple of years, he added.

Pointing out that all the courses offered were of the choice-based credit system (CBCS), he said the central universities adopt a transparent examination pattern with no external evaluation system and the students can get copies of their answer script for verification.

The CUK, which was functioning from Gulbarga University, would have its own campus by 2012 on a sprawling 621 acres of land as it would shortly begin tendering process for construction of first phase of buildings, said Prof. Pathan and added that the process of recruitment of teaching staff was under way.

At present, the teaching staff were either being deputed from other universities or appointed on contract basis. A full-fledged university was expected to have about 20,000 to 25,000 students on the campus.