From 16th in 2017 to 4th in 2021: CU climbs NIRF ranking ladder

From 16th in 2017 to 4th in 2021: CU climbs NIRF ranking ladder

Zeeshan.Jawed@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:11.09.2021

From being nowhere near the Top10 five years ago to ranking fourth on the National Institution Ranking Framework this year, Calcutta University has steadily climbed up the ladder by improving in several key areas, including teacher-student ratio, experienced faculty, student strength, regional diversity and quality of publications. The university, which was founded in January 1857, has also gained several points with respect to peer perception in the past five years, scoring almost 20 points.

With its improved performance in some of the key areas, CU figured just after IISc, JNU and BHU on the list, bypassing Jadavpur University, which ranked eighth, three rungs down from last year’s fifth position. “The ranking of the university at number four in the country and number one in the state is indicative of the collective zeal of our teachers, researchers, students and all other staff,” said CU vice-chancellor Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee. The NIRF rankings were published on Thursday.

In 2017, CU ranked 16th, in 2018,14th, in 2019, it ranked fifth and in 2020, it slid down to the seventh position. In 2018, the university fared badly in the faculty-student ratio category, scoring 15 out of 30. In 2021, the score under this head was 24.21 out of 30. In 2020, the university scored13.57 out of 20 in faculty with experience, but this time, the figure is 16.02 this year. The university’s peer perception score is also up from 37.39 out of 100 in 2019 to 45.77. But in 2020, the peer perception was 47.99. “The university created capital assets, excluding land and building worth Rs 26 crore. The amount spent on library and procuring new equipment for labs was over Rs 74 crore,” said an official.

At 45.77, CU lagged behind JU in peer perception score by almost 21 points, but it beat JU by almost 10 points in facultystudent ratio, four points in faculty with PhD and experience, 4.5 points in intellectual property and patents, 10 points in women diversity and 1.5 in region diversity. “Jadavpur University has faced a few issues in receiving grants over the past few years and that has impeded a lot of development. This reflected in the NIRF ranking this year,” said an official at Jadavpur University.

Five colleges from the state also figured on NIRF Top 100. Of them, only one—Bethune College—is a government institute. St Xavier’s College, with a total score of 67.41, ranked fourth, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira (67.26) ranked fifth, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara (64.45) ranked 15th, Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (62.50) ranked 21st and Bethune College

(52.23) ranked 77th. Bethune principal Krishna Roy said, “It is a matter of great pride that we are the only government college to be among the country’s Top 100. We are proud that we have been able to maintain the standard despite many adversities during pandemic.”

(Inputs by Poulami Roy Banerjee)

ONLY BENGAL MED INSTITUTE IN NIRF

ONLY BENGAL MED INSTITUTE IN NIRF

MCH bags 32nd position in nat’l ranking

Sumati.Yengkhom@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:11.09.2021

Medical College Hospital Kolkata has bagged the 32nd position among all medical colleges across the country, according to the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) 2021. In fact, the oldest medical college in Asia is the only medical institute from Bengal to have found a place in the ranking by the ministry of education, Government of India.

AIIMS New Delhi tops the chart for medical colleges followed by PGI Chandigarh, Christian Medical College Vellore, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS) Bangalore and Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in the second, third, fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Factors including the facilities — teaching as well as patient, hospital infrastructure, number of faculty members, number of research/study projects, number of undergraduate and post graduate students and their placement after course completion, number and quality of seminars/workshops, budgetary allocation for various activities are few of the criterion on the basis of which the ranking is done.

“We are happy to have found a place in the prestigious NIRF ranking,” said Medical College Hospital assistant professor Dibyendu Raycahudhuri, who was the nodal person to coordinate for the assessment.

Colleges struggle to fill UG seats

Colleges struggle to fill UG seats

10 Days, Several Lists, Many Vacant Berths

Poulami.Roy@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:11.09.2021

Ten days after admission to undergraduate courses in colleges commenced, seats in many courses in several colleges remain empty, a cause for worry for hundreds of students who have scored over 90% in board results but are yet to get a seat in a subject and college of choice. Principals fear some seats may remain vacant even in high-demand courses despite the huge number of applicants due to their inability to reclaim the seats of students who opt for a second college after taking admission in one.

This year, colleges have received a record number of applications. With no application fee, some students have applied to as many as 20 colleges. The top scorers figured in the first list of multiple colleges with some even taking admission in more than one. With no system to ensure that the previous seat will be vacated once a student takes admission in another college, it remains a challenge.

Surendranath College, for instance, received 54,000 application forms but only 10% seats have been filled up till date. College principal Indranil Kar pointed out that every year, nearly 30% seats remained vacant due to their inability to weed out those students who have also taken admission elsewhere and don’t report to the college when classes commence.

To solve the problem, many colleges have introduced a wish list format that allows interested students to gain admission.

Many principals of city colleges felt a central counselling system could be a solution. “Colleges do face a challenge in identifying students who have taken admission but then don’t attend classes because they’ve taken admission elsewhere as well. At present, students are not bound to inform colleges that they have taken admission elsewhere,” said New Alipore College principal Jaydeep Sarangi.

A principal of a central Kolkata college reasoned that a central counselling system could eliminate the problem of multiple admissions by a single candidate through use of a dedicated portal to monitor the admission process.

A few years ago during his first stint in the education department, minister Bratya Basu had proposed a centralised counselling system but it had ultimately not been implemented. A section of principals now feel it may be time to revisit the proposal.

There is a counter argument against central counselling as well with some pointing out that it is not foolproof. But even they admit that while top rung colleges will always be the first preference like counselling in Joint, it will be easier to know how many are opting out for upgradation if the process is monitored centrally.

Kannur varsity will review controversial syllabus: Min

Kannur varsity will review controversial syllabus: Min

Thiruvananthapuram:11.09.2021

Higher education minister R Bindu said the controversial Kannur University syllabus for MA Governance and Political Science would be reviewed by the varsity.

“If the syllabus requires any change, the university will take appropriate steps. If some additions proposed are to be dropped, the university would do so. So is the case of any addition in the syllabus,” the minister said on Friday evening. The minister’s reaction came after she received a report from Kannur University vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran regarding the issue.

The minister had earlier termed the developments in connection with the university syllabus as ‘highly sensitive’. CPM state acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan too said that the matter demands serious attention. “Ours is a secular country. It’s dangerous to have communal references in university syllabus,” the minister said, adding that university authorities need not be strictly aware of all changes in the syllabus and its nuances.

The new course for MA Governance and Political Science was introduced in Brennan College under Kannur University last year. The study recommended for the third semester of the course —themes in Indian political thoughthas kindled a controversy as critics dubbed the inclusion of the political thoughts of Golwalker and Savarkar as saffronization of the syllabus. TNN

Final year classes on shift basis from Oct 4

Final year classes on shift basis from Oct 4

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:11.09.2021

Classes for final year students in higher education institutions in the state would begin from October 4 on a shift basis on alternate days. A decision in this regard was reached at higher education minister R Bindu’s meeting with college principals on Friday.

Classes for junior semester students would be decided later considering the experience of the mechanism being put in place for the final year students, Bindu told reporters after the online meeting with principals.

“To begin with, classes would be organised on alternate days. Teachers would reach the campus daily. A fresh order specifying the working time for colleges during this special arrangement would be issued soon. Institutions may opt for different shift timings, according to their convenience. Generally, the student strength in PG classes is below 20. Nothing prevents college authorities from organising daily classes for students of such classes,” Bindu said.

A special vaccination drive would be held on college campuses to ensure that all students get at least one dose of the Covid vaccine. The drive would be held by coordinating respective DMOs, primary health centres, universities, and college campuses. “For the effective drive, the statistics of non-vaccinated students and teachers would be prepared. Covid vigilance committees would be set up on all campuses. Classes would be held adhering to Covid protocols, and college authorities are supposed to ensure availability of sanitiser, soap and handwash,” the minister said.

Bindu said the department would ask district collectors to return certain college buildings that had been converted to CFLTCs. They will be also asked to relieve teachers who were given the charge of sectoral magistrates.

“Colleges are being opened to overcome limitations of online classes. Online classes would be set up in all colleges. Principals have been asked to ensure that learning management system is introduced in their colleges. Principals would fix the schedule for blended classes, using online and offline facilities,” Bindhu said.

She r said the government would make best efforts to ensure public transport facility for college-going students. “Institutional heads would arrange accommodation facilities at hostels by ensuring the adherence of Covid-19 protocol. Since only final year students are allowed on campuses, accommodation in hostels won’t be a risk,” Bindhu added

A special vaccination drive would be held on college campuses to ensure that all students get at least one Covid vaccine dose

August 2021 was third hottest in 120 yrs: IMD

August 2021 was third hottest in 120 yrs: IMD

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:11.09.2021

A huge rainfall deficit ensured August 2021 was the third hottest August in the country in the past 120 years but it was also marked by the Ridge area in the capital breaking its 24 hour rainfall record for the month.

As far as temperature was concerned, the monthly average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature over all India for the month of August during 1901-2021 shows the average ‘maximum temperature’ over all India was third highest (31.75 degree C) and average ‘minimum temperature’ was eighth highest (24.39 degree C) while the ‘mean temperature’ over all India was third highest (28.07 degree C) since 1901, making it the third hottest August.

“The observed average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature for the country as a whole during August 2021 are 31.75 degree C, 24.39 degree C and 28.07 degree C respectively, against the normal of 31.09 degree C, 24.01 degree C and 27.55 degree C based on period 1981-2010,” said the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather analysis for August.

The overall rainfall deficit (24% below long period average) had led it to be the lowest August rainfall in the country in the last 12 years (after 2009).

So far during period 1901-2021, August 2021 was the 6th lowest after 1920 (32.5% below LPA), 2005 (28.4% below LPA), 2009 (26.5% below LPA),1913 (25.6% below LPA), and 1930 and 1993 when it had 25.2% below LPA.

Only 28 stations reported extremely heavy rainfall

The IMD said certain stations recorded ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall with six of them including Delhi Ridge, Car Nicobar, Aizwal, Bundi, Thanjavur and Shivpuri reporting their 24-hour respective record rainfall in August.

“There were only 28 stations which reported extremely heavy rainfall”, said the IMD in its analysis. There are over 4,000 rainfall recording stations in the country. Referring to the impact of weather events in August, the IMD noted that a total 121 persons lost their lives while 28 persons got injured during the month.

Govt sees red on Savarkar, VC denies it’s saffronisation

Govt sees red on Savarkar, VC denies it’s saffronisation

Panel To Examine Univ Syllabus, Submit Report

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kozhikode:11.09.2021

The row over inclusion of writings of Hindutva ideologues MS Golwakar and V D Savarkar in the MA Governance and Politics syllabus of Kannur University appeared to evolve into a larger debate on whether non-mainstream or controversial works should become part of conventional syllabi, even as it put the government in a spot on Friday, with divisions cropping up among Left parties on the issue.

The varsity has constituted a two-memberpanel -- comprising political scientists Prof J Prabhash and Prof K S Pavithran -- to examine the syllabus and submit a report in five days. Higher education minister R Bindu on Friday termed the development as "highly sensitive" and said it was "dangerous" to have communal references in university syllabus, but toned down her reaction by the evening. “If the syllabus requires any change, the university will take appropriate steps. If some additions proposed are to be dropped, the university would do so," she said.

Protests in varsity for second day

CM Pinarayi Vijayan also gave a similar reaction but said the government does not want to glorify ideologies and leaders who had turned away their faces from the Independence struggle. The university had included extracts from Savarkar’s “Hindutva: who is a Hindu”, and Golwalkar’s “Bunch of Thoughts” in the syllabus. Vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran justified the decision, saying the syllabus was aimed at enabling students to develop a critical understanding about various strands of Indian political thought.

The varsity witnessed protests for the second day on Friday, with the AISF also taking out a protest march demanding withdrawal of the syllabus. KSU activists blocked the vicechancellor’s vehicle. Senior CPI leader Benoy Vishwam joined the opposition leaders in criticising the decision. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the decision is condemnable.

The issue, meanwhile, laid bare conflicting opinions in SFI, with Kannur University Students Union chairman M K Hassan supporting the decision and SFI state secretary K M Sachin Dev opposing it.

The controversy brought up diverse opinions among academics as well. Historian and former ICHR chairman M G S Narayanan said it was imperative that students read all diverse strands of Indian political thought at the post-graduate level. “They should get an opportunity to compare and contrast different points of view. Also, it will help them in developing their own independent perspective,” he said. Political scientist and Kasargod central university former vice-chancellor G Gopakumar said it was unfortunate that holistic academic matters are used for petty political gains. “Political science is a liberal discipline. Those who speak against the syllabus should at least understand that Indian political thought is a prominent paper and works and philosophy of Savarkar, Golwalkar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah are part of this,” he said. “The demand to obfuscate the prominent political ideologies would be like asking political science students to study the second world war, without studying Hilter and Mussolini and their ideologies,” he added.

P K Ravindran, educationist and former deputy director of the collegiate education department, however said students should be taught textbooks that will take them forward and not backward in time. “Universities should not be the place to promote retrograde ideas. It is wrong to teach youngsters textbooks and ideas that would take them centuries back. If those responsible for drafting the syllabus don’t take the matter seriously, they do not deserve to hold such positions,” he said.

› FULL COVERAGE: P 5