Date:30/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/30/stories/2008063052040500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Bangalore varsity to revive M.Phil

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Bangalore University’s Academic Council on Saturday decided to revive the M.Phil. programme. The university stopped offering the programme about 10 years ago.

Addressing the council members, Vice-Chancellor H.A. Ranganath said that many students from the university were pursuing their M.Phil. degrees in sister universities. The varsity lecturers, on the other hand, were guiding M.Phil. students of other universities. “There has been demand to revive the M.Phil. programme. I had sent a circular in this regard to all the chairpersons. So far, 21 departments have responded,” he said.

Shivaramakrishnan, council member and Dean of Faculty of Arts, said that before the university decides to introduce M.Phil programme again, it would have to take into cognisance the reasons for which the university decided to stop offering it. The Vice-Chancellor and the other members agreed to form a committee to look into the past experience and various other issues and then come up with a new model. Prof. Ranganath said that the committee would be formed soon.

Fee reduction

The Academic Council also discussed the guidelines for recognition of a research centre under the university. The council decided to reduce the affiliation fee from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 25,000 a subject. The institutions would have to pay Rs. 10,000 every year as a renewal fee. However, to be recognised as a research centre, the institution should have offered PG programmes for at least five years with permanent faculties and have good infrastructure in place.