SVU VC initiates action on boosting community devlp activities

Tirupati, Apr 14 (UNI) Sri Venkateswara University Vice-Chancellor S Jayarama Reddy has intiated action aimed at boosting and monitoring the community development activities taken up by various departments and centres of the varsity as part of the curriculam reforms which would take effect from the ensuing academic year 2006-2007.

As a first step in this direction, Prof Reddy has appointed a high-powered seven-member advisory committee with himself as chairman to streamline and coordinate the existing extension activities and to plan innovative future programmes in the board areas of community development as part of the proposed integrated credit-based curricula, a release from the university said here today.

He said the university would hereafter accord due weightage and focus on extension in addition to teaching and research in all branches offering post-graduate programmes.

Apart from the advisory committee, a 11-member task force on community development also has been formed with senior professors drawn from different departments to execute and monitor the community development programmes planned by the advisory committee.

The task force would be solely responsible for the periodical review of the programmes and for the documentation of the findings of the studies undertaken on continuing basis.

Prof R C Hanumanthu, Department of Geology, who has been appointed Director, Community Development, would also act as the convener for both the panels.

The university would also act as a nodal knowledge centre and provide consultancy services to the NGOs, government departments and agencies operating at district-level in the varsity area districts of Chittoor, Nellore and Kadapa, the release added.

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