HP University more funds from UGC for strengthening infrastructure

Shimla, Jun 12 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) today sought more financial assistance from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for strengthening its infrastructure and introduction of new job oriented courses under the eleventh plan.

The nine member expert committee of the UGC, with Calcutta University Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Dass as its Convener, today visited the HPU and held detailed discussions with the authorities.

''The presentations made by the University will give an opportunity to us to take view of its strengths and weaknesses and its priorities'', he said.

Prof Dass appreciated the HPU's strict adherence to the 75 per cent lecture condition at the postgraduate and undergraduate level.

He also lauded the work being undertaken by the Bio-Sciences and Bio-Technology department in emerging areas. ''The fact that there are only 14 per cent women on the faculty of the HPU is an indicator that steps need to be taken to increase this percentage,'' he said.

HP University's Vice-Chancellor Sunil Kumar Gupta presented proposals of Rs 151.77 crore under eleventh plan before the expert committee of the UGC.

Prof Gupta stressed the need for undertaking concerted efforts to make higher education accessible to students in every nook and corner of the state for which more facilities needed to be created.

''To accomplish this task we need to reach out to the students of the far flung snow bound areas and also provide facilities to the disadvantaged sections like the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and women,'' he said.

The VC also emphasised the need for starting of starting more applied and job oriented courses through regular and distance mode of educations.

There should be provision for separate building for each department so that they are able to carry out their activities effectively, he added.

Prof Gupta said the HPU had done extremely well in research and extension despite many constraints. ''We are running 100 programmes with an intake capacity of 4,322 students per year and the number of affiliated institutions had also gone up to 232'', he said.

The UGC team, also held talks with the members of the Executive Council and the University Court.

They also called on the Governor V S Kokje at the Raj Bhawan later in the evening.

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