UGC sanctions a new centre for skill development to Cusat

Kochi, Jul 9 : The University Grants Commission has sanctioned a new centre for skill development to Kerala's prestigious Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat).

The UGC has sanctioned the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centre for Knowledge Acquisition and Upgradation of Skilled Human Abilities and Livelihood aimed at arming youth with entrepreneurial skills to Cusat.

The University will receive a grant of Rs 4 crore during the course of two years. CUSAT said although 700 proposals were received from different parts of the country, only 48 were approved by the UGC.

Cusat is the only University from Kerala to be granted the KAUSHAL centre.A continuation to the community colleges and vocational degree courses introduced by the central government, the KAUSHAL Centre will empower students by imparting entrepreneurship skills as well as enhance their employability through personality development training.

It will have authority to conduct a whole spectrum of courses from job-oriented short-term certificate courses to full-time post-graduate ones, as well as research programmes.

In addition to strengthening the ties between the higher education sector and industry, it will work as a centre of excellence in skills development and an employment-industry knowledge base.

Liberal admission norms and semester system based on credits will be followed here. The KAUSHAL Centre in Cusat will conduct a Masters' programme which caters to the technology-management consultancy sector and a PG Diploma course in mobile phone applications technology.

PTI