Academic Council of UoM defers decision on four-year dual degree programme

The Academic Council of University of Madras (UoM) has deferred its determination to commencement a four-year dual grade programme connected basal sciences projected to beryllium offered successful concern with University of Melbourne aft members raised respective objections.

The projected dual-degree programme were to beryllium offered done the Department of Theoretical Physics successful collaboration with the University of Melbourne arsenic an hold of the B.Sc (blended) Science programme started successful 2022. The students would person had the enactment of choosing to proceed with the blended programme and implicit 3 years successful UoM oregon prosecute the 3rd and 4th years successful University of Melbourne and gain 2 degrees – Bachelor of Basic Science from UoM and Bachelor of Advanced (Honour) from University of Melbourne.

Several members raised concerns implicit the programme’s operation and features. The National Education Policy 2020 encouraged starting of four-year undergraduate programmes but Tamil Nadu was recalcitrant towards adopting the argumentation for its acquisition institutions. “There was deficiency of clarity connected wherever Tamil Nadu stood connected this contented and we brought that to the announcement of the Council,” said P.K. Abdul Rahiman, Head (in-charge), JBAS Centre for Islamic Studies.

While Tamil oregon immoderate different connection was made compulsory for each undergraduate courses successful the State, the blended people had 1 insubstantial successful English and had nary proviso for immoderate different connection courses, which was successful usurpation of authorities norms, a conception of the members said.

“There are respective different issues, similar equivalence to immoderate of the halfway subjects similar Physics, Chemistry, oregon Mathematics. It besides does not specify the rubric of four-year grade and leaves it ambiguous arsenic B.Sc Advanced (Honours),” said K. Kathiravan, prof and head, section of Biotechnology.

Besides, the blended people had 11 students successful its archetypal twelvemonth (2022-23), followed by 3 students successful 2023-24, and 7 successful 2024-25, Prof. Kathiravan added.