The lack of equal status to post graduate degrees of MSc (Maths) and MSc (Applied Maths) awarded by the Bharathidasan University has deprived the Applied Maths students from getting teachers’ jobs in government schools. Ten students in the district have been unable to get jobs in government schools despite clearing the Teachers Recruitment Board exams.
The students who studied MSc (Applied Maths) in Pudukkottai district cleared the TRB examination in June. They were called for certificate verification in August. During the verification process they were rejected as their degree is not considered equal to MSc (Maths).
They were shocked to hear this through TRB officials at the eleventh hour. They rushed to HH Raja’s College and KKC Women’s college, where they studied with complaints that their qualification is not considered equal to MSc (Maths). Based on the students’ statement, the college administration sent a representation to the Bharadhidasan University asking it to take necessary measures on the complaint.
M Banumathy, professor of mathematics department of KKC Women’s Collage and senate member of Bharathidasan university, speaking to Express said some government colleges in Tamil Nadu had started the MSc (Applied Mathematics) course following its recognisation of the course by the respective universities in the state 25 years ago.
In Pudukkottai district, MSc (Applied Maths) was started from 1982 in HH Raja’s College and 1985 in KKC Women’s College. Every year, a minimum of 30 to 40 students had graduated from the college studying the discipline.
Throughout the State, more than 1,000 students had obtained government jobs based on the degree, so far. But during the last TRB certificate verification, students were rejected on grounds that MSc (Applied Maths) is not equal to MSc (Maths) after clearing the TRB examination.
The syllabus of both the PG degrees were similar and three papers had been added to the Applied Mathematics course and those papers were at an advanced level than MSc Mathematics, she said.
“We appealed to the university to take immediate action to issue an order confirming that both the degrees are equal. The higher education department should pay attention to the issue and TRB should be instructed to treat both the degrees as equal,” she said.