PUNE: The plan to shift journalism courses currently being taught at Ranade Institute here to the campus of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has been canceled after discussions with students' associations, said Maharashtra Minister for Higher and Technical Education Uday Samant on Saturday.
Samant, who had arrived at the campus of SPPU here, met students' groups which had been alleging that the varsity was planning to merge the Department of Communication and Journalism at the Ranade Institute with the SPPU's Department of Communication Studies.
"After discussions with students' associations, working journalists' association, SPPU Vice Chancellor Nitin Karmalkar and other head of departments, we have decided to cancel the shifting of the courses. Discussions were also held on issues related to education and infrastructure. A detailed report on these would be submitted in 90 days by a one-member committee of the principal secretary of the Higher and Technical Education department," Samant said.
He also said the presentation of six awards by the Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek in Nagpur, which was affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and other reasons since 2012, will be held at the end of this month and awards for three years will be given.