THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The postgraduate course in Public Administration, which was launched by the University of Kerala in June, has come a cropper. Students who enrolled for the course are in protest as even after two months, there is no syllabus. There are no teachers.
In the absence of teachers, research students from the Political Science department of the varsity were reportedly deployed to conduct classes once or twice a week.
According to Save Education Forum, a people’s collective for education reforms, such an arrangement was violation of UGC norms that stipulates only teachers with post-graduation and research experience in the subject concerned should conduct classes.
Two other courses - M A West Asia Studies and M A Data Studies - which were launched along with the Public Administration course are going on smoothly as the University had appointed guest faculty. “With the aim of claiming credit, a few Department heads and Syndicate members have launched new courses during their term in office without any foresight or discussions,” the people’s collective alleged.Scores of students who had enrolled for the course with an eye on civil services examination have been left in the lurch due to the lackadaisical attitude of university authorities.
“The syllabus of post graduate courses are finalised after discussions in various academic bodies. However no such discussions has taken place for this course,” the Save Education Forum stated.
Vice-Chancellor non-responsive
Repeated calls made by Express to Vice-Chancellor of University of Kerala V P Mahadevan Pillai for his response on the matter went unanswered.