BANGALORE: Want to do an engineering degree in bio-technology, but daunted by the prospect of taking up mathematics in PU? Well you don’t need to worry any more, as the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has amended the regulations to allow you to skip math at the 10+2 level and still sign up for engineering in biotechnology.
Currently, all engineering courses, including biotechnology, require applicants to take up mathematics compulsorily, along with physics and one of the following subjects: chemistry, biotechnology, computer science or biology.
With the new regulations, students have the option of taking biology instead of mathematics for the biotechnology course. The move by VTU comes following a notification by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) last year to amend the regulations for admissions to these courses.
The rules will come into effect only for the batch that will be entering PU from the upcoming academic year, who would then be admitted to the biotech programme in 2011- 12. Existing PU students will not be exempted, and will require mathematics as a subject for qualification.
VTU had earlier decided to implement the move in the upcoming admission season, but following discussions with the Karnataka Examination Authority(KEA), they decided to defer it. Speaking to Express , VTU Registrar Professor K V A Balaji said this was because of concerns that a sudden move would invite litigation.”It was felt that it would be prudent that these changes be brought to the attention of students in advance and wide publicity be given before implementation,” he said.
Now, all engineering students would have two mathematics papers in the first year, irrespective of branch. Students who have no background in mathematics would struggle with these courses.”This issue has to be worked out. We might require the students to pass a bridge course in mathematics, as we do with diploma students who enter laterally into engineering,” said Professor Balaji