TUMAKURU: If all goes well and the regular offline classes begin from October 1, Tumkur University is gearing up to give life and health insurance coverage to over 1,200 students taking admission for the first year post-graduate programmes.
Speaking to The New Indian Express in the wake of the chancellor and higher education minister Dr C Ashwath Narayan, who is also the Deputy CM, declaring that online classes would be started from September 1 followed by offline classes, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Y S Sidde Gowda informed that the varsity has made all the arrangements.
The matter of covering health insurance for the students was discussed at the Syndicate meeting held on August 25 and the modalities will be worked out.
"It will be a group insurance kind of coverage and the option will be given to the students during the admission. If it works out, it will be extended to the UG students next with the government's assistance," he explained.
The teaching and non-teaching staff and their families have been covered with the insurance, he added.
Meanwhile, three of the PG programmes will be shifted to the new campus at Bidarkatte which has four state-of-the-art hostel buildings for PG boys, girls, and research scholars implemented under the social welfare department's funds.
"The microbiology, biotechnology, and social works PG departments would be shifted to the new campus by December 2020," the VC clarified.
Asked about the challenges involved in running the regular classes, he said that the auditoriums would also be converted into classrooms and the duration of the working hours would be extended.
"When it comes to running the hostels, it's a daunting task and we will think of providing whatever funds come from the government directly to the students to help them make their own arrangements," he clarified.
Exams from September 1
The examinations for the different UG courses will be held between September 1 and September 23 in 33 centres, informed the registrar (evaluation) M Kotresh.