BHUBANESWAR: In a move towards character building of students, the Higher Education department on Thursday, December 23, 2021, announced to introduce a non-academic programme ‘Juba Sanskaar’ in all under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) colleges and universities from the start of the coming year.
While the programme will be conducted in classroom mode and referred to as Juba Sanskaar classes, there will be no assessment and evaluation or credit points attached to it, said Higher Education Secretary Saswat Mishra in a letter to principals of all UG and PG colleges.
The classes (one period of standard duration) to begin from the first week of January, will be held for all UG and PG semesters mandatorily once a month where audio-visual films on various character-building topics would be shown to students. These topics include staying away from drugs, tobacco, imbibing patriotism/volunteerism, developing a sense of respect towards women and senior citizens, among others.
The principals were directed to earmark a classroom or auditorium as Juba Sanskaar classroom with facilities to play audio-visual films. Three teachers of either NSS, YRC or NCC background will be appointed as nodal teachers to facilitate the programme. The nodal teachers will work under the guidance of a senior teacher designated as coordinator for the programme. Although this is not an academic programme, attendance of the students will be taken.
Last week, the department announced the introduction of a course on ‘Ethics and Values’ from this academic year which would carry six credits - one credit per semester. The UG course has a total of six semesters.