Vice-chancellor Dr Nitin Karmalkar said that the timetable is being worked out by the respective department and soon it will be announced. Reduction in affiliation fees of colleges, establishing a committee to review 30 per cent cut in syllabus for further exams, resetting the academic calendar, free vaccines to teaching and non-teaching staff, sanitisation of hostels and reopening rooms for students, in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, are some of the decisions taken at the Senate meeting on Sunday at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
In a proposal tabled by principal Dr Sanjay Kharat, it was pointed out that there has been a considerable delay in conducting admissions, especially in professional courses offered by colleges affiliated to the university. He pointed towards a need to restructure the academic calendar of 2020-21 and 2021-22 to meet the same.
Vice-chancellor Dr Nitin Karmalkar said that the timetable is being worked out by the respective department and soon it will be announced.
Kharat also tabled a proposal for free vaccination of all teaching and non-teaching staff, to which the administration said it was in talks with the Serum Institute of India. “We will get staffs vaccinated on priority as they have been working hard during the pandemic period,” Kharat said.
A few Senate members, including Kharat and Abhishek Bokey, proposed that the university hostels, departments and colleges should be reopened soon as students were suffering major academic loss.
“However, proper sanitisation of hostel rooms needs to be carried out before students start coming in,” said Boke, whose proposal was approved.
In a proposal by principal Motiram Deshmukh, it was pointed out that while UGC had instructed that 30 per cent syllabus be reduced and exams be based on the rest, he said that in tribal and remote areas, not even 10 per cent students have been able to attend classes and are not aware of what constitutes the syllabus. Acting on his proposal not to announce further examinations till the situation on ground is reviewed, university administration replied that a committee has been set up to review the reduction of syllabus in a uniform manner.
Senate member and vice-principal of Modern College, Shamkant Deshmukh, proposed that the affiliation fee of colleges be reduced since colleges had been facing the brunt of Covid-19 and admissions were lower than expected. Deshmukh said, “Out of every 100 admissions, 35 per cent are outstation students in almost all colleges and this year, there has been an impact on that. The overall admissions scenario is slow and first year admissions of many courses are still ongoing. Colleges are facing lot of financial difficulties since fees collected is very less. Considering all, affiliation fee should be reduced.”
Karmalkar said that the matter had been discussed earlier in a meeting with principals and a sympathetic view has been taken of the situation. He assured that an appropriate decision is expected soon.