On the agenda for Delhi University’s (DU) executive council meeting, scheduled for May 28 – the same day the online registration for admission begins – is the choice-based credit system (CBCS). It is likely that the system may find approval. The University Grants Commission’s documents on course structure and the system for computing ‘credits’ and CGPAs (cumulative grade point averages) will also be discussed. It may be mentioned that absence of clearance from the councils has been holding up implementation and giving hope to detractors—entire departments have resolved against CBCS—that it’s not coming to DU this year.

The renaming of two master’s level courses, the merging of two departments, handing over of UCMS to Delhi government and the establishment of an “Electropreneur Park” at South Campus, are the other issues that will be discussed.

Previously, DU had said that it will not go ahead with the implementation of the CBCS if its Executive Council and Academic Council decide against the same.

 Delhi University is considering an increase of around 2,000 undergraduate seats in its various courses. The hike in seats will in all likelihood be introduced from the next academic session and not the upcoming one, admissions for which are set to begin this week.

Speaking in this context, Prof Nachiketa Singh, part of the 14-member Standing Committee on Selection of Courses set up last week by DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh, has informed that here are certain popular courses like Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) and sociology which are offered at fewer colleges. The panel has approved their introduction in more number of colleges.

Singh also explained that after the standing committee approval, the courses need to be approved by the varsity’s Academic Council (AC) and Executive Council (EC), the statutory bodies, and since there is no time left for getting the proposal approved by these councils ahead of the 2015-16 session, it is likely that they would be offered from the next one.

The step will contribute to an increase of around 2,000 seats.

Another proposal passed today by the committee was for the introduction of a course in Forensic Science. “In a first, DU will be offering B.Sc in Forensic Science, initially at Khalsa College.

The BBS course will also be offered by SGTB Khalsa College, Ramanujan College and Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, the sociology course will be offered by Bharti College. Among the other courses in which the varsity is mulling an increase in intake are history, physics and geography. It may be mentioned that although the student intake will increase, that would not affect the recruitment of teaching staff.

DU presently has around 54,000 UG seats in around 70 colleges. The online registration process for admissions to the 2015-16 academic session will be open from May 28 to June 15 while offline forms will be accepted at the registration centres from June 5 to June 15. The first cut-off list will be announced on June 25.

Furthermore, While UGC has already asked all central universities to implement the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) from the upcoming academic session, Delhi University is yet to direct its colleges, maintaining that it is “awaiting instructions from the Commission”.

 The idea of establishing a consortium of higher educational institutions as part of greater collaboration between India and China, besides mutual recognition of academic degrees, was broached by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, on her maiden visit to China. The minister was in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao to take part in the ‘International Conference on ICT and Post-2015 Education’ organised by the Chinese Government and UNESCO on a four-day visit. She held talks with top Chinese officials and discussed steps to follow up on agreements signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit.

An Indian Embassy press release here said that Irani held talks with her Chinese counterpart Yang Guiren on mutual recognition of academic degrees, collaboration in teacher’s training besides establishing a consortium of higher educational institutions. She had also said that The collaboration in teachers training helps both the countries to share their vast experiences in education. Besides Yang, Irani also held talks with Chinese Vice Education Ministers Liu Limin and Du Zhanyuan.

The minister focussed on the implementation of the new Educational Exchange Programme (EEP) signed during Modi’s visit. One MoU dealt with bilateral cooperation in the field of Vocational Education and Skill Development between India and China. Under the framework of the MoU, India and China agreed to work towards capacity development. China will be the key knowledge partner in the Mahatma Gandhi National Institute for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship being set up in Gujarat. Under the MoU, China will provide curriculum in various trade and industry sectors. According to officials, China has trained over 13 million people in skill development in focussed areas for better employment against a million by India.

It may be mentioned that under the documents signed during Modi’s maiden visit to China between May 14 to 16, the two sides had also agreed to set up the Centre for Gandhian and Indian Studies in Fudan University and setting up of a Yoga College in Yunnan University for which India provided the faculty. This is the first time China had a centre for Gandhian studies and the Yoga college will have trained teachers to bring a standard Yoga education.

Today, China has now become the third most favoured nation of international students after the US and UK. According to data put together by the Institute of International Education on international student mobility in 2012, there are many more foreign students in China (3.28 lakh) than in Australia or Germany. South Korea continues to send the maximum number of students to China (21.3%), but a close second is the US (8%). China was not on most students’ radar at the start of the decade; but now it is attracting several thousand foreign students every year. Most of them are studying humanities, followed by medicine.

 The students of Indian Association of Blind (IAB) school in Madurai registered a 100 per cent pass. All the 19 students who appeared for the examination passed. Three students scored more than 80 cent pass. At 84 cent pass, S Kannan and V Palanivel scored the top marks in the school, followed by S Vasanth who scored 82%.

Several students scored more than 90 marks even in subjects like science, social science and Tamil which are usually considered difficult to crack. S Kannan scored 93/100 in Tamil and emerged the subject topper, while M Barakathali and K Sangeetha scored 98/100 in social science.

Palanivel was subject topper in English and Maths, scoring 88 and 75 respectively. In science, K Anbalagan scored the top marks, scoring 98/100.

Furthermore, the district registered a slight rise in pass percentage in the SSLC examination results. Compared to last year’s 93.13 per cent, nearly 94.20 per cent of students who appeared for examination passed this year, a difference of 1.07 per cent.

Around 21,584 girls passed in the SSLC exams this year, while the figure was 21,431 among boys. The pass percentages are also higher among girls than boys, as 95.90 per cent of girls passed as against 90.66 per cent among boys.

 May 28 will see the start of registration process for admissions under sports category in the undergraduate courses of Delhi University (DU), along with the centralized online application process. However, candidates will have to apply separately at each college for sports admissions. The registration process will continue till June 15.

There is no change in the major features of the admission policy, including the eligibility criteria. However, the fitness trials will be conducted by the sports council of the university over three days—June 18 to 20—from 9am at the Polo Ground near North Campus. It will be a centralized process. The results will be declared on June 22 and the aspirants will be given fitness certificates.

DU authorities say that the fitness test has been made centralised to help the colleges from the undue pressure. Previously the first college which conducts the fitness test used to get unmanageable number of candidates. The candidates who clear the fitness tests—any two of the three—are eligible for the sports trials to be conducted by the colleges. The fitness certificate will be valid for all sports trials. Aspirants will be tested for strength, endurance and speed. However, for certain sports like chess, candidates will be eligible for the final trials even if they qualify in any one of the three fitness tests.

The sports trials will start on June 23 and colleges will be announcing their individual schedules. The colleges will also announce their requirements, regarding which sport they will enroll students and also the specific position in a particular sport if applicable.

Meanwhile, with the Class XII board exams, especially mathematics, having been unexpectedly difficult for many, DU aspirants are exploring other options besides what they had been planning for. BSc mathematics hopefuls are writing engineering entrance exams and those who can, are banking on ECA or sports quota to get them in.