Amidst growing demand for non-traditional subjects and programmes, Bangalore University’s (BU) new integrated courses under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 have garnered favour. While courses were modified according to NEP in the previous academic year, this year’s addition is the five-year integrated B.Sc.-M.Sc. geography course with a specialisation in geoinformatics and natural disaster management.
While geography and geoinformatics papers were introduced before, natural disaster management is a new subject. However, all the subjects can now be studied in a single window in the integrated course. “Geoinformatics includes subjects like remote sensing, geo surveying, cartography, and other map-related subjects. Natural disaster management is also the need of the hour. Students can finish their honours degree and immediately join for a year of specialisation in either of the subjects under this new course,” said Ashok Hanjagi, professor and chairman, Department of Geography and Geoinformatics, Bangalore University.
He added that there is “total job assurance” with these programmes. “Graduating students can work with MNCs, even abroad. We have tied up with the National Institute of Disaster Management and Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre. Our geoinformatics course is also supported by ISRO.” He said the response to the course has been good so far and around 30 students are expected to be admitted.
BU also started honour courses in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, and Bachelor of Business Administration in the last academic year. “We were the first in the State to have NEP UG courses. We have hired guest faculty members mostly because we will not get immediate posting. Most of them are doctorate holders. We will be able to provide quality teaching,” said S.R. Kesava, professor, Department of Economics.
He added that there are around 35 applications for BA this year and there are only 30 seats in each course. “As there are a lot of skill enhancement abilities and an opportunity to master one subject, there will be good job opportunities for these students. The course will help both their personality and professional development,” he added.
Another integrated programme of M.Sc. biological sciences has now been modified under NEP and BU is accepting applications for the course. A BU official said that depending on the response the NEP programmes receive, they could also be introduced in affiliated colleges in the next couple of years.
