University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Mamidala Jagadeesh Kumar on Tuesday emphasised the need to promote research activities in government degree colleges by encouraging both teachers and students to take active part in research work.
Addressing students in virtual mode after launching a job portal designed by the Andhra Pradesh Commissionerate of Collegiate Education to create a common (virtual) platform for job-seekers (students of government degree colleges) and employers in the industry, he said students could meet 40% of their credit requirement from the courses offered through the Swayam portal, a platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses taught in the classroom from Class 9 till post-graduation and can be accessed by anyone, anywhere and at anytime. These courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available free of cost.
The commissionerate organised the programme as part of its efforts to bridge the gap between industry and academia in view of the new component of a mandatory six-month internship added in the final year of the degree course as part of a revised curriculum.
To equip the students with the skills required by the industry, the Collegiate Education wing has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 17 Sector Skill Councils and Society of JKC.
The focus is on vocationalisation and skill development in the higher educational Institutions across the State, integrating vocational education with general stream and aligning the skills with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
As part of the partnership, the department would run certificate courses for skill development, take up continuous faculty development as per the requirement, restructure degree programmes, organise quality internships, provide placement support activities to students and promote entrepreneurship development.
Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) Chairman K. Hemachandra Reddy, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, J, Shamala Rao, CEOs of Sector Skill Councils, Principals and students across the State connected virtually to become a part of the programme.
