AU RCET counselling begins

Counselling for admission into M.Phil. and Ph.D. full-time programmes of Andhra University, based on the ranks obtained in the AU Research Common Entrance Test (AURCET) 2014, commenced here on Thursday.

Admission into science programmes started and Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju handed over the admission allotment letters to the first rankers admitted into food, nutrition and dietetics, geography and nuclear physics programmes. K. Suma Nandini, who secured first rank was given admission into full-time Ph.D. in food, nutrition and dietetics.  Top rankers S. Ramakrishna and A. Tejaswi were given admission letters for geography and nuclear physics programmes by the Vice-Chancellor.

Director of Admissions O. Aniel Kumar, Associate Directors G. Nageswara Rao, Vazeer Mohammood and Ch. Appa Rao were present on the occasion.

 

e-classrooms, modern labs for AU departments

e-classrooms and modern laboratories will be provided in all the departments of Andhra University to make it a a global university and to meet the technological challenges in higher education, Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju said while inaugurating a e-class room in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at AU College of Engineering here on Tuesday.

He wanted the students and scholars to make use of the modern facilities and update their technological skills. Prof. Raju also inaugurated water facility system in the department.

 

NGO’s help to poor students

The North South Foundation, the Tanuku chapter of a US-based non-profit organisation, on Sunday extended financial help of Rs. 2.44 lakh to 26 engineering and polytechnic students with poor economic background. Dr. M.R. Raju of the Gandhi Memorial Trust gave away cheques to the beneficiaries. Each engineering student has received Rs. 15,000 while the polytechnic student Rs 5,000 under the philanthropic programme. Chitturi Prasad Chowdary, the foundation’s Tanuku chapter’s councillor, informed that it was a gesture to be extended to the beneficiaries annually by the foundation until they completed their education.

 

 

AU approves changes in courses

The Academic Senate of Andhra University, during its meeting here on Friday, approved introduction of some courses and changes in syllabi and renaming of some courses.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju, who presided over the meeting, explained the many programmes taken up and grants from the UGC, Department of Science and Technology, Navy Research Board and other agencies the university has received or sanctioned. The State government also approved recruitment of 506 teachers.

‘Revise yoga course’

Former Vice-Chancellors Koneru Ramakrishna Rao, K.V. Ramana and Beela Satyanarayana participated in the discussions and gave suggestions on the improvement of academic programmes.

Prof. Ramakrishna Rao wanted the M.A. programme in Yoga and consciousness to be thoroughly revised and the Board of Studies totally revamped as he found the course unfit. The present members of BoS were yoga instructors and they should be replaced with experts, he said.

New courses

The Senate also approved a proposal to change the nomenclature of B.E. and M.E. courses of all branches of AU College of Engineering to B.Tech. and M.Tech. with effect from the academic year 2013-14.

Single valuation in PG programmes and LL.M. would come into effect as the double valuation was leading to delay in the announcement of results.

It was decided to introduce five-year B.A., LL.B. course in AU Dr. Ambedkar College of Law; two-year M.B.A. (banking and financial services) programme; five-year integrated B.B.A. and M.B.A. programme for foreign students and one-year PG diploma (evening) in entrepreneurship; one-year PG diplomas in Sanskrit and teaching English, through AU School of Distance Education; one year diploma in devotional songs (as evening course); six-month diploma course in technical writing in English; one year advanced PG diploma in mineral exploration and resource evaluation along with GSI; foundation course in human values and professional ethics and starting B. Vocational course in one of the branches in AUCE, as per instructions of APSCHE. M.Sc. (tech) course in geophysics would be introduced by merging M.Sc. (marine geophysics) and M.Sc. (hydrology). The fee was also modified.

 

More facilities for foreign students

Infrastructure and modern facilities would be provided to international students of Andhra University to make their stay more comfortable and help them benefit from qualitative academic research inputs, Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju said while inaugurating the new office premises of the International Affairs of the university on Friday.

While 600 students from various countries are pursuing postgraduate and research programmes in the university, 142 new students have been admitted this year. Another hostel would be built for foreign students at a cost of Rs.1 crore to provide accommodation for 150 more students.

Director of International Affairs of AU E.N. Dhananjaya Rao explained the facilities provided to the foreign students.

The International Affairs office would provide admission, counselling, guidance to all international students, he added.

Rector E.A. Narayana, Registrar K. Rama Mohana Rao, Principals D. Prabhakara Rao and Ratnam, Associate Director of International Affairs P.V. Rao, and Chief Warden Ananda Rao were present.

 

AU V-C selected for award

Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University G.S.N. Raju was selected for Mother Teresa life time achievement award 2014 of the Mother Teresa organisation of Kolkata. He would receive the award at a function to be held at Rabindra Sadan, Kolkata on January 23, 2014.

A selection committee comprising former Governor of West Bengal Justice Shyamal Sen and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice Chittatosh Mukharjee selected Prof. Raju for the award in recognition of his services to the academics and research, according to a press release from Andhra University. Some of the recipients of the award in the past were Jyothi Basu, Rajiv Gandhi, Hillary Clinton, Shaikh Hasina, Hemamalini, Oscar Fernandes and Ram Jethmalani.

Grant for ASC

UGC Andhra University Staff College, which conducts training and refresher programmes for college and university teachers, has been granted Rs. 1 crore by the UGC for 2013-14, Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

This was the biggest grant the ASC received since it was established 26 years ago and it would be spent on conducting refresher courses, orientation programmes and short-term courses and upgrading the computer facility by providing 50 systems and developing an e-classroom, Prof. Raju said. The programmes would be conducted simultaneously till March 2014 and 15 were being planned.

During the last 26 years, ASC organised 76 orientation programmes and 245 refresh courses and trained 10,486 teachers.

Director of ASC U. Shameem said emphasis was laid on the inter-disciplinary subjects in the functional and thrust areas of arts, social science, science, technology, law, engineering, management, pharmacy, human rights, women studies, environmental science and life sciences, among others.

 

Women dominate toppers list in AU RCET

SC candidates grab No. 1 ranks in five full time subjects

Woman candidates claimed top ranks in four courses, in either full-time or part-time research programmes in the Andhra University Research Common Entrance Test (AURCET) 2014, the ranks of which were released by Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju here on Thursday.

Significantly SC candidates grabbed No. 1 ranks in five full time subjects and in one part time subject, Prof. Raju pointed out.

Among the woman candidates K. Suma Nandini (food nutrition and dietetics) topped all science courses put together; A. Abhishikta (English) in arts courses for admission into full-time Ph.D. programmes while A. Aruna and G. Sudha were No. 1 in respectively among the candidates who sought admission into full-time and part-time Ph.D. programmes in law.

Tests were held in 50 different subjects both for full-time and part-time Ph.D. and M.Phil. programmes and women candidates topped in 22 tests for full-time programmes and in 12 tests of part-time programmes.

Other toppers were M. Satish Babu (chemistry) in sciences part-time; K. Harikrishna (economics) in arts part-time; S. Nagaraju (electrical engineering) in engineering full- time; B. Viswanath (electrical engineering) in engineering part-time; D. Midhun Kumar (pharmaceutical biotechnology) in pharmacy full-time and Y. Surendranath (pharmaceutical analysis and quality assurance) in pharmacy part-time.

A total of 4,237 candidates, including 2,448 for part-time programmes, appeared for the written test held on November 9 and 10.

Counselling

Counselling for admission into the Ph.D. and M.Phil. programmes would be held at the office of the Directorate of Admissions of AU at Vijayanagar Palace, Peda Waltair here from December 26 to January 21, 2014.

Ranks of AURCET, total schedule of counselling, fee structure, seat distribution and admission intimation memo were placed on the AU website

http://www.andhdrauniversity.edu.in/doa.

The rank card can be downloaded form the website.

Along with the rank card original hall ticket was also required at the time of counselling, Director of admissions O. Aniel Kumar informed.

This year only 10 marks were allotted for interview while more stress was laid on the written test and experience of the applicant, Prof. Raju said.

The university would also provide financial assistance to the No. 1 rankers of each test, he announced.

The normal AU RCET schedule, between June and July, was delayed this year mainly due to the Samaikyandhrapradesh agitation, he said.

But from the next year the schedule would be followed, by holding entrance test in June and completing the admission process by July end, he assured.

Rector E.A. Narayana, Registrar K. Rama Mohana Rao and others were also present.

AU to honour Mallampalli

Andhra University Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju has agreed to have the portrait of eminent epigraphist-historian Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma unveiled in the university along with those of such illustrious scholars and teachers.

He was responding to the suggestion of Centre for Policy Studies Chairman D.V.Subba Rao that the university should consider honouring the memory of famous teachers.

Addressing the 123rd birth anniversary of Mallampalli organised by CPS on Monday, Prof. Raju lauded the vision of the first Vice-Chancellor C.R.Reddy who waived the rules to appoint ‘a matriculate,’ Mallampalli, in the History Department in 1941. By then he rose to high eminence as a historian, epigraphist and literary figure with the stalwart Telugu scholar Viswanadha Satyanarayana dedicating his work to Mallampalli.

Again another visionary Vice-Chancellor V.S.Krishna brought Mallampalli back as a lecturer in 1957 to start a course in archaeology and after five years of service Mallampalli passed away in January 1963.History of the Reddi Kingdom and Forgotten Chapter of Andhra History are among his well-known works.

A retired professor of history, Y.Srirama Murthy, another retired professor and former president of Epigraphic Society of India and student of Mallampalli, C. Somasundara Rao, narrated his outstanding contribution to history and epigraphy. CPS Director A. Prasanna Kumar welcomed the gathering .

 

AU convocation on February 10

The 80th and 81st convocation of Andhra University will be conducted on February 10, 2014, said Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju here on Wednesday.

The decision to conduct the 80th and 81st convocations jointly was taken by the Executive Council during its meeting here on Tuesday.

The Executive Council also decided to extend the terms of Rector E.A. Narayana and Registrar K. Rama Mohana Rao by another year.

Notification for the 506 new teaching posts would be issued after receiving financial permission from the government, Prof. Raju said.