New curriculum with focus on social responsibility for colleges

The new framework will ensure community engagement is integrated in the regular curriculum of the institutions to ensure the development of the society around the campus.

Associated with Ministry of Human Resources Development, the new curriculum will be launched in all Engineering, Medical, Arts, Science and Polytechnic colleges across the State.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that all institutions should nominate two faculty members to prepare a comprehensive plan for their respective colleges.

“This approach will contribute to the improvements in the quality of both teaching and research in higher education institutions,” he said and added it was important that institutional mechanisms adopt a holistic and functional approach such as teaching, research and service.

He said the move is expected to promote intense interactions between higher educational institutions and local communities for identification and solution to real-life problems faced by the communities in a spirit of mutual benefit.

Stating that such partnerships would help students and teachers learn from local knowledge and wisdom, the official stated that all institutions should undertake community-based research projects in partnership with local community.

“Under the new framework, institutions were instructed that community engagement should not be limited to a few social science discipline and it should be practiced across all the disciplines and faculties of the institutions,” he said adding that participation of students in teaching activities of community engagement and research projects and learning should earn them credit.

The official also pointed out that all the institutions will have to send theirreports on the community engagement scheme on quarterly basis.