Vijayawada: Minister Audimulapu Suresh stresses need to redesign curriculum to meet global standards

Vijayawada: Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan addressing the Vice-Chancellors and other administrators of the State universities through a video conference on Friday from Raj Bhavan here underlined the importance of adhering to the Covid-19 protocols in the conduct of examinations for final year students as per UGC guidelines.

The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the State universities, said that the higher education institutions were constrained to go for conduct of online classes in virtual mode because of the situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic. He said online classes cannot replace the traditional classroom teaching methodology. "To overcome the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the educational institutions have to restructure and redesign the curriculum for conducting classes through an online system by developing suitable e-content."

While interacting with the Vice-Chancellors of 20 universities who participated in the meeting through video conference, the Governor expressed satisfaction over the innovative methodologies adopted by the universities in finishing the leftover syllabus of the previous academic year through online mode and also the steps taken to commence the next academic year.

The Vice Chancellors of State universities who participated in the conference said they are fully prepared to conduct examinations for the final year students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as per the UGC guidelines either off-line or online mode, duly following the Covid-19 protocols.

Minister for Education Audimulapu Suresh, who participated in the conference, said it is necessary for the higher education institutions to re-design, re-format and re-orient curriculum to meet global standards while facing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that in spite of the unfavourable conditions created by the pandemic, the government will not compromise in upholding the sanctity of the education system and maintaining integrity in the conduct of examinations.

Prof K Hemachandra Reddy, Chairman of AP State Council of Higher Education, Mukesh Kumar Meena, secretary to the Governor and MM Naik, Special Commissioner of the Collegiate Education, also participated in the conference.