Telangana: Intermediate board proposes new courses

Hyderabad: In a major shift against the backdrop of the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020), the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) has sent proposals to the State government for a complete revamp of the current two years of intermediate education by introducing new courses in the emerging engineering and data science courses.

According to TSBIE sources, the board has taken the decision following the direction of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao during a review meeting on education asking it to figure out new courses beneficial to the students. Accordingly, it has appointed committees to zero in on the new courses that could be introduced both in the science, social sciences and humanities streams.

Following the receipt of the reports of the committees, the TSBIE has sent proposals to the State government for its approval to introduce Data Science, Computer Science, Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Networking, Software Engineering, Public Policy courses from the academic year 2022-23.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior TSBIE official said, "The new courses are proposed to be made available to the newly admitted students of 2022-23 academic year. The revamp is proposed for the science streams for the current year and the new courses for the social sciences and humanities streams are proposed to be introduced from the 2023-24 academic year."

Students, who have already entered the second year, will continue with their existing combination of courses.

Currently, the TSBIE is offering two years of intermediate with the combinations of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry (MPC), Botany, Zoology, Chemistry (BiPC), Commerce Economics, Civics (CEC), History, Economics and Civics (HEC), Mathematics, Economics and Civics (MEC).

The TSBIE pointed out that despite several revisions in the existing syllabus students have not been able to compete for admissions in institutions like IITs, NITs and other national institutions of excellence. The reforms introduced at 10+2 level in several states in North and other parts of India allowed students of those states to shine more than the students from Telangana.

To bridge this gap and to give a competitive edge to the students from Telangana the TSBIE has proposed the new courses, he said.