Is it time for Telangana to diversify education sector?

Hyderabad: Is it time for the State Education department to emulate the spirit of crop diversification of the government in creating diversified opportunities for students in the education sector?

The reason is the University Grants Commission (UGC) allowing students to pursue two under-graduate degrees opening new opportunities for them.

However, lack of awareness and proactive pursuit on the part of the SED left creating a valuation for the students to catch up on multiple opportunities.

According to the SED sources, currently, the Telangana State Board of Intermediate (TSBIE) is tied-up with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to create awareness on pursuing the CA course. Speaking to The Hans India, ICAI chairman, Board of Studies (Academic)

Dayaniwas Sharma said, "The ICAI has been bringing several changes in its academic programmes. We are taking up awareness programmes in a big way across the country for students of 10+2 on the importance and pursuing CA course. Besides, we are designing several courses in the accounting, finance fields to meet the shortage of human resources."

"We are already tied up with the TSBIE and going ahead with other State boards," he added.

Similarly, an official of the Institute of Rail Transport (IRT), New Delhi, said, considering the growing importance of the transport and logistics sectors, it has tied up for a two-year MBA programme with a private university in Chennai. Besides, it also offering weekend short-term courses on transport economics, multi-modal transport, transport planning and policy, legal aspects of transport, and information technology for logistics. The institute had taken initiatives to offer short-term courses with IIM, Udaipur, and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. It is also planning to offer an MBA in transport management course in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Open University (IGOU).

A source in the Hyderabad-based English and Foreign Language University (EFLU) said the institute is open for academic linkages for imparting foreign languages. Earlier, an official of the State Education department had also contacted it for academic partnering, said an EFLU official.

The EFLU can offer certificate and diploma courses in foreign languages leading to a bachelor's degree in Russian, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, which students can pursue under the double degree scheme of the UGC.

Similarly, Hyderabad-based NALSAR University of Law is too prepared to open its gates to forge ties with academic institutions. Its advanced courses in patent laws, advanced maritime laws, aviation laws and air transport management corporate and tax laws, cyber laws, financial services and legislations, GIS and remote-sensing laws, international humanitarian law and media laws could be pursued through a double degree scheme.

A student, with a bachelor's degree with a post-graduate diploma from NALSAR, is allowed to further pursue a PG course in the subject in which he has completed his diploma.

There are several other national institutes and universities, including institutions like IIT-Chennai, to forge ties with other academic institutions.

However, identifying courses and singing MoUs to bring value addition to under-graduate studies and make students competitive has to be taken either by the SED, universities or colleges allowed to enter into such academic tie-ups.