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Madras Varsity to use CET for MCA, MBA Admissions


CHENNAI:
In an attempt to salvage its professional courses, the University of Madras has decided to admit students into its MBA and MCA courses based on the common entrance test conducted by the state under the directorate of technical education. The notification declaring admissions through TANCET, the common entrance test, was issued after the syndicate's approval at its last meeting. A senior university official said the decision was made on a request from the directorate of technical education. "There is also a Supreme Court ruling that the admissions for every technical and professional course should be under one of the five approved common entrance tests," he said. The new admission procedures will be effective from this academic year. So far, those taking TANCET had to buy a separate application forms for admissions to University of Madras. "From now on, students can go through the single window system. The university also benefits as the quality of students will improve when we get students through the common entrance test," said a senior official. The university runs MCA and two streams of MBA programmes. The self-financed and regular MBA programmes have 45 to 50 students each.

 

"Since we have been doing direct admission, the quality of students as well as the academics has come down," said a senior faculty. These decisions come in the wake of a number of scandals. A recent syndicate meeting also approved five new departments and a centre for stem cell research for human welfare at the university. "Besides improving the status of the sought after professional programmes, we are also looking at improved academics and research. We need to find new funding sources besides UGC to sustain the research programmes," a senior faculty member said. "While traditional programmes are facing a slow death, we are looking at new ideas to revamp the entire system. We are also looking to tap the research potential of several arts departments, including anthropology, architecture and music," he said.

 

Network and information technology, bioinformatics, material science, social work and women's studies are new departments to be added. "We are facing a financial crisis. Correcting wrong policies taken by previous vice-chancellors and maximum exploitation of academic force for research and funding are going to decide the fate of this institution," said a senior syndicate member.

Posted on 01 May 2014