Plans by Aligarh Muslim University for starting two professional courses as the first step to the establishment of full-fledged centres (in effect, regional campuses) in Kerala and West Bengal are likely to fructify this academic year.
Admissions to the LLB and MBA courses in the regional centres that have been established in the districts of Malappuram and Murshidabad will begin soon. Each course will have an intake of 60 students.
“Our plans to start the regional centres are at a decisive stage, and, as the Government of India expects us to start admissions for this academic year, I am optimistic about being able to do so,” said P.K. Abdul Azis, the Vice-Chancellor of AMU.
“Both these districts are educationally backward. The State governments responded enthusiastically to our proposal and have given us the land free of cost,” he said.
Kerala has allotted 272 acres in Perinthalmanna taluk of Malappuram, and West Bengal 250 acres in the Farakka Barrage region of Murshidabad.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has released Rs. 25 crore and Rs. 10 crore for the West Bengal and Kerala centres respectively to meet preliminary costs, Professor Azis said. “We will start undergraduate classes from next year. We envision these as modern, state-of-the-art campuses in the years to come.”
The new regional centres – in addition to Kerala and West Bengal, such centres will be set up in Pune, Bhopal and Kishanganj in Bihar – are being established under Section 12 (2) of the AMU Act (1981).
Admission to the regional centres will follow the AMU reservation pattern of 50 per cent internal (candidates who apply from AMU-run schools and colleges) and 50 per cent external. Candidates can then opt for a regional centre.
“The regional centres are meant for the educational enhancement of the region and I believe that as we expand we should respond to local needs. For example, we should start a women’s college and also a women’s polytechnic in such centres, and give some weightage in our admissions policy for local aspirants,” said Professor Azis.
Meanwhile, a five-member team of the Aligarh Muslim University led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor P K Abdul Azis on July 24 met the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya for extending all help and support for the establishment of AMU Centre at Murshidabad. The Chief Minister informed the visiting team that the processing of land measurement at Farraka Barage has started and it will be completed very soon.
The State Government has issued directives to the District Magistrate of Murshidabad to expedite land transfer to AMU so that the Centre became functional.
The State Government is also willing to provide temporary accommodation as requested by AMU Vice Chancellor to facilitate starting MBA and BA LLB courses in the current academic session itself.
After meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister, AMU officials led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor P K Abdul Azis met Mr. Sudarshanray Choudhary, Minister for the Higher Education and Training, Government of West Bengal in Kolkata for starting the Centre of AMU in Murshidabad district.
The Vice Chancellor and his visiting team have an elaborate meeting with various district officials in the office of the sub-divisional Magistrate of Jangipur.
The Vice Chancellor also urged Farakka Barage Manager and the District officials to complete the land measurement work by August 6, 2010.