To ensure there was no further academic loss to scholars amid the COVID19 pandemic, Vice Chancellor (VC), University of Kashmir (KU), Prof Talat Ahmad has approved several recommendations of Advisory and Monitoring Committee (AMC) which was constituted for smooth conduct of academic and research programmes.
A statement said circulars issued by the office of Dean Research on the University website, lists all the special majors taken by the varsity to facilitate research and practical work in labs.
These include permission to faculty, principal investigators and research scholars to use the labs and conduct experiments to avoid expiry of the reagents, chemicals and other perishable experimental materials.
“Dean Research shall allow, on case to case basis, research scholars to attend the labs subject to the adherence of the COVID safety guidelines issued by government of India and J&K government from time to time,” said the statement, quoting a circular.
For academic clearance of thesis submission the HoDs concerned have been authorised to forward the thesis to the experts for evaluation without pressing for the academic clearance before submission, as already recommended by the Advisory and Monitoring Committee as a special provision under COVID pandemic.
The HoDs have however been encouraged to approach Dean Research office, wherever possible, for the issuance of the academic clearance.
Regarding extension in the PhD/IPhD registration it has been approved the students who cannot submit their thesis due to the pandemic, shall continue to avail six months extension from the expiry of their registration till the pandemic threat was significantly over.
The HoDs shall forward the cases of the expired registration of the students during the pandemic to Dean Research, through the Deans of the schools concerned, for approval of special extension.
Meanwhile, streamlining the conduct and evaluation of the practical work/lab sessions at the varsity, the VC has also authorised a series of recommendations of the sub-committee constituted on the conduct and evaluation of practical/lab sessions of the undergraduate/postgraduate students in the University.
Categorising the lab work into four distinct categories, the VC authorised the conduct of lab work in online mode using various suitable platforms wherever possible.
The practical work under 4th category which cannot be done in online mode, shall be held in the labs following all the COVID19 guidelines for safety and physical distancing.
“The students and scholars shall be asked to attend the labs in smaller groups. The practical work shall also be done towards the end of the semester after having completed rest of the work. Similar pattern shall be followed for the evaluation and assessment of the practical work for each category,” said the statement.