SMVDU convenes 38th academic council meeting, okays revised PG courses
Jammu, Aug 10: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) on Sunday held its 38th Academic Council meeting to deliberate upon and approve key academic matters aimed at strengthening the university’s academic framework and aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The meeting, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Pragati Kumar, was conducted in both offline and online modes and was attended by eminent members, including Prof Majid Jamil, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof Anju Bhasin, Dean Academic, Professor, Department of Physics, University of Jammu; and Amrendra Kumar, Director-South Asia, Winoa Abrasives India Private Limited, in offline mode.
However, Prof Sandeep Sancheti, vice president of Research Relations and Academic Ambassador, Elsevier India, and Pranavant, partner, Deloitte India, attended virtually.
All deans, heads of schools, the dean of academic affairs, the registrar, the finance officer, the librarian, the director (quality assurance), the CEO (TBIC), the faculty in charge of examinations, the associate dean of academics for engineering and non-engineering, the training and placement officer, and the programme coordinators were also present to discuss and review academic improvements and future initiatives.
The meeting began with welcome remarks by the vice-chancellor, followed by agenda presentations by Prof. Balbir Singh, dean of academic affairs, and Dr Shafaq Rasool, associate dean of academic affairs.
The minutes of the 37th meeting and action taken reports from the 36th meeting were confirmed and discussed. Several important academic and administrative matters were deliberated in the 38th meeting, which included the approval of revised postgraduate course structures in line with UGC and NEP 2020 guidelines, the launch of a peer mentorship program “PeerLINK-SMVDU,” and recommendations for enhancing the quality of question papers.
Discussions, as per an SMVDU spokesperson, covered the introduction of new academic programmes like B Tech Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, M Sc Data Science, and M Sc Chemistry, curriculum revisions, examination reforms, research promotion and enhancement of student support mechanisms.
The Council also reviewed progress on NEP implementation and initiatives for interdisciplinary learning, skill development, and industry collaboration. Proposals for establishing a DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) and Drone Lab were also discussed.
The 38th Academic Council meeting, according to the spokesperson, marked another important milestone in SMVDU’s journey toward academic transformation, student empowerment, and innovation-driven growth.
“With dynamic leadership and active participation from academic and industry experts, SMVDU continues to evolve as a premier institute dedicated to quality education and holistic development,” he added.
