The annual scenario was witnessed during the just-concluded admission process too for the academic year 2015-16.
The existing infrastructure that dates back to 1990s is unfortunately incapable of handling the huge pressure of admissions with the varsity now looking for financial assistance from the government for upgradation. The GU is presently in need of two vertical blocks in the campus.
Registrar Vijayendra Kamat conceded that lack of instructional space and limited budget to make changes is holding them back on increasing seats by a sufficient number. “Government’s financial assistance would be a major relief to us… We have two classrooms for each course as prescribed in the Rashtriya Uchcha Shiksha Abhiyan, but looking at the trend showing admission seekers increasing with each passing year, we need additional classrooms,” he said.
The 90s built classrooms and laboratories have run out of space even though GU managed to increase seats in certain departments by a marginal number to ensure eligible students do not miss any opportunity.
According to the records, the classrooms dimension were as per the education scenario of in the 90s when admissions on campus were barely 400-odd. This rose to over 550 till 2011 and the present situation is such that classroom sizes have reduced with 1000-odd students pursuing various courses. This had added to the pressure on the existing infrastructure, which is why GU is pushing for expansion.
In the departments of English, MCA and MBA (finance), the seats were doubled to 60 each in the recent past while for chemistry – owing to impressive demand every academic year – the intake of students escalated from 36 to 72 and now at 80. In addition to chemistry, Kamat informed that university has added 10 seats each in mathematics and physics, which had 35 and 25 seats respectively. “The demand for science stream is picking up and it is a good sign,” he commented.
Similarly, demand for Konkani and Hindi has surprising shot up but the fact remains the GU can admit only 40 students in each of the two departments.
What has come as a relief is the upcoming management and commerce block that would ease the burden to a certain extent. Kamat asserted the structure will be ready by December-end. “From the next academic year, the management and commerce courses will be conducted from the new structure. The space in the present structure can be used to further improve admissions,” he said adding the cost was borne by GU and UGC. The new life sciences block, inaugurated in 2013 had facilitated the GU to increase the intake.
BOX
No takers for
Marine science
PANJIM: The DBT-funded MSc degree in marine sciences has no takers from Goa as the 20 seats are filled by non-Goan students, who get through the JNU post-graduate common entrance exam. This is the only programme at the university, which does not have a single qualifying Goan student.
