JNTU-Kakinada is making every effort to acquire excellence in academic activities and attract students to look at it as an alternative to IITs in the near future. As a measure in that direction it has been concentrating on quality education. As a first step, it would impart training to faculty members on Saturdays and Sundays to improve quality in teaching methods. Initially, the training classes would begin on Kakinada campus and extend them later to other constituent colleges, said the university Vice-Chancellor Allam Appa Rao.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Dr. Appa Rao said that academic audit cell with G. V. R. Prasad Raju, Director, as its head was opened with an objective to monitor quality in teaching and research. The primary objective of the cell was to know whether or not a student was able to learn the changes taking place from time to time in technical education. If colleges would not prepare to meet the foreseeable changes in technical education ahead students would look towards the best institution, he felt.
Laying emphasis on creating awareness among parents on the prospects of post-graduation courses and research, the Vice-Chancellor said that the university introduced M. Tech (Information Technology, Computer Science and Biotechnology), M. Pharmacy (pharmacy practices, pharmaceutical analysis and quality assurance) on Vizianagaram campus. Conceding shortage of teaching staff, Dr. Appa Rao stressed “self-learning.” With the Net available, students could browse for references, he said and added that the university would shortly create more facilities in computer labs and libraries.
On reforms in examinations, he said that the credit system would continue. Similarly, 75 per cent attendance was a must for eligibility to write examinations and also for automatic promotion from first year to second year. Thereafter, i.e from second year students must score at least 50 per cent of credits for promotion to next year class, the Vice-Chancellor added. Dr. V.N. Das, Department of Biotechnology, Dr. S.V.N. Prasad, Department of Pharmacy, V. Ramachandra Raju, Principal of the college, and others were present.