KOCHI: The Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has proposed an academic audit to improve the teaching, learning, evaluation process and exam results in the 2013-14 budget presented on Saturday.
Likewise, an administrative audit has also been proposed to improve the functional efficiency and overall governance of the university. An increase in NRI quota, from 10% to 15%, in the BTech self-financing sector from the new academic year in the 2013-14 budget has also been recommended.
Besides exploring the feasibility of introducing more revenue earning courses and programmes, the budget also suggested starting BTech and MTech evening courses in the self-financing sector and to levy a tuition fee of Rs 50,000 per semester. The budget also proposed introducing a supernumerary quota for all academic courses under AICTE for foreign nationals, persons of Indian origin (PIO) and children of Indian workers in Gulf countries.
To overcome the financial crisis and improve internal revenue, the university has proposed an annual 5% hike in all items of student fees from the 2014-15 academic year. “In order to further enhance the generation of internal revenue, we will implement a policy decision to effect an annual hike of 5% in all items of student fees and other services,” said Lopus Mathew, convener, Standing Committee of the Syndicate on Finance and Purchase, while presenting the budget.
Last year, Cusat was forced to reduce the fees of some of its regular engineering and MSc courses by 25% and regular MTech courses by 20% after students opposed the sudden fee hike, terming it as “unfair”.