Himachal Governor says need for start-ups to generate jobs

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 17

Governor Bandaru Dattatreya has emphasised the need for setting up start-ups which could help link local products with innovation and create the much needed employment opportunities.

The Governor on Wednesday interacted with the vice-chancellors of six universities — HP University, Shimla, University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Palampur Agriculture University, Technical University, Hamirpur, Cluster University, Mandi, and Atal Medical and Research University, Ner Chowk, Mandi, through a video conference.

He invited the V-Cs’ suggestions on online education and inquired about the difficulties teachers and institutions were facing in imparting it.

Dattatreya pointed out that teachers and professors must be trained to be able to prepare online content. He asked the V-Cs to give their views on the impact on stuents of spending three to four hours on phone and in front of computer screen every day for online learning and additional time on the TV and computer.

He inquired about how the universities had planned for semester and annual examinations. He said students and parents were under stress owing to the lockdown and closure of institutions and asked how teachers could help them come out of it. “There is network problem in tribal areas and remote areas of the state and as such, a survey must be conducted to collect data, besides proposing an alternative in this regard,” he advised.

During the interaction, HPU V-C Prof Sikander Kumar said a tentative plan to conduct examinations had been prepared. Exams would be conducted in two sessions for undergraduate students, by following physical distancing norms. He apprised that an IT structure, having virtual classrooms and computer labs, would be developed in the university at a cost of Rs 20 crore and a proposal in this regard had been submitted.

Parminder Kaushal, V-C of Horticulture University, Nauni, detailed about the new courses, virtual classrooms, examinations and the new session. He said the university was working on an incubation centre and an MoU had been signed with the Industries Department to promote start-up activities.

Prof Ashok Sarial, V-C of the Agriculture University, Palampur, said online degrees had been completed and the advisors have approved online thesis too.