Taking note of the increase in health-related issues, particularly stress, Panjab University is all set to introduce a post-graduate diploma course in yoga therapy. The course will be started in the new academic session once it is approved by the Syndicate in its meeting scheduled for July 6.

A new course in disaster management, too, is in the pipeline. The Senate will approve syllabus for the course on disaster management, while the Centre will conduct the examination for defence and national security studies. The cost will be met out of the Centre’s “contingencies” budget.

As part of the yoga course, students will have to do an internship of six months.

For admission to both the new courses, a student should be a graduate with minimum 50 per cent marks.

The Syndicate meeting will also decide on the name for the new hostel that has come up for girls at PU. The hostel may be named after Indira Gandhi, Amrita Pritam, Annie Besant or Amrit Kaur.

Another agenda awaiting Syndicate’s approval is relaxation of 5 per cent marks in the academic qualification required for the disabled to be recruited at PU. If Syndicate approves the proposal, physically challenged or visually impaired candidates can apply for the posts of principal, professor, reader, lecturer, registrar or deputy registrar if they have scored 50 per cent marks in their Master’s.

A similar relaxation is proposed for marks at the graduate level.

Among the other items on the agenda are implementation of semester system in colleges and the much-awaited merger of PU Campus Sports and Directorate of Sports. After the merger, the Campus Sports will cease to be an independent entity.

... contd.