When is the university shifting to the new campus in Dwarka?
We have shifted four departments - applied sciences, environment management, IT and biotechnology - to the new campus in Dwarka. While the humanities, education, law and chemical technology departments will shift in December, we expect the department of management to follow next year. That leaves only three wings - media and communication department, architecture and planning and IGIT (Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology) - which will continue to function from Kashmere Gate campus.
What are your plans after the university moves to its new campus spread in an area of 63 acres?
We are focusing a lot on research and hope to produce 100 PhDs every year. Last year, the number was 25.
The university plans to set up a centre in urban design that will only carry out research. The centre will focus on issues such as transportation, residential planning and city design.
Has the university managed to fill all its seats at the undergraduate level?
All seats have been taken for our popular courses - BTech, law, BEd, MBA and MBBS while some seats are still vacant for programmes such as BBA, BCA and BJMC.
This happened because we increased the total intake of students from 18,000 last year to 19,000 this year.
Are there quality controls in place for affiliated colleges?
We set up a quality cell last year, members of which visit the affiliated colleges to look into their quality standards. These colleges will be classified under different categories - A, B and C on the basis of their findings. These ratings will later determine the fee structure of the affiliated colleges and act as an incentive for colleges to upgrade their infrastructure and quality.
Are there quality controls in place for affiliated colleges?
We set up a quality cell last year, members of which visit the affiliated colleges to look into their quality standards. These colleges will be classified under different categories - A, B and C on the basis of their findings. These ratings will later determine the fee structure of the affiliated colleges and act as an incentive for colleges to upgrade their infrastructure and quality.
Will the quality cell have the powers to strip the college of its affiliation?
The above data will be passed on to the joint affiliating committee that will then check the status of the affiliated colleges following the annual review.
Has the university partnered with foreign universities?
Yes, we have tie-ups with several universities in South Korea, Japan, Budapest, France and Florida. Some have facilitated student exchanges while others have led to faculty exchanges and joint degree programmes.
Thirty MBA students are currently on study tour in Malaysia and Singapore.
Dilip K Bandyopadhyay Interviewed by Vimal Chander Joshi