New Delhi: Admissions for the Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University, which started on 6 July, have seen a good response with 25,000 hits on the website daily and about 100 walk-ins a day.
According to its website, the university aims to skill the youth of Delhi, enabling “access to aspirational jobs” and inculcating an “entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurship”.
The website claims that it also “aims to create a win-win for the youth and the industry by filling the existing gaps in skill training”.
Here is a look at what this new university is all about and the courses it offers.
13 campuses across Delhi
In 2019, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced the setting up of such a university during a budget session, following which a bill was passed for it in December.
In June this year, Sisodia formally announced the commencement of the university, saying admissions would begin in July and the academic session would start in September.
At a press conference, he said the “university will focus on conducting 360-degree assessment along with reaching out to schools to identify students’ interests, talent and mindset for entrepreneurship”.
Earlier this year, 13 government institutes of technology were merged to provide a campus for the skill university.
The Kejriwal government had in March said, “Cabinet sanctioned Rs 9.9 crore for the new centre and it is a part of the vision of the government to establish 25 World Class Skill Centres all over Delhi.”
The university has 13 campuses spread across the national capital, including in the areas of Ashok Vihar, Okhla, Dwarka, Okhla, Pitampura and Wazirpur.
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The courses on offer
The university offers 39 programmes, which include full-time and part-time diploma courses, undergraduate degree courses, B.Tech programmes and Masters programmes.
While the time duration of the postgraduate courses is two years, the bachelors and diploma courses are for the duration of three years.
The university has opened admissions for 4,500 seats in its diploma programmes, 1,300 for Bachelors programmes, 250 for B.Tech programmes and around 100 for Masters programmes.
The skill university also offers a variety of programmes, from Masters in tool engineering to a BA in digital media. It provides short-term courses and diploma courses.
Some of the subjects under the diploma programme include architecture, civil engineering, computer engineering, printing technology and tool and dye-making. While subjects in the Master’s programme include MCA and M.Tech.
The university charges up to Rs 20,000 annually for full-time diploma courses, up to Rs 25,000 for undergraduate courses and up to Rs 1.5 lakh for postgraduate courses. It also offers scholarships and financial aid in line with the Delhi Department of Education norms.
Placement plan and faculty
While the university has just opened its doors for admissions, it already has tie-ups with the logistics and retail sector skill councils. These councils help with the placement of students upon completion of courses.
What also makes this skilling university different from the central government-run skilling programmes is that the courses at DSUE are designed as a college-like structure for over a duration of 2-4 years.
Skilling institutions run by the central government provide training and learning for a period of 3-6 months. This training is provided by private institutions selected by the union ministry.
University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Neharika Vohra had previously said the university had, before starting, conducted an industry analysis to understand the needs of the industry and provide courses that will ensure employment for students.
She said they found that there was a major dearth of applicants in certain fields like digital media. The courses were designed based on what was found to be the needs of the industry and what academic experts had to suggest.
Before this, Vohra had worked with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, for 22 years where she headed the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship. She has a PhD in social psychology from the University of Manitoba.
Other faculty members include Prof. Snigdha Pattnaik, who has taught at universities such as the Xavier Institute of Management and Utkal University. She specialises in human resource management.
Rihan Khan Suri, who was previously the placement head of Jamia Millia Islamia, too has joined the university. The two were appointed as the pro-vice-chancellors of the varsity on 15 June.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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