New Delhi, April 29: Come July, all postgraduate courses of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) will switch over to the semester system. Unlike Delhi University (DU), which is struggling to introduce the same at the undergraduate level, the new format at JMI is being ushered in without any apparent opposition from the faculty or students.
“Jamia has taken a step in this direction after being prompted by a UGC directive. Once successfully implemented at the Masters level, we will introduce it in the undergradute courses,” said Simi Malhotra, media coordinator, JMI. The academic year at Jamia will be divided into two semesters spanning six months each.
While the first semester will begin from July 16 to December 25, the second will be from January 6 to May 15. As part of the introduction, all departments have had to revamp their syllabus.
The restructured course for English, for example, includes contemporary authors and events. Songs by Bob Dylan, Nelson Mandela’s biography and Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech are now a part of the curriculum.
But more importantly, the semester system will now enable students to pursue interdisciplinary studies. “The courses will no longer remain watertight compartments.
Students of history for instance will be able to study topics from other subjects too,” added Malhotra.
—Agencies