Goa University, Goa

Goa University announces Admission to Ph.D Programs

Goa University was established in 1985 and merged with the Centre for Post Graduate Instruction and Research (CPIR) of the University of Bombay (now Mumbai) that functioned at state-capital Panaji or Panjim. Goa University offers both graduate and post-graduate studies and research programmes. It is currently (September 2006) accredited to the NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) in India with a rating of four stars. It is located on the Taleigao Plateau. Goa University was established under the Goa University Act of 1984 and commenced operations on June 1, 1985. The University provides higher education in the Indian state of Goa. Goa University is considered the centre for higher education in Goa, a former Portuguese colony and now India's smallest and wealthiest state per capita, which has only a single university for its population of 1.4 million people. Goa University is built on a plateau called the Taleigao Plateau, located around five kilometres from the Goan state capital of Panaji or Panjim. It can be approached either via Bambolim to Dona Paula-Taleigao. The Taleigao plateau overlooks the beautiful Arabian Sea and the picturesque Dona Paula shores, a former beach village now a tourist location.The University is also counted as one of the must-sees by many tourist guides, who route visiting tourists around this region. The CAG( Comptroller and Auditor General Report) of India says the number of students during 2001-02 to 2005-06 in four departments of French, Philosophy, Portuguese and Center for Latin American Studies was less than five but total expenditure on these four departments was Rs 1.66 crore during 2001-2006. However GU claimed students opt for professional courses which causes low student-faculty ratio.While 31 per cent of the academic posts were vacant – the recommendations of the Korgaonkar committee to reduce the staff are yet to be adopted. It has also continued with full-fledged works division even after completion of major works. The expense on this division for a period between 2001-06 was Rs 3.51 crore, pointed out CAG report. Another anomaly pointed out in CAG report is though GU has taken possession of 163.02 hactares of land from PWD in May 1992 – till 2006 it had not conducted demarcation of boundary land. It GU has also been rapped over transfer of land for convention center and IT park. It neither prepared any land use plan not take any concrete steps to get the land (1.6302 km²) transferred from the State Government to the university’s name.(http://www.aggoa.cag.gov.in/aboutus.htm) While on one hand if GU claims to have had hard press for funds which are needed to take up more challenging programmes – it’s infrastructure for distance education created at a cost of 2.15 crore has remained largely unutilized. This facility was established in 2001, and though infrastructure has the capacity to reach and provide distance education to over 5000 students, the university had not commenced any course under distance education mode. Thus infrastructure created at the cost of Rs 2.15 crore largely remained unutilized, says CAG report. Goa University has also accumulated deficit of university amounting to Rs 7.73 crore. It has not adopted the accrual system of accounting. Goa University's Academic Staff College, supported by the Indian University Grants Commission conducts refresher and orientation courses for college and university teachers. As many as 46 professional and non-professional and non-professional colleges and institutions -- for undergraduate teaching -- are affiliated to the university. Besides, eight research institutions are also recognised by the Goa University for research in various disciplines. Facts and figures * Majority of the young faculties have left Goa University for better career prospects and the coterie of Professors control the Goa University. * Goa University is located on the outskirts of Panaji or Panjim, and is spread over nearly 1.73 km² on the Taleigao Plateau, overlooking the scenic Zuari River, adjoining the Arabian Sea. Image:GoaUnivlog.jpeg * It also offers courses in Latin American Studies, and is one of the few universities in India to do so but some of the best faculties of this Department had already left. * Goa University claims to have one of the "best teacher-student ratios". But it has also been criticised in the past for having a limited number of students. * It has established a remote sensing laboratory, with financial and technical assistance from the Indian Space Research Organisation. * The university is situated in the Western Ghats region, which is known to be rich in flora and fauna. * Goa University also has set up a unit for fungus-culture collection and research. * Goa University has signed memoranda of understanding with a number of institutions, including the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, Universidade Moderna and University of Aveiro in Portugal, National Centre for Software Technology, Mumbai, International Rice Research Institute, Philippines, Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, among others. * Goa University offers a course on online programme in GIS, in association with the Centre for Geoinformatics, University of Salzburg, Austria