Madras, May 10: The University Grants Commission has proposed to reorient degree courses by combining two theoretical subjects with one practical subject. The subjects will be physics, chemistry, biology and public health or economics, commerce and Panchayati Raj or co-operative societies. Under this scheme, every student will have to undergo one year practical experience in the field or factory, said Dr. Malcolm S. Adiseshiah, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras, here to-day.

The Vice-Chancellor, who inaugurated a two-week “Contact Seminar” for college teachers participating in a two-year correspondence course for diploma in higher education, said it was felt that the present system was too much urban oriented and needed to be given a rural bias. Madurai University had been selected as one of the universities in the south for introducing the new curriculum. The Board of Studies in Madras University, he said, was working out, a similar scheme to be tried in some of the colleges situated in rural areas. He wanted educators to study the function of evaluation system and combine various methods to judge the performance of students. At present 30 per cent of our students came from 20 per cent of our society and steps had to be taken to extend education on a wider basis. He wanted the organisers of correspondence courses to prepare a report so that similar courses could be organised for other college teachers in the country