Internal Quality Assurance Cell Initiatives

School of Liberal Studies, PDPU (2014-2015)

IQAC formed on – September 5, 2012

Last report submitted on – September 2, 2014

It may be noted that to assure and enhance internal quality in teaching-learning, administration and

research activities of the various schools, IQAC and IQEC have been constituted on 5th September

2012 at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University.

Following is the executive summary of the initiatives undertaken by the School and the challenges

faced:

(a) Curriculum Development and the Course Basket –

1. Curriculum Review –

• Various Boards of Studies meeting were held and after thoughtful deliberations, paper

titles in courses of Environmental Studies were changed with added rigor.

The same is approved by the Faculty and the Academic Council also (10th AC Meeting)

• Elective courses in BA/BBA/BCom (Hons.) were added to provide better options to

students.

The same is approved by the Faculty and the Academic Council also (10th AC Meeting)

• Revision in course structure for Economics was suggested by the Board of Studies of

Economics as under:

The same is approved by the Faculty and the Academic Council also (10th

AC Meeting)

• Some new modules in the papers of Psychology were added as under:

The same is approved by the Faculty and the Academic Council also (10th AC Meeting)

2. Curriculum Design –

As per the directives of Finance Committee, Course design and the structure of Integrated

M.Phil. and Ph.D. program is prepared and kept ready for the implementation from the new

academic term in 2016.

(b) Faculty and Staff Recruitment –

Following recruitment is done:

1. Dr. Sitkanta Mishra, Assistant Professor in International Relations

2. Dr. V.Reddy, Assistant Professor in Public Administration

3. Prof. Pradeep Mallik, Adjunct Professor in Mass Communication

Mr. Phalgun Kumar is transferred from T&P Cell, PDPU as Manager (Administration) at SLS.

1. Mr. Pratik Desai is deputed to work at SLS for Administration Dept.

2. Mr. Nirav Upadhyay is deputed to work at SLS for Administration Dept.

(c) Collaborative Research Project –

Sl.No Project Details Faculty involved Funding

Agency

Funding Amount

1 Impact India 2021:

Elevating the Value of

Women & Girls --- Pilot

study

Prof. (Dr. ) Nigam

Dave

Ms. Neeta Khurana

Dr. Ritu Sharma

World Bank

1500 USD

2 “Women’s Economic

Empowerment in Asia:

Psychosocial and

Anthropological

factors”

Dr Ritu Sharma

(Project Head), Dr

Neeta Sinha, Ms.

Neeta Khurana, Ms.

Supriya Pal, Prof D.

Edith

Cowan

University,

Australia

$6,360.00 (AUD)

M. Pestonjee

(Mentor for Review)

3 Slum Rehabilitation

Housing Impact

Assessment –

Ahmedabad 2015

Ms. Neeta Khurana

Dr. Ritu Sharma

B Safal Pvt.

Ltd.

3,00,000 INR

(d) Research Activities:

• Dr. Neeta Sinha - "An exploratory study on the feasibility and challenges of

implementation of Right to Education Act (RTE)" published in the International Journal

of Indian Psychology, IJIP, Vol.2(1). Pp.162-167, Oct-Dec 2014, ISSN: 2348-5396.

• Dr. Ritu Sharma- Research Paper titled “Global Talent-Create to Sustain” published in

Journal of Global Studies (JGS). International Peer Reviewed Research Journal,

September 2014, ISSN-2393 9354 pg. no.46-58.

• Dr. Sanjay Pradhan - Research paper titled 'Shale gas in Indo-US cooperation' was

published in Geopolitics, V (IX), 2015: 62-65

• Dr. Sanjay Kumar Pradhan - 'Geopolitics and Cooperation between India and Russia on

the Hydrocarbon Sector’, Indian Foreign Affairs Journal (Refereed, ISSN 0973-3248), 10

(2), 2015

• Ms. Neeta Khurana - Presented a paper titled, “A Gynocritical Reading of Nalini

Jameela’s The Autobiography of a Sex Worker and Amen : The Auto-biography of a Nun

by Sister Jesme” at UGC Sponsored One-day National Seminar on “Feminism in

Contemporary Literature” on 12 September 2014 .

• Dr. Sanjay Kumar Pradhan delivered Talk on ‘India’s Energy Security’, at National

Defence College (NDC), New Delhi, on 11th September 2014 before 100 members from

26 foreign countries such as US, UK, Germany, Nigeria, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Australia,

Myanmar and Japan.

• Dr. Chaitanya Vyas presented paper “Limitations of Selected e-Governance Services in

India: Policy Change as Solution for Experience Enhancement of Citizen Services” at

International Conference on e-Business and e-Governance at Zurich, organized by

World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology.

• Dr. Neeta Sinha presented paper "An analysis of the effect of Emotional Intelligence on

gender and stress levels of Management students" at International Conference on

Psychology and Allied Sciences.

• Dr. Ashvin Dave presented a paper “Profitability Determinants of Indian Private Sector

Banks- An Empirical Study” at International Research Conference on Finance, Risk and

Accounting Perspectives at Oxford University, U.K. The said paper is published in the

conference proceedings published by ACRN Oxford Publishing House, pp. 213-222,

ISBN 978-3-9503518-2-8.

• Ms. Niyati Trivedi presented a research paper titled “Between in page and on stage:

studying unspoken spaces in multi-layered identity spheres of select Indian performing

women artists as expressed in their self-narratives” at an International Conference on

on “Re-member”- Self-narrative, memory and identity, organized by University of Paris I

Panthéon Sorbonne and University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris, France.

• Dr. Ritu Sharma Presented a research paper titled 'Cognitive Behavior Approach in

Mentoring College Students for Personal Effectiveness: An Empirical Study' at the

International Conference on Cognitive Behaviour Interventions, AIIMS 2015 on 2nd

March 2015 organized by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

• Ms. Urmi Satyan presented a paper titled M G Vassanji's The Book of Secrets: A Study

of Engendered Culture of Colonized East Africa at an International Conference on World

Women Congress at University of Hyderabad

(e) Symposiums and workshops conducted by the School-

1.

2.

3. National Conference in Psychology, (February 6-8, 2015)

4. Youth-Pravasi Bharti was hosted by School of Liberal Studies. January 2015

5. I-Policy Workshop, (January 27-30, 2015)

6. Train the Trainer Workshop (March 9-13, 2015)

7. Modern Banking Workshop by Dr. Dhyanesh Pillai and Mr. Jigish Sheth, IDBI (20 April, 2015)

(f) Students’ Research

• Seminar Papers presented by students in the Annual International Studies Convention 2015

(AISC 2015), organized by School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New

Delhi, on March 22-23, 2015

� Mit Patel, ‘Social Inequality in Colombia: The Root Cause of Civil War and Narco-

Terrorism’.

� Shashank Sreedharan and Shreyes Shyamsunder, ‘The Dynamics of Political

Economy in Africa’

� Ishaan Ganatra, ‘Shale Gas and Power Shift’

� Kinjal Gandhi presented the paper titled ‘A Study on Brand Personality of Coca-Cola and

Pepsi: A Comparative Analysis in the Indian Market’ at the International Conference on

Engineering, Management and Social Sciences held in Colombo, Sri Lanka

� Chaarvi Modi: Selected to present paper on “Maritime Great Game: Unfolding Power Politics

in the Indian Ocean Region” at the International Conference on International Studies, Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia.

(g) Expert Lectures

1. Ms. Anju Musafir, Founder and Principal of Mahatma Gandhi International School, lecture on

‘Male Gaze and Objectification of Women’, February 13, 2015

2. Dr. Niladri Chatterji, lecture on ‘Male Body Politics’ on April 3, 2015

3. Prof. Bharat Desai, JNU, lecture series on ‘Role of International Law in International Politics’ on

April 27-28, 2015

4. Prof. Ranjana Harish, Former HOD, Dept. of English, Gujarat University, Lecture on ‘Shakespeare

and Mirabai’ on April 17, 2015.

5. Mr. Mahesh Pandya, Paryavaran Mitra, lecture on ‘The role of a student and a citizen in the field

of environmental protection with the help of law’ on April 20, 2015

6. Mr. manvendra Saraswat, State Head, Adecco India, lecture on ‘CEO for a Month Program’ on July

15, 2015.

7. Shri. Hariom Gandhi, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, lecture on ‘Happy and Healthy Life’

on July 31, 2015.

8. Prof. Arvind Kudchadker, lecture on ‘Exciting Times – Challenges and Opportunities for Young

India’ on August 11, 2015.

9. Mr. Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Director of Business Development, Reyerson Futures Inc. and the

Program Head, Xone Startups India, lecture on ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ on August 12,

2015.

(h) Community Work

• School of Liberal Studies students and faculty enacted street plays in Gandhinagar to

promote Cleanliness Campaign

• School of Liberal Studies also hosted the Community Development Initiative of PDPU by

providing access of Education and activities to the underprivileged children of nearby

villages

• Three Week Rural Internship for all first year Engineering students to sensitize them to the

challenges of rural community of India was conducted, monitored and evaluated by School

of Liberal Studies.

(i) Library Resources

Since the submission of IQEC report last time, SLS has purchased 646 more books for its library.

Reading facility has been enhanced and the computers with internet connectivity have been put up

in the library.

Months Total Books

Sep – 2014 37

Oct– 2014 31

Nov– 2014 16

Dec– 2014 64

Jan– 2015 90

Feb– 2015 56

Mar– 2015 54

Apr – 2015 44

May– 2015 57

Jun– 2015 2

Jul– 2015 143

Aug– 2015 54

Total 648

(j) Internationalization –

• To acquaint students and faculty with the best practices in education abroad, cohort of SLS

students and faculty visited University of Wollongong in June 2015.

• School of Liberal Studies hosted Japanese Consul General in July 2015 and arranged his

interaction with School of Liberal Studies students.

(k) University Arms –

SLS has formed an organogram for faculty contribution to the university’s corporate life. Currently

Dr. Neeta Sinha is the Chief Hostel warden of the university. Ms. Khushali Purohit is efficiently

handling the NCC Girls Wing of the university and the team of Ms. Neeta Khurana, Ms. Khushali

Purohit and Mr. Phalgun Kumar are facilitating for the Rural Internship Program for engineering

students of the university. Dr. Sanjay Pradhan is the faculty advisor for PDPU Quiz Club. Dr. D.Sriram

is mentoring Society of Public Policy Club of PDPU.

Challenges Ahead –

Identification of challenges is within the domain of quality enhancement, as such identification leads

to redefining quality parameters and related goals.