Puducherry, Pondicherry University will soon establish a community college offering courses in various disciplines to create a skilled and employable workforce.
A release from the university on Friday said a meeting was held in Yanam to discuss the modalities and the courses to be offered at the proposed community college in the Puducherry enclave located in Andhra Pradesh.
Malladi Krishna Rao, a minister in the Rangasamy-led coalition government representing the Yanam region, Vice-Chancellor P Prakash Babu, and Yanam Regional Administrator Shivraj Meena participated in the meeting, which discussed plans to establish a branch campus of the university in Yanam along with the community college.
Puducherry and Karaikal regions already have community colleges, and Yanam has now been included under the scheme.
The release said the initiative to establish the college in Yanam originated from the university’s interest in expanding access to quality higher education and promoting skill development.
In his virtual address, the vice-chancellor said the university would establish its branch campus in Yanam to cater to the educational needs of the local population.
He said the community college would offer diploma and degree courses in disciplines such as data science, vocational studies, and artificial intelligence.
Students from Yanam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and other parts of the country would benefit from the institution, he added.
The community college concept was introduced at Pondicherry University several years ago, and the university claims it was the first such initiative in the country.
Over the years, the community college has attracted students to a range of degree and diploma programmes.
The institution offers courses focused on skill development, self-employment, and knowledge-based learning.
