EVALUATION REPORT OF THE P.G. AND RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS.

Introduction

The Department of Economics was started in the year 1954. Dr.V.Shanmugasundaram (1954-58) former Vice-Chancellor, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University was the first Head of the Department of Economics. Under the Headship of Prof.U.K.Menon (1958-1980), and the able guidance of Dr.V.Loganathan, former Head of the Department of the Economics (1980-1992), the Department became the Post Graduate Department in the Year 1980. The Department is Fifty Six year old and it has been conducting P.G. courses for Three decades

In 1991, Dr.V.Loganathan, former Head of the Department of Economics got recognition to guide research leading to Ph.D. on Part-Time basis and guided three Ph.D. candidates successfully. Subsequently, Dr.S.Dhanasekaran (1992-2001) and Prof.T.S.Gopinath (2001-2003) headed the Department for nine years and two years respectively.

In 1993, Dr.A.Gunasekaran, the present Head of the Department of Economics got recognition to guide research leading to Ph.D. He has guided 12 Ph.D., candidates successfully and another candidate has submitted her Ph.D., thesis in November 2010.

In the year 2003, University Madras has recognized the Post Graduate Department of Economics as a Research Centre to conduct research leading to Ph.D. Programme both Full-Time and Part Time.

Dr.S.Rengarajan and Dr.D.Rajaekhar got recognition to guide research leading to Ph.D. in the year 2003 and 2009 respectively.

Faculty Profile

There are eleven faculty members with one vacancy. The faculty members are extremely talented and competent approach from the end semester results; their participation in Indian Economic Conferences and Tamil Nadu economic Conferences were regular activity. They also participated in seminars, national and international and the presentation that they make in seminars resulting in publication in journals and chapters in books.

Name of the Faculty with Designation and qualification:

Faculty with Ph.D. Qualification : 8

Faculty with M.Phil. Qualification : 3

Research:

No of candidates awarded Ph.D. Degree:

Project:

Publications of the faculty

Academic Year : 2010 - 11

At present the admitted student strength in the department is 362 of which the girl student is 75, boys 287. At the entry level most of the students relatively hail from socially and economically marginalized section of the society in North Chennai. One of the welcome features in recent years is the growing number of girl students leading to, in near future, gender parity in the student demography.

3.Changes made in the courses or programmes during the past two years and the contribution of the faculty to those changes

Since our institution is a affiliated to University of Madras, we are following the curriculum and syllabi framed by the University of Madras, the syllabus has been changed one time during last two years from semester pattern without internal assessment to Choice Based Credit System with Internal Assessment. Keeping in view that the socioeconomic background of large number of students serious and sincere efforts are being taken to hasten their learning process. Such efforts have not only borne fruit in building core competencies in the subjects but also in enhancing their language and communication skills. The department is writing letters to the Board of Studies, University of Madras to change the content of the syllabus, testing and evaluation pattern on the basis getting feed back from the present and outgoing students. Apart from this Many of our faculty members are contributing their knowledge as various capacities in other universities and many autonomous colleges.

1. Trends in the success and dropout rates of students during the past two years

The special care was taken by the faculty members as a result an upward trend is observed in terms of pass percentage. Dropout rates among the students are reduced gently by paying special attention to the needy students. Both the parents and the students are counseled by the faculty members and highlighting the significance of higher education for the future of the students.

5.Learning resources of the departments - library, computers, laboratories and other resources

The Department is endowed with an array of educational resources which facilitates the learning process among students. The department has a separate library with more than one thousand books, including reference volumes, in addition, reputed journals are subscribed for the benefit of both the faculty and the students. Advanced computing facilities are available in the department used effectively for the data maintenance as well for the purpose of generating teaching resources. The Management evinces keen interest in this regard by allocating money for the purpose of purchasing books and journals so as to increase the educational resources for the benefit of the students.

6.Modern teaching methods practiced and use of ICT in teaching - learning

The faculty members of the department have significantly altered the teaching methods. No longer are they focusing exclusively on Chalk and Talk method. Instead they have effectively embraced the Information and Communication technologies for the delivery of educational content. Power point presentations are made in the LCD projector, available in the department for the benefits of the students.

7.Participation of teachers in academic and personal counseling of students

Beyond the academic work the faculty members pay particular attention to the personal needs of the students who come up with certain range of issues. Counseling of the students proved to be the efficacious method in addressing such problems.

8.Details of faculty development programmes and teachers who have been benefited during the past two years

Dr. A. Gunasekaran, HOD, and Associate Professor, attended a short course on IT for Non – IT Teachers conducted by the ICT Academy, Government of Tamil Nadu. The management is actively involved in promoting e-literacy skills among the faculty members on a first step with the ultimate aim of imparting the same to the student community in the college.

9.Participation / contribution of teachers to the academic activities including teaching , consultancy and research

The faculty members are academically active and are research oriented. They are actively participated and presented papers in Indian Association and Tamil Nadu economic Association regularly. They have an impressive record in publishing articles dealing with various aspects of Economics in reputed journals and also in edited volumes. Particular mention needs to be made of the contribution made by Dr. A. Gunasekaran HOD in this regard in recent years. As research guides Dr .A. Gunasekaran, Dr. D. Rajasekhar and Dr. S. Rangarajan are in the forefront in leading the research activation of the department. At present in the department eighteen candidates are doing the research work to leading to Ph.D.

10.Collaboration with other departments/ institutions, at the State, National and International levels, and their outcome during the past two years

The Department has opened informal channels of collaboration with the Departments in other college in the city of Chennai. Such collaboration extended beyond disciplinary confines. Faculty members who belonged to departments such as Politics and Historical Studies were invited to give special lectures. Such plans are in the anvil to regularize and formalize the interaction

11.Priority areas for Research and details of the ongoing projects, important and noteworthy publications of the faculty, during past two years

Development Economics is the core theme of research in the department. Dr. A. Gunasekaran has published several articles dealing with these issues. He has obtained Mirror Research Project from UGC entitled ‘Empowerment of Dalits in Tamil Nadu with reference Tiruvannamalai District’. The other faculty members Dr. D. Rajasekaran has obtained Mirror Research Project from UGC entitled ‘Crisis in Handloom Indentify: A Study on made-ups (patchwork) Workers in Chennai City’.

12.Placement record of the past students and the contribution of the department to aid student placements

Faculty members sensitize the students about the emergence of new avenues of opportunities for employment in various sectors and guide them to access those opportunities. Several students from the department have found employment both in the government service as Policemen, Assistants, Clerks, and Bank Mangers and also in the private sector. Many of them are in the legal profession.

13.Plan of action of the department for the next five years

The Department has roadmap to improve the academic performance through emulation of best practice pursued in other colleges so as to enhance the skills. Plans are also afoot to develop newer platforms and newer tools to impart education to the students. More importantly, the department is concerned with task of transforming students into productive persons useful to the nation. The Department has a number of faculty members with Ph.D degree and capable of doing good quality research work. We are planning to continue their research activities with good publications in reputed journals. The department will encourage the members to apply for major and minor projects.

Staff Details