New and Restructured Post-Graduate Curricula and Syllabi: Home Science

Abstract

Foods and Nutrition: The courses in Foods and Nutrition aim at capacity building of students to manage long and short-term intervention within reach of family and community to achieve food and nutrition security. The courses designed will enable students to understand global nutritional problems, current trends in nutrition and food challenges in next millenium and inculcate skill in planning, managing and executing nutrition projects for affected community. The new PG courses planned includes food analysis, processing, nutrition for physical fitness, immunity and special conditions, food toxicology, advanced nutrients, nutrition and agriculture interface to achieve the livelihood security and longitivity. The course programme will enable students to understand the nutritional management in natural calamities. The courses will enable the students to manage diet during various communicable and non-communicable diseases for faster recovery. The courses designed will develop competency to plan and prepare designer foods as per the requirement of group/community and to take it as entrepreneur. Family Resource Management: Various courses designed for M.Sc. programme will enable the students to acquire the knowledge in the field of Management, Ergonomics, Energy Conservation, Environment, Product Design, Marketing, Space Designing and Communication. The course curriculum also explores the issues related to social, economical, legal and environmental aspects with modern strategic development. In view of the exorbitant potential of consumer sciences, the specialization in Family Resource Management has emerged as a distinct discipline. The PG programme has been structured in such a way that it will provide innovative concepts as well as practical application of the exciting field of Family Resource Management. The courses have been designed to equip the students for academic excellence, enhancement of life and for better job opportunities in modern perspective. After completing the PG course programme the students will develop expertise in designing user-friendly products and workstation for comfort and safety. The practicals planned in each course will enrich students to learn and develop better understanding of the subjects and enable them to apply scientific knowledge and methods while working in home, institution and industry. Along with the scientific knowledge, the courses will also help the students in developing entrepreneurial qualities and finally establishing their own enterprise. Human Development and Family Studies: The entire new curriculum for post graduation and Ph.D. in HDFS has been restructured in the light of vocationalization of Graduate programme as per the directives of ICAR. The new curriculum has been technically widened with introduction of new and skill-oriented courses to provide qualitative input to the students coming from Vocational Graduate programme. This curriculum has an added advantage as it has given due consideration to the needs and requirements of stakeholders thus rendering it suitable for students to seek optimum placement. Redesigning of the curriculum has been done in the light of changing scenario that the individuals and families are facing and aims at improving the quality of life of everyone. This will develop an expertise in the students to understand and facilitate the developmental challenges at various stages of Human Development. The students shall be equipped with knowledge and skills required for dealing with developmentally challenged children. This will build entrepreneurship skills in students so as to run and manage various types of children’s institutions which are the need of the day i.e. creches, day care centres, nursery schools, recreational centres and institutions for developmentally challenged children. It will strengthen the capabilities of the students to develop, monitor and evaluate various innovative projects/intervention programmes for children, adults and senior citizens thus making them eligible to work with various national and international organizations or to venture into one’s own enterprise. It will capacitate students to manage counseling centres for children, adolescents, parents and families as a unit. It will empower students with recent advances and researchable issues in Human Development and family studies. Textile and Apparel Designing: Apparel and Textile has long been a source of innovation in design, development and production of Apparel profoundly influencing the fashion sector. The course will provide the students excellent opportunity to observe, think, synthesize, evaluate and apply the acquired knowledge in textile and apparel designing. The PG programme in Apparel and Textiles is aimed at providing the students with background knowledge about fundamental concepts of scientific, technological and management principles, develops ability to challenge the technological and managerial problems related to consumers, weavers, apparel and textile industry. The course curriculum explores the economic, social, legal, environmental safety and ethical issues related to textile and apparel designing. The courses have been structured to lay emphasis on designing and providing up to date information on changing life styles, market and trends. Extensive laboratory exercises will help students to acquire in-depth understanding and application of the most current and advanced tools for design analysis, manufacturing and management of textile and apparel designing. Laboratory sessions will also allow students to plan, implement and report on the results of laboratory and simulation experiments; develop ability for quality control through assessment of apparel and textile products. The courses have been designed to synthesize the product development through production, cost effectiveness, aesthetic and functional requirements, producibility and market needs, encourage critical thinking, use for the scientific method. Integration of technology, development of skills and application of knowledge and skills related to practical questions and problems. These courses will help the students to promote careers and entrepreneurship in the areas of Apparel and Textiles. Home Science Extension and Communication Management: Home Science Extension and Communication Management aims to develop competencies among students for reaching out to vulnerable group in community and facilitating them to secure rewarding careers and vocations in extension media and communication for rural development. The PG programme has been designed to develop capabilities among students to analyze women specific problems, take up strategic and applied research for addressing gender issues and plan appropriate programmes for their empowerment. The course will develop managerial skills among students for establishing horizontal and vertical linkages with stakeholders including public and private sectors. The curriculum will foster skills in developing media products and handling media campaigns and business as professional managers or freelancers. The revised course curriculum covers vide range of topics including Global Extension Systems, Training and Human Resource Development (HRD), Communication for Development, Media Production and Management, Gender Sensitization, Corporate Communication and Event Management, ICT and New Media etc. The course on gender issues particularly focuses on gender specific roles, responsibilities, access to and control over productive resources, constraints and opportunities so that students can plan appropriate programs for livelihood security and socio-economic empowerment of women. The courses on corporate communication and event management are of immense importance for extension professional aiming for effective communication and planning, and organizing different events.