Delhi University has asked colleges to set up ‘incubation centres’ to encourage students to come up with business ideas.
The university entered into an agreement with the National Skills Development Corporation on Friday to start six new courses under the four-year undergraduate programme.
The four-year programme has been designed to meet educational and social requirements, DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh said, adding that the university’s emphasis is on both skills and knowledge.
According to DU, the Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry will give students a grant of up to Rs 12 lakh for innovative business start-ups. “We want students to be not just jobseekers but also job creators,” Singh said.
“It is mandatory for all colleges to set up incubation centres. The aim is to encourage entrepreneurship,” DU media coordinator Malay Neerav said.
He said with the introduction of new courses, students will get training in sectors like banking, financial services and insurance, IT and IT-enabled Services, health care, media and entertainment, tourism and hospitality, and automotive industry.
“The courses will be run with the help of the skill development corporation trainers. These six new applied courses are based the industry needs,” Neerav added.
Students will work closely with industry bodies Confederation of Indian Industry and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
According to DU, every student under the four-year undergraduate programme will have an option to study one of these applied courses in the second and third year. “A modest fee of Rs 2,500 per semester will be charged for the applied courses. Students can also avail bank loans,” Neerav said.