Coronavirus breeds new course at CCS University, Meerut

NEW DELHI: As India battles the coronavirus pandemic, a university in Uttar Pradesh plans to make the study of the infectious disease a part of its disaster management program.

The study of coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) will now be included in the syllabus of the one-year diploma in disaster management offered at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, the Indo-Asian News Service reports.

Uttar Pradesh has had over 25 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and over March 17 and 18, the state government shut down schools, colleges and universities to control its spread through social distancing.

Curriculum

The heads of zoology, botany and environmental sciences departments will chalk out the curriculum for the proposed subject on coronavirus. The university will also “incorporate the study of coronavirus in three existing science courses”.

The agency report quotes the Vice-Chancellor as saying: “The study material on coronavirus would be added to the new diploma course, which will be offered within the next two months. It would be a self-financing course, for which in-principle approval has already been given. It would be put before the Academic Council of the university for necessary approval.”

Course structure

The diploma course will be spread over two semesters - the first semester will cover studies in floods, land storms, and sea storms; and the second semester will cover studies in the novel coronavirus with the help of the zoology and biology departments.

The course fee will be decided once the approvals are in place.

The proposed study of coronavirus assumes significance as outbreak of virus-related diseases like ebola, SARS is on the rise in various countries.

India has seen over 190 confirmed coronavirus cases of which 171 are “active” and four deaths. The coronavirus spread has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

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