To encourage skill development among post-graduate students, the Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) has introduced a dual-course option for Zoology students, allowing them to pursue a Diploma in Sericulture alongside their postgraduate degree. The initiative, currently benefiting around 40 students, is aimed at equipping them with practical, industry-oriented skills. Students receive hands-on training at the university’s Centre for Sericulture and Bioresource Management Research (CSBR), Amba Vihar, Subhash Nagar. They learn right from the base steps, including silkworm rearing, silk fibre extraction, and other things.

 

The university already has dedicated faculty for the centre. Students attend the diploma classes after being relieved early on Fridays and Saturdays. According to the department, the course aligns with the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) and National Education Policy’s 2020 (NEP-2020) vision of enabling students to pursue two courses simultaneously. Dr Varsha Dhurvey, Senior Professor and Head, Department of Zoology, RTMNU, and Director of CSBR, said the programme has generated a lot of interest among students and runs in line with the centre’s existing postgraduate diploma and farmer training programmes. She believes that skill-based course will improve employability and also enable students to establish self-financed sericulture ventures, given the growing demand for authentic silk fabrics. The university may consider extending similar dual-course opportunities to other biology-related disciplines in the future.