The University of Mysore has decided to permit students pursuing BA LLB and BCom LLB courses to write the examination in Kannada. It has also decided to introduce a slew of job-oriented courses based on demand and would benefit the student community. These and a few other decisions were taken at the Academic Council meeting of the varsity held on Thursday. The meeting was presided by the Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar and the council approved the choice given to the students to write the examination (BA LLB and BCom LLB)in Kannada or English. So far there was no such option and students had to write the examination in English only. Members of the council expressed apprehension over the availability of the lessons pertaining to law and other subjects in Kannada and hence the feasibility of providing such an option. But it nevertheless decided to permit the students to exercise the option. Prof. Hemantha Kumar subsequently told The Hindu that there was demand from a section of the student community seeking the Kannada option and the members of the Academic Council gave their concurrence. However, the classes and the medium of instruction will continue to be in English, he added. In the meeting concerns were expressed about the limited availability of relevant learning material in Kannada and hence it was decided to ascertain how other universities were coping with such a situation and whether learning material was being made available in Kananda.The Academic Council also gave its consent to a few of the constituent colleges to introduce new courses that were tailored to meet the industrial requirement and would help students in securing jobs. These are specialised in nature and include BBA in Aviation Management, BBC in Tourism and Hospitality, BBA in Tourism and Travel, BCA (Cloud Computing and Digital Science), BCA- Internet of Things, Bachelor of Vocational Course in Digital Architecture, BSc in Food Processing and Quality Management, certificate courses in digital health, machine learning, python programming among others. Sources said some of the courses will be offered by the institutes from the current academic year itself. The autonomous status of some of the first grade colleges has been renewed for one more year and they include Maharani’s Science College, Mysuru; SBRR Mahajan First Grade College; JSS Women’s College; JSS Arts Science, and Commerce College; St. Philomena’s College; Bharati Autonomous College, Bharatinagar, Mandya; Government Women’s College, Mandya; Government Arts and Commerce College, Hassan; and Government Science College, Hassan. The Academic Council also approved new gold medals for which the proposal was submitted by the donors. Registrar R. Shivappa, Registrar for Examination A.P. Gnanaprakash and the Academic Council members were present.