Agartala, April 28 (TIWN / IANS) To strengthen people-to-people ties between India and its neighbours, Tripura University has undertaken several initiatives to draw more foreign students, a top varsity official said on Tuesday.

According to Anjan Kumar Ghosh, the central university's vice-chancellor, it has been observed that students in Bangladesh were keen to study at Tripura University. 

"We would now go for a larger initiative to attract more students from Bangladesh and other countries," he told reporters.

"We hope students from Nepal, Bhutan and other neighbouring countries would also show interest in studying at the university. Presently, it has 34 departments with diverse courses."

With four Bangladeshi students presently studying in Tripura University, which is a central university, Ghosh said: "Twenty more Bangladeshi students have got their names registered for admission in the 2015-16 academic year."

"As the central and state governments have been emphasising to strengthen the people-to-people contact between India and its neighbours, larger number of students from adjoining countries in Tripura University would further boost the initiative," he said.

With important cities of Bangladesh sharing proximity with Tripura, students from Bangladesh can easily avail the opportunity to study in Tripura University.

To promote tribal languages, Ghosh said Mizo, Garo and Kokborok languages would be introduced in the university from this academic year.

Kokborok is the tribal language of majority of the tribals in Tripura.

The university, the official said, from this academic year onwards has decided to introduce bachelor's degree and diploma courses through vocational studies in rubber technology, and video production in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation and Tripura industry department.

He said that under the instructions of the University Grants Commission, Tripura University from this academic year would introduce choice-based credit system (CBCS).

"Under CBCS, the students would have more freedom to choose the curriculum of a particular course ... it is different from the traditional systems. Under CBCS, the student need not study the entire course of a particular subject," he added.

Set up in 1987, Tripura University was granted the status of a central university in July 2007. It has recently been ranked fourth in eastern India and 43rd in India, according to a survey jointly conducted by a private study group.

The varsity has 46 affiliated colleges, including 17 professional colleges and two medical colleges, with a total enrolment strength of 38,114 in the affiliated colleges.