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Higher Education Policy and Reform
Higher Education Policy and Reform
Dr. Kalidas Sarma
India, having the largest demographic dividend in the field of higher education has undergone radical changes. These changes have replaced the colonial style of education in which higher education remained within the custody of selected individuals. Today higher education becomes a business and economic hub towards sustainable development in India as well as other nations. Higher education in India has witnessed significant growth since independence. There were 28 universities and 578 colleges during Independence and by 2011-2012 this has increased to 700 universities and 36,000 colleges. Universities in India grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.5 percent as against 4.7 percent growth over the period of 1951-2001. Numbers of colleges grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11 percent during 2001-11 as against 6.1 percent in the period 1951-2001. Simultaneously, the financial allocation in higher education too showed upward trend from around Rs 15-26 crores (Share of education was 1.2 % of GNP of India) in 1950-51 to 15,855.26 crores under Plan 2015-16. However, the existing scenario of Higher Education in India (HEI) in some aspect is facing challenges. The University Grant Commission (UGC) which is considered as one of the apex regulatory bodies of higher education and are responsible for coordination, determination, maintenance of standards and release of grants. Professional councils such as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) , National Council for Teachers Education(NCTE) and Distance Education Bureau (DEB) are responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of professional institutions and providing grants to undergraduate programmes and various awards. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous institution established by the UGC in 1994 to assess and accredit institutions of higher education that volunteer for the process based on prescribed criteria are currently facing sharp criticism and on the ground that UGC as a regulatory body of higher education has failed to maintain the standard of higher education resulting in challenges in the quality of higher education today i.e. (issues relating to fake Ph. D and M. Phil degrees, back door entry into the higher education and producing fake certificate for seeking admission and job, getting promotion etc.). As a result a feeling has been generating amongst masses that the UGC is becoming the only grants giving agency in higher education rather than maintaining quality of education. Now people are expressing their anguish and expecting reforms in higher education sector. Hence, the functioning of higher education in India is becoming an issue. It poses challenges in many aspects for which the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) is taking initiative for reviewing the functioning of UGC, AICTE and NCTE and planning to restructure University Grant Commission(UGC) by 2015 for which public opinions are sought from grass root level in this regard.
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There is no doubt that the UGC conducts inspection in the Private Universities with their expert committees, constituted by the UGC to check their compliance with the laid down regulations and gives them opportunity for rectification of defects and non-conformity with the regulations. The UGC has also notified several regulations with an objective of sustenance and improvement in the quality of higher education and undertaking academic reforms focusing on mandatory assessment and accreditation of higher educational institutions; affiliation of colleges by universities; regulation of private and deemed universities; minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers; minimum standards for grant of first degree, Master’s degree, M. Phil/Ph. D; grievance redress, promotion of equity and curbing social menace in one hand, but on the contrary, with the strict imposition of making NET/SLET/Ph.D and M. Phil degree mandatory and pre- requisite qualification for the post of Assistant Professor in colleges and universities by University Grant Commission with effect from 2009 and at the same time with the introduction of Private educational domains, there has been radical changes and challenges have taken place in the field of higher education in the country. This has led to quantitative changes in education scenario rather than qualitative changes. Mushrooming of private Universities / Institutions in the country and growing tendency of offering fake Ph. D and M. Phil Degrees through back door entry and back dated registration by huge monetary exchanges for the purpose of in-service promotion for monetary gain deteriorated the academic quality of the nation as press and media have made enough publicity in this regard. The UGC is pouring huge amount of money in educational sector using advances in information and communication technology and provide opportunities to enhance teaching and learning in higher education both in campus and distance education but fails to apply proper mechanism to check fraudulent in certification through application of latest information technology. Many private universities’ rules and regulations are silent and they do not declare yearly list of research scholars to whom M. Phil and Ph. D are awarded and name of the supervisor under whom he/she has completed Ph. D /M. Phil and also the list of research scholar registered in the current academic session in the respective universities. This has ultimately facilitated back dated entry in the research courses and quick awards of degrees (M. Phil and Ph. D) as we see enough publicity in press and electronic media. Henceforth, there is an urgent need to formulate a proper policy guideline in this regard.
Viewing the above fact, emanates a feeling to share opinion for national new higher educational policy guide line for restructuring UGC and to take an initiative which is relevant to the tasks of planning and development and reform of higher education by a strong legislation for creating a framework for setting up of Universities for Innovation, aiming at world class standards, in Public sector, private sector as well as in PPP mode for up-gradation of “Higher Education such as: (1) to setup a separate Strong Data Monitoring Cell for Higher Education to monitor PhD, M. Phil and other higher degrees awarded by all the universities and colleges and institute of national importance of the country giving special attention to Private Universities. (2) Provision of security code with logos or tracking number for the issue of certificate of higher degrees such as M.A, M. Phil and Ph D. Degrees to protect and detect fraudulent practices. (3) setting up of strong central mobile vigilance teams to give surprised visit to the universities, colleges and institution under the umbrella of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for making higher education more vibrant (4) Needs a clear-cut distinction between the research degree awarded to full time research scholar and distance mode to boost the morale and to protect the dignity of hard work of those scholars who are engaging themselves in quality research work at the cost of their precious time.(5) Disclosure of the list of degree awarded and new research scholar enrolled i.e. (M. Phil/PhD) for every year should be made mandatory in public domain to prevent back dated registration (6) Framing a clear cut non-flexible strong regulation to close down permanently those Universities/Institutions which are engaged in awarding fraudulent higher degrees violate UGCs minimum standard rules and regulations (7) Higher degree awarded (M. Phil/ PhD and other higher degree) violating the UGCs minimum standard regulation 2009, must be derecognised and stand invalid. If these measures are taken, it will play an important role in discouraging fraudulent activity in near future. However, time to time initiatives taken by the UGC in this regard cannot be undermined but at the same time Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has to go long way by formulating strict National New Higher Educational Policy by restructuring functioning of UGC, AICTE and NCTE to address the problems and to eradicate sicknesses of higher education in India in near future.
