Lok Sabha Question No. 2945 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Performance of Indian Universities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. BHOLA SINGH, GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2945 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2017

## Performance of Indian Universities

## 2945. DR. BHOLA SINGH: DR. GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Prime Minister has appealed to universities in the country to aspire to be among the top 100 globally and promised special economic assistance for the same;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the reasons for poor performance of Indian universities, which could not find place in the top 100 in the world; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

- (a)  &  (b):  The  Hon'ble  Finance  Minster  in  his  Budget  Speech  2016  had  announced  the following:

'It  is  our  commitment to empower Higher Educational Institutions to help them become world class teaching and research institutions. An enabling regulatory  architecture  will  be  provided  to  ten  public  and  ten  private institutions to emerge as World-Class Teaching and Research Institutions. This will enhance affordable access to high quality education for ordinary Indians. A detailed scheme will be formulated'.

Accordingly,  an  Enabling  Regulatory  Architecture  namely,  UGC  (Declaration  of Govt.  Educational  Institutions  as  Institutions  of  Eminence)  Guidelines,  2017  for  public institutions  and  UGC  (Institutions  of  Eminence  Deemed  to  be  Universities)  Regulations, 2017 for private institutions has been finalised after public consultations. The Government is  in  the  process  of  issuing  /  notifying  the  Guidelines  and  the  Regulations.  Under  the Guidelines,  it  has  been  proposed  to  provide  financial  assistance  up  to  Rs.  1,000  Crore over a period of five years to each of the 10 selected public institutions.

(c) & (d): Global academic rankings of the World Universities are carried out by multiple agencies  on  various  parameters.  In  one  of  such  kinds  of  ranking  exercises,  the  Times Higher  Education  World  University  Rankings  2016-17  has  listed  31  Indian  Universities among the world's best Universities even though none of these figured among top 100.

The  Central  Government  and  the  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  are constantly endeavouring to improve quality of higher education in the country. The Central Government has launched several initiatives viz. National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF),  Impacting  Research  Innovation  &  Technology  (IMPRINT),  Uchchtar  Avishkar Yojna (UAY) and Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) in the field of education for  the  qualitative  development  of  education  in  the  country.  UGC  has  been  undertaking measures  for  maintenance  of  standards  in  teaching,  research  and  quality  assurance  in Universities,  Deemed  to  be  Universities  and  Colleges  through  framing  and  notifying regulations, schemes and disbursing grants to the eligible institutions. The UGC has also notified  several  regulations  with  a  view  to  sustain  and  improve  the  quality  of  higher education and to undertake academic reforms. The regulations are available at http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/UGC-Regulations.aspx  .  In  order  to  encourage  research  and development in the country, UGC is implementing schemes, awards, fellowships, chairs and  programmes  under  which  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  institutions  of  higher education  as  well  as  faculty  members  working  therein  to  undertake  quality  research covering areas of knowledge across disciplines. Some of the initiatives taken by UGC for improving quality of Higher Education are:

- i. Choice-based Credit System (CBCS);
- ii. Universities with Potential for Excellence;
- iii. Centre with potential for excellence in particular area;
- iv. Special Assistance Programme (SAP);
- v. Basic Science Research;
- vi. Major Research project;
- vii. B.Voc. Degree Programme;
- viii. DDU KAUSHAL KENDRAS;
- ix. Scholarship Scheme (ISHAN UDAY) for North Eastern Region;
- x. New Methodology of Grading by NAAC;
- xi. UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil / Ph.D. Degrees) Regulations, 2016;
- xii. UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulation, 2016.

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