Lok Sabha Question No. 532 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Quality of Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SHIVKUMAR CHANABASAPPA UDASI, JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL, ALOK SANJAR, AJAY (TENI) MISRA

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.532 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2017

## Quality of Higher Education

## 532. SHRI SHIVKUMAR UDASI:

SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

SHRI ALOK SANJAR:

SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  prepared  many  programmes  to  bring  improvement  in higher education in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there are some such areas in the country where colleges are affiliated to such universities  which  are  situated  at  distance  of  more  than  200  km  from  those  colleges including in Uttar Pradesh etc.; and
- (c) if so, whether the Government proposes to establish new universities in such far flung areas in the country and if so, the details thereof State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a): 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.

The  UGC  undertakes  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 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.

(b) & (c): The Universities are established either under Central Act, Provincial Act or State Act  and  are  free  to  grant  affiliation  to  colleges  as  per  the  provisions  made  under  the respective Acts.

*****