Lok Sabha Question No. 5729 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-02
Subject: Higher Education and Ground Reality
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: CHANDRAKANT BHAURAO KHAIRE

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.5729 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2018

## Higher Education and Ground Reality

## †5729. SHRI CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that there is a huge gap between higher education and ground realty even today;
- (b) if so, whether any effort has been made by the Government to make higher education of the country practical; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a)  to  (c):  The  Central  Government,  the  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  and  All  India Council  for  Technical  Education  (AICTE)  are  constantly  endeavouring  to  improve  quality  of higher education and make higher education practical in the country. The Central Government has launched  several initiatives viz. National Institutional  Ranking  Framework  (NIRF), Impacting Research Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT), Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY), Global  Initiative  of  Academic  Networks  (GIAN),  Study  Webs  of  Active-Learning  for  Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), National Academic Depository (NAD), Technical Education Quality Improvement  Programme  (TEQIP),  Pandit  Madan  Mohan  Malaviya  National  Mission  on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT), National Digital Library, Campus Connect Programme etc. in the field of higher education for 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. With a view to sustain and improve the quality of higher education and to undertake academic reforms, the UGC  has  notified  UGC  (Minimum  Standards  and  Procedure  for  Award  of  M.Phil./  Ph.D Degrees)  Regulations,  2016;  UGC  (Promotion  and  Maintenance  of  Standards  of  Academic

Collaboration  between  Indian  and  Foreign  Educational  Institutions)  Regulations,  2016;  UGC (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2017; UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2017; UGC (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2018 and UGC (Categorization of Universities (only) for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018.

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  are  (i)  Universities  with  Potential  for  Excellence;  (ii)  Centre  with potential  for  excellence  in  particular  area;  (iii)  Special  Assistance  Programme  (SAP);  (iv) Research Projects and (v) Basic Science Research.

UGC has also requested the Vice-Chancellors  of  all  Universities  to  upgrade  and  review their curriculum every three years for making them more skill oriented and interdisciplinary and with a purpose of making the students employable. The introduction of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) is another important measure taken by UGC to enhance academic standards and quality in higher education through innovation and improvements in curriculum, teachinglearning  process,  examination  and  evaluation  systems.  CBCS  provides  a  'cafeteria'  type approach  in  which  the  students  can  take  courses  of  their  choice,  learn  at  their  own  pace, undergo  additional  courses,  acquire  credits  and  adopt  an  interdisciplinary  approach  to learning.

Further,  Government  is  implementing  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  namely  Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) with the aim of promoting access, equity and quality. The focus of the scheme is on serving the unserved and underserved areas. Under the scheme, central  assistance  is  provided,  inter  alia,  for  components  such  as  Infrastructure  grants  to colleges and universities, upgradation of existing colleges to model degree colleges etc. Under these  components,  funds  are  provided  to  institutions  for  strengthening  of  infrastructure facilities  for  construction/renovation of libraries, laboratories, hostels etc and for purchase of equipment in State Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).

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