Lok Sabha Question No. 1393 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-05
Subject: Overhaul of Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1393 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.03.2018

## Overhaul of Higher Education

1393. SHRI V. ELUMALAI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is considering to make an overhaul of higher education;
- (b) whether the Government has planned a slew of measures such as qualifying exam for PhDs to be of the standard of NET exam, mandatory use of credible anti-plagiarism software for evaluating PhDs,  assessment  and  accreditation  of  higher education institutions  by  third  party  agencies  and  granting  full  autonomy  such  as  academic, financial and administrative to ranked institutions;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether these measures were part of higher education reforms package which was finalised by a high powered panel; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  to (e): The Government is committed to improve the quality of education and it is a continuous ongoing process.  A number of initiatives are being undertaken by UGC and AICTE for quality  improvement in  general  and  technical  education  in  higher  education sector. Several initiatives are currently being undertaken in this direction. Initiatives such as:
- i) Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM)
- ii) National Academic Depository (NAD)
- iii)  Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN)
- iv)  Impacting Research, Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT)
- v) Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP)
- vi)  Pandit  Madan  Mohan  Malaviya  National  Mission  on  Teachers  and  Teaching (PMMMNMTT)
- vii) National Digital Library
- viii)  Campus connect programme

are being implemented to improve the quality of higher education. To promote objective assessment  of  performance  annually,  Government  has  also  launched  the  National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for Higher Educational Institutions.

Further, UGC has notified various Regulations to improve the standards in Higher Education  such  as  the  UGC  (Minimum  Standards  and  Procedure  for  Award  of  Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2016, UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of standards in Higher Education 2010) Regulation 2016 (Third Amendment), UGC (Categorisation of Universities (only) for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations,  2018  and  UGC  (Conferment  of  Autonomous  status  upon  Colleges  and Measures for maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2018.

The Government is in the process of formulating a New Education Policy to meet the  changing  dynamics  of  the  student  population's  requirement  with  regard  to  provide quality education and aiming to make India a knowledge hub by equipping its students with the necessary technology skills and knowledge.

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