Lok Sabha Question No. 1244 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-11
Subject: Higher Education and Research
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: A.T. (NANA) PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.1244 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2019

## Higher Education and Research

†1244. SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  continuously  works  to  promote  higher  education  and research in the country;
- (b) if so, the various courses being conducted to promote the youths of the country at present along with the details;

(c) whether the Government has decided to conduct the National Eligibility Test (NET) examination only once a year;

(d) if so, the reasons therefor; and

- (e)  the  manner  in  which  the  said  step  would  result  in  reducing  the  number  of  NET qualified students as well as cast a positive effect on research studies?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b):  Yes  Madam.  The  Government  is  continuously  working  to  promote  Higher Education and Research in the country. The Government is committed to improve the quality  of  education  and  it  is  a  continuous  ongoing  process.  Several  initiatives  are undertaken  to  improve  the  quality  of  teaching  and  learning.  Rashtriya  Uchchatar Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RUSA),  Global  Initiative  for  Academics  Network  (GIAN),  Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP), Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National  Mission  on  Teachers  and  Teaching  (PMMMNMTT),  Study  Webs  of  ActiveLearning  for  Young  Aspiring  Minds  (SWAYAM),  National  Digital  Library,  campus connect programme, Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), Annual Refresher Programme  in Teaching (ARPIT), and Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP)  are being implemented to improve the quality of higher education.

Further for promotion of innovation, cognitive thinking and improving the quality of Ph.D programmes, the Government has devised schemes in all the fields of education. The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  and  its  organisations  like  University Grants  Commission  (UGC),  All  India  Council  for  Technical  Education  (AICTE)  are undertaking various research projects to promote higher education and research in the country  viz.  IMPRINT  (Impacting  Research  Innovation  and  Technology)  for  technical research, IMPRESS (Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences) for social sciences research, SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic Research and Collaboration) for joint research with Foreign Universities and STARS (Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Fundamental Sciences) for research in fundamental sciences.

SPARC is  a  recent  initiative  of  the  Ministry  to  support  Joint  Research  Projects through  collaboration  of  top  ranked  Indian  Institutions  and  globally  ranked  Foreign Institutions. It aims to support 600 research projects in two years, at an outlay of Rs. 418 crores. Under IMPRINT-I, 142 research projects with an outlay of Rs. 318.71 crores for  3  years  have  been  accepted.  Under  IMPRINT-II,  a  total  of  122  projects  at  an estimated cost of Rs. 112 crores have been approved. Under the IMPRESS scheme 1500 research projects, at a total sanctioned cost of Rs. 414 crores, will be awarded for implementation upto 31.3.2021.

The UGC has also started three schemes, namely Community College, B.Voc Degree Programme, and Deen Dayal Upadhay KAUSHAL Kendras in Universities and Colleges for imparting skill development based vocational courses offering Certificate/Diploma/Advance  Diploma/B.Voc  M.Voc  and  Research  level  programme with multiple exit and entry options enabling vertical mobility of the students.

An amount of Rs. 1.57 lakh crores has been spent from 2013 to 2018 for higher education.  In  addition,  an  amount  of  Rs.  8091.84  crores  has  been  sanctioned  under HEFA.  UGC has also informed that it has funded several schemes for research and innovation  like  Special  Assistance  Programme  (SAP),  Colleges  with  Potential  for Excellence (CPE), University with Potential for Excellence (UPE), Centre with Potential for  Excellence  in  Particular  Areas  (CPEPA),  Fellowships  support  for  Research  to students and teachers. During 2017 -18, an amount of Rs. 1791.92 crores has been spent under these schemes.

(c) to (e): No, Madam. There is no such proposal.

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