Lok Sabha Question No. 1330 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-25
Subject: Quality of Higher Education & Research
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: JANARDAN MISHRA

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1330 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2016

## Quality of Higher Education & Research

†1330. SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  to  improve  the  quality  of higher education and research in the country; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the measures adopted to implement the  recommendations  contained  in  the  reports  of  any  Parliamentary Committee in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b):  The  Central  Government  has  launched  several  initiatives  viz.  National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Impacting Research, Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT),  Uchchtar  Avishkar  Yojna  (UAY),  Global  Initiative  of  Academic  Networks (GIAN)  in  the  field  of  education  for  the  qualitative  development  of  education  in  the country. Under the NIRF, Educational Institutions are ranked by an independent ranking Agency  on  the  basis  of  objective  criteria.  The  IMPRINT  initiative  seeks  to  address engineering challenges in ten technology domains through the collaborative efforts of the  Indian  Institutes  of  Technology  (IITs)  and  Indian  Institute  of  Science  (IISc).  The objectives  of  UAY  scheme  are  to  promote  innovation  in  IITs  addressing  issues  of manufacturing  industries;  to  spur  innovative  mindset;  to  co-ordinate  action  between academia  &  industry  and  to  strengthen  labs  &  research  facilities.  Distinguished academicians, from premier institutions across the world, are invited under the scheme of GIAN to conduct one week or two week course at Indian institutions.

Strategic  funding  and  reforms  in  the  State  higher  education  sector  are  being undertaken through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).

The University Grants Commission (UGC) undertakes maintenance of standards in  teaching  and  research  and  quality  assurance  in  Universities,  Deemed  to  be Universities and Colleges through the following mechanisms, namely: framing regulations  and  schemes  and;  disbursing  grants  to  the  eligible  institutions.  The  UGC has  notified  and  amended  several  regulations  with  the  objective  of  sustenance  and improvement in the quality of higher education and for undertaking academic reforms. The  regulations  are  available  at  http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/UGC-Regulatons.aspx.  in order to encourage research and development in the country, the UGC is implementing several schemes, awards, fellowships, chairs and programmes. These schemes are at http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/XII-Plan-Guidelines.aspx.

The Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Human Resource Development in its  279 th Report  has  appreciated  the  new  initiative under Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) to invite distinguished academicians, entrepreneur's, scientists, experts from premier institutions from across the world  to teach  in higher  educational  institutions in  India,  hence,  promoting international  collaborations  and  improvements  in  quality  of  higher  education  in  India. The recommendations in the report of the Committee have been acted upon. As a part of the action plan for implementation of Study Webs of Active Learning for Youth and Active Minds (SWAYAM), the UGC has notified the regulations on 20 th July,  2016  for the credit framework for online learning courses through SWAYAM. Further, the funding under  RUSA  from  2016-17  year  onwards  is  performance  based  and  the  States/UTs have been communicated  the desired performance parameters on which their performance,  under  the  scheme,  is  assessed.  The  terms  and  references  of  the  Pay Review Committee, recently constituted by the UGC, include making recommendations on  the  ways  and  means  for  attracting  and  retaining  talented  persons  in  the  teaching profession,  as  well  as  for  furtherance  of  research  in  the  university  system;  ways  and means  to  improve  quality of teaching and  encouraging/incentivizing the use  of information Technology in teaching and also for their career advancement in teaching and equivalent positions in order to improve the quality of higher education; etc.

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