Lok Sabha Question No. 207 (STARRED), answered on 2016-05-09
Subject: Education Reforms
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV

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

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 207 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.05.2016

## Education Reforms

## †*207. SHRI LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is satisfied with the quality and standard of education and teaching in the Universities, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the University Grants Commission (UGC) is implementing any scheme for improving the standard of education/teaching in Universities/Colleges in the country, if so, the details thereof; (c)  whether  the  Government  has  reviewed  the  working  of  such  schemes,  if  so,  the outcome thereof; and (d)  the  steps  taken  by  the  UGC  in  the  direction  of  education  reforms  along  with  the impact of these steps on education reforms?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  to  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.207 FOR 09.05.2016 ASKED BY SHRI LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, REGARDING EDUCATION REFORMS.

(a) & (b):   Higher education reforms for enhancing quality along with equity and access is a continuous process. Education, being in the concurrent list, is the responsibility of both the Central as well as the State Governments.  The Government initiates education reforms  after  consultations  with  the  stakeholders,  including  State  Governments  and academics.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is implementing several schemes for improving the standard of education/ teaching in universities and colleges in the country. The UGC undertakes maintenance of standards in education and teaching 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  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/UGCRegulations.aspx. In order to encourage research and development in the country, UGC has  laid  out  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  including  revival  &  promotion  of  indigenous  languages.  These schemes are at http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/XII-Plan-Guidelines.aspx .

In  addition  to  above,  UGC  has  launched  guidelines  for  Choice-based  credit System (CBCS) for enhancing student mobility and providing a wider choice in subjects and  for facilitation  of  quality  education  through  innovation  and  improvements  in curriculum, teaching-learning process, examination and evaluation systems.

(c): The UGC has informed that its schemes are reviewed and monitored with the help of reported progress, presentations to its expert committees, etc.

The Central Government has reviewed the schemes of the UGC with the help of Expert Committees. The Department of Higher Education has also reviewed the impact

and outcomes of the UGC schemes. As a result several initiatives  have  been  taken, namely: (i) policy direction to the UGC to amend the UGC(Minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and other measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education) Regulations, 2010 to implement  modified  Academic  Performance  Indicator  (API)  scheme  and  prescribe minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers; (ii) policy direction to the UGC to not to discontinue the non-National Eligibility Test(NET) fellowships; (iii) policy direction to  the  UGC  to  establish  an  Inter  University  Centre  on  Teacher  education  in  Banaras Hindu University to strengthen the University system in teacher education; (iv) notifying of UGC (Furnishing of Information by Universities) Rules, 2015 for making it mandatory for Universities to comply with new accounting standards and upload information on the All India Survey on Higher Education; (v) framing of UGC (Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women  employees  and  students in higher educational  institutions)  Regulations,  2015 for  ensuring  a  safe  environment  for  both women employees and students in campuses and excursions from higher educational institutions ; (vi) ensuring UGC fund release to Universities and Colleges through Public Financial  Management  System  from  1 st April,  2016  onwards;  (vii)  Strengthening  of grievance  redressal  mechanism  in  UGC  and  launch  of  Student  grievance  redressal portal by the UGC in which details of nodal officers of all universities is available; (viii) migrating all UGC fellowships/ scholarships on DBT mode from 16-17 onwards; etc.

(d): Education reforms have been undertaken by the UGC by notifying the CBCS for enhancing student mobility and providing a wider choice in subjects and for facilitation of quality education through innovation and improvements in curriculum, teaching-learning process,  examination  and  evaluation  systems;  notifying  a  credit  framework  for  skill development  for  aligning  skill  education  with  formal  education  and  launching  several skill  development schemes; framing new regulations and specifying the list of degrees which institutions can  offer; enhancing  the coverage  of scholarships/fellowships; incentivizing  quality;  undertaking  equity  promotion  on  a  wider  scale;  disbursing  grants for infrastructure development  for wider access; strengthening university-industry linkage; process reforms, student centric initiatives etc.

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