Lok Sabha Question No. 157 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-11-30
Subject: Quality of Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, N.K. PREMACHANDRAN, B.N. CHANDRAPPA, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO . 157 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH  NOVEMBER, 2015

## Quality of Higher Education

157. SHRI D.K. SURESH: SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: SHRI B.N. CHANDRAPPA: SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

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

- (a) whether the Government proposes to take measures for improving the quality of higher education in the country, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it has come to the notice of the Government that a number of private institutions are  violating  the  norms/rules  laid  down  for  the  purpose,  if  so,  the  action  taken  by  the Government against the said institutions; (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  change  the  criteria  for  sanctioning  financial assistance to States for improving the quality of higher education system; if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the Government proposes to unify the curriculum of higher education throughout the country and if so, the details thereof; and (e)  whether  the  Government  is  taking  any  steps  to  ensure  to  set  up  the  educational equivalent to provide cutting edge education by both Indian and Foreign universities in the
- country and if so, the details thereof ?

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

- (a):  Improvement  of  quality  of  higher  education  is  an  on-going  process  and  the  Central Government has been making constant efforts towards this.

Several initiatives have been launched for improving the quality of higher education in the  country.    These  include  the  Global  Initiative  for  Academic  Networks'  (GIAN)  to  support international faculty assignment in Indian higher educational institutions; Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Training (PMMMNMTT) to address issues related to training of teachers; the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) which outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has formulated Guidelines on Adoption of Choice  Based  Credit  System  on  12 th November,  2014.    It  has  also  laid  down  several regulations  for  setting  minimum  standards  of  higher  education  in  the  country.  The  UGC  is implementing  schemes  for  providing  quality  skill  development  through  higher  education namely; Community Colleges, B.Voc Degree Programme and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay KAUSHAL Kendras in the Universities and Colleges in the country.

During the Twelfth Five Year Plan, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) seeks to achieve equity, access and excellence in State Higher Educational Institutions.  The overall quality of existing State higher educational institutions is sought to be improved by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adoption of accreditation as  a  mandatory  quality  assurance  framework.    Academic,  administrative  and  governance reforms are an essential element of  RUSA. (b) Private Universities are reviewed by UGC as per the provisions contained in UGC (Establishment of and Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities) Regulations, 2003. Expert  Committees  are  set  up  by  the  UGC  to  ascertain  fulfilment  of  criteria  by  these Universities in terms of programmes, faculty, infrastructural facilities and financial viability. Deemed  to  be  Universities  are  regulated  by  the  UGC  (Institutions  Deemed  to  be Universities)  Regulations,  2010  and  its  amended  version  in  the  year  2014  and  2015.    A provision  has  been  made  in  these  regulations  to  review  the  status  of  these  Institutions through  reviews  conducted  by  the  UGC  with  the  help of  Expert  Committees.    Institutions Deemed  to  be  Universities  are  asked  to  submit  compliance  reports  in  respect  of  the deficiencies pointed out by the UGC Expert Committees. (c):    No,  Madam.  The  criteria for  funding  under  RUSA remains focused on outcome and performance of the  State  and on prior  utilisation  of funds  and progress  of projects  in  the States.  The  Centre:  State funding  pattern for  the  States  has  been  revised from 65:35 for general  category  States  to  60:40.    The  Centre:  State  funding  for  special  category  states remains at 90:10. (d)  &  (e):    Yes,  Madam.  The  UGC  has  informed  that  in  order  to  bring  about  qualitative improvement in Higher Education, the  UGC has initiated  several  measures  which  include introduction of Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS). The UGC has prepared  mainline and specialised  model  syllabi  for  undergraduate  programmes  and  made  it  available  to  the universities with a view to facilitating the implementation of CBCS.

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