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UGC Proposes Initiative for Inter-varsity Degrees

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is proposing a ‘National
Academic Credit Bank’ in higher education and if the proposal comes
through, inter-university degrees can be a reality soon, a senior UGC
official said Thursday.
UGC vice-chairman professor BhushanPatwardhan, speaking on
the sidelines of the ongoing three-day Training of Teachers (ToT) for Student
Induction Programme (SIP)here, said the proposal was similar to that existing
in some foreign universities. The initiative proposed in the place of the
current ystem of CBCS (credit-based choice system) would allow students to join
in one university, pursue it in another university and earn a degree from a
different university, a press release quoted Patwardhan as saying.
This would give a lot of flexibility to the students, the
release further quoted him as saying.
The UGC has appointed a committee which met a couple of
times to study the proposal, the release said.
The proposal was made recently in Pune and was still in
deliberation stage, he said adding with the National Academic Credit Bank,
inter-university degrees can be a reality in the near future in India.

UGC Notification For Mid-Career Award, BSR Faculty Fellowship

Check out the notification for the UGC Notification For Mid-Career
Award, BSR Faculty Fellowship & Start-Up Research Grant, that is
open and available for this year. Interested and eligible candidates
check out all of the details on the same below, this scheme is available
throughout the year:
Introduction
Creation
of knowledge through research, and dissemination of a better
understanding through teaching, are the primary objectives of a
University. While both teaching and research are central to the
realization of the objectives of these places of higher learning,
research is often neglected in the University, particularly in India.
Taking
note of steep decline in the research environment in Indian
Universities, the Government of India, through the University Grants
Commission, has taken several initiatives to arrest this trend and
strengthen Basic Scientific Research in Indian Universities.
The
Faculty Research Promotion Programme is one such innovative program,
under which research support is provided at three levels to the
faculties of the science departments (including medical and engineering
sciences) at Indian Universities, which are eligible to receive
developmental grants from the UGC.
Schemes
The Programme comprises 3 different Schemes. Entry-level faculty is supported by a Start-Up Research Grant; active, research-oriented mid-career faculty by a Mid-Career Award; and active, talented senior faculty nearing superannuation by a BSR Faculty Fellowship.
While the Start-Up Research Grant provides seed money for research to
new faculty members at the time of commencement of their career, and
benefits the fresh faculty members of a University; the Mid-Career Award
aims to augment the research efforts of active mid-career faculty
members and support them with this research incentive;The BSR Faculty
Fellowship is meant for successful (with proven track record) and active
senior faculty nearing superannuation. It enables continuance of their
productive research career and mentorship role in Universities for a
longer period.
he
Empowered Committee selects the candidates after scrutiny and
evaluation of the applications by the National Coordinator of this
Programme.
Eligible Categories of Research
This
support is available only to faculty members in the Basic Sciences,
including Medical and Engineering Sciences. The following disciplines
are eligible:
  • Physical Sciences
  • Chemical Sciences
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Biological Sciences
  • Engineering Sciences
  • Earth Sciences
  • Medical Sciences
Nature of Assistance
Start-Up Grant
A grant of Rs. 10.00 lakhs is provided, which can be utilised for items like minor equipment, consumables, contingencies (maximum Rs. 50,000/-pa), fieldwork (maximum Rs. 50,000/- pa), travel, etc.
The quantum of funds under each head can be decided by the PI depending
on his/her need maintaining the maximum limit prescribed above for
contingencies & fieldwork.
No Research Fellow, Project
Assistant etc. can be appointed using this grant, as it is expected that
the Assistant Professor, as a young researcher, will initially conduct
the bench work by himself/herself. The grant cannot be utilized for
foreign travel.
The grant will be released in 2 installments.
Initially, 80% of the grant will be released. The remaining grant will
be released after the receipt of the UC of first installment. The grant
is to be utilized within two years from the date of issue of sanction
letter of the first installment.

Apply here for Start-Up Grant

Mid-Career Award
A grant of of Rs. 10.00 lakhs
is provided, which can be utilized towards minor equipment,
consumables, chemicals, glasswares, contingencies, fieldwork, travel,
etc.
The grant cannot be used for international travel, purchasing
furniture items and appointing project assistant or research fellow.
The quantum of funds under these heads is flexible and the same can be decided by the recipient depending on his/her needs.
The
grant will be released in 2 installments. Initially, 80% of the grant
will be released. The remaining grant will be released after the receipt
of the UC of first installment. However, the entire grant must be
utilized within 2 years from the date of issue of sanction letter of the
first installment.

Apply here for Mid-Career Award

BSR Faculty Fellowship
Under this Scheme, a Research Grant of Rs. 5.00 lakhs per annum, and a Fellowship of Rs. 50,000 per month (exclusive of the pension and/or other retirement benefits), is provided for a maximum duration of 3 years.
The
Research grant can be utilized for purchase of equipment,
computer/laptop, printer, chemicals, glasswares, consumables,
contingency, hiring project/technical assistant, field work, travel
(within India), etc.
The grant cannot be utilized for International travel and purchase of furniture.
The recipient can decide the quantum of funds under these heads depending on his/her needs.

Autonomy to Educational Institutions in India – National Education Policy 2019

The draft national education policy of 2019 (DNEP-2019) is a
comprehensive initiative aimed at revamping the Indian higher education sector,
create world class multidisciplinary institutions, and increase the gross enrollment ratio to at least 50% by 2035 to match with China and Brazil. It is
presently in public domain for views, opinion and suggestions.
In this write-up, I shall deal only with the policy
initiative of DNEP-2019 for creating autonomous colleges removing the concept
of an affiliated college from the Indian universities. Removing the burden of
affiliation from the universities will set them free to concentrate on teaching
and research for their on-campus students rather than as affiliating and
examination conducting bodies for the college sector country wide. Therefore,
the concept of affiliating universities and affiliated colleges will go from
Indian higher education system. Every HEI will be either a full-fledged
research or academic university or an independent degree awarding autonomous college.
Therefore, there will be no college to be called as affiliated college. All
previously affiliated colleges will function as autonomous colleges by 2032 and
will be empowered with degree awarding authorities in their own names. There is
also the provision that if any college can’t sustain itself as an autonomous
college, then it has to merge completely with the current affiliating
university and become part of it. However, this will prove quite challenging
for the universities to broaden their campus beyond boundary limits
particularly for the colleges who lack on multiple fronts.

The policy basically plans for whole institutional
restructuring and consolidation of existing 800 universities and 4000 colleges
into three types of higher education institutions labelled as type 1 (research
universities), type 2 (teaching universities), type 3 (autonomous colleges)
with equitable roles in multidisciplinary teaching, research and service.
However, what is more surprising is that these type 1 and type 2 universities
will also be required to run undergraduate courses across all subjects. It will
create confusions among the minds of student community regarding relevance of
type 3 institutes. Under this plan the centrally funded HEI’s will
automatically transform as type 1 institutions, however, this is also a major
drawback as all centrally funded universities are not having quality mandate of
excellence in research. Some state institutions have done remarkable
progression in teaching and research, therefore, there must be lateral entry
for good and quality state institutions to type 1 category also.
In DNEP-2019, the thrust is on faculty autonomy also which
is a welcome and laudable initiative, however full of challenges for teaching
community. Providing autonomy to faculty will in real sense help and motivate
the teachers to use their own and innovative ideas and ways to enrich the
curriculum in tune with societal needs, improve teaching methods and pedagogy,
developing a healthy and liberal relationship with student community and
motivate them towards quality learning. Overall, this initiative will provide
teachers scope for continuous improvement of teaching-learning in HEI’s.
Providing academic and administrative autonomy including
financial autonomy to HEI’s is a remarkable initiative of DNEP-2019. This will
fulfil a long pending demand of granting autonomy to academic institutions to
put themselves in the path of imminence or excellence without undue
interference in administrative and academic matters from outside and will also
prove quite healthy for the efficient work culture, faculty promotions, timely
updating of curriculum, introduction of new courses and programmes in tune with
institutional vision and mission. The autonomous colleges are expected to emerge
as centres of excellence to contribute to the overall development of the Indian
higher education sector.

Under a UGC scheme hundreds of colleges are already
functioning as an autonomous institutions in India. Pertinently, Islamia
College of Science and Commerce, Srinagar also functions as the only UGC
autonomous institution in the valley since 2015. Therefore, the functioning of
existing autonomous colleges is also expected to get changed and have the every
opportunity to get converted as type 2 universities. Similarly, the existing
top ranked universities and centrally funded universities will be eligible to
move into type 1 universities. However, for that purpose they will have to
approach national research foundation (NRF) for funding under the Mission
Nalanda and Mission Takshashila.
State governments will have to prepare plans for creation of
new institutional architecture and consideration for framing the different
types of institutions: one each of type 1, 2, and 3 for 50 lakhs, 5 lakhs, and
2 lakhs of population, respectively with due consideration for geographic
boundaries. At least one type of institution will be established for every
district the policy reads and that is a healthy initiative to eliminate the
concept of parity vis-à-vis imparting quality education with no rural city
divide. The matter of concern is however, that whole higher educational system
in the state will get revamped and consolidation of existing HEI’s into a fewer
number of type 1, 2 & 3 HEI’s will prove an uphill task for policy makers
and administrators. States will be required to prepare ten year educational
plans and emphasize on using the college campuses effectively for the
development of school complexes and extension centres for vocational education,
however, this again seems to prove as a messy situation for the states.
The challenging aspect for the state governments is that
colleges that fail to develop as type 3 (autonomous colleges) by 2032 will have
to be closed by the respective governments and instead will be used as adult
education centres, public libraries, vocational educational facilities, etc. by
the concerned states. This will definitely put state governments under
tremendous pressure to see them converting as autonomous colleges in absence of
quality infrastructure, deficit teaching-learning initiatives, incompetent
leadership, etc. Therefore, focus of our policy makers must be on strengthening
the existing colleges, develop research oriented infrastructure, initiate
faculty development and enrichment initiatives, create more physical
infrastructure, establish adequate laboratory and library facilities, and
enrichment of teaching faculty, adequate funding and state-of-the-art
technologies for innovative teaching learning processes to enable them to qualify
for type 3 category institutions (autonomous colleges) and sustain as an
autonomous institutions.
To conclude, formulating and implementing a policy or a plan
is the core of the institutional progress and relies finally on the leadership.
Therefore, colleges should get able and competent leadership to enlighten them
with the goals of autonomy and prosperity in the coming years to grow as type 3
institutions.

National Education Commission Of NEP 2019

The government wants to change the entire education system but the time provided for submitting suggestions is very less.

 

After decades, now the newly and second time elected BJP led
NDA government has brought a New Education Policy 2019 just after their
swearing ceremony. There have been two National Education Policies, in 1968,
during the respective regimes of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The NEP of
1986 was revised in 1992 when P V Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister. Now it
has been proved that the NEP of 1986 had opened the flood gate of privatization
and commercialization of education and had converted the entire education
system into the market commodity. The Bharatiya Jana Sangh, or the BJP in its
original form, was part of the 1977-79 Janata Party Government, which attempted
to draw up a policy in 1979, but it was not approved by the Central Advisory
Board for Education. In a way this is the BJP’s second attempt of drafting the
education policy.
And now after getting full majority in the General Election
of 2019, BJP has taken up the education first. The draft of NEP 2019 has 23
chapters with 478 pages. The government wants to change the entire education
system but the time provided for submitting suggestions is very less. Just in a
one month, how the grass root level discussions among all the section of common
people and all stakeholders is possible? It shows the real intension of the
government! New Education Policy – 2019 submitted by the nine-membered K
Kasturinangan Committee to HRD ministry will create a disastrous effect on
Indian education and social system, if implemented. Why so much hurry if the
government really wants to provide quality education to all?

All the provisions of the draft will lead to the
commercialization and privatization of education. Here I just want to discuss
the core point of NEP 2019. And it is about the Chapter 23 titled ‘Rashtriya
Shiksha Ayog’. It aims synergistic functioning of India’s education system, to
deliver equity and excellence at all levels, from vision to implementation, led
by a new Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog. The Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog or National
Education Commission will be an apex body and it will be headed by the Prime
Minister. And this is the most dangerous and objectionable thing. It clearly
means that the entire education system will come under the total government
control. The NEP has suggested that the Ministry of Human Resources and
Development will be converted into the Ministry Education. But by formation of
National Education Commission, there will be no independent role of the
Education Department as our all educational institutions starting from school
education to higher education will come under the PMO as PM is heading the
chair of National Education Commission. The Vice Chairperson of the NEC will be
the Union Minister of Education. It means that our ministers but not teachers, educationists,
students, parents will decide our education.
Structure of NEC
•             20-30
members includes Union Ministers, in rotation, whose ministries impact
education directly (e.g. health, woman and child development, finance), as well
as a few Chief Ministers of states, in rotation, the Principal Secretary to the
PM, the Cabinet Secretary, Vice Chairperson of the Niti Ayog, the senior most
secretary in the Ministry of education and other such senior
bureaucrats/administrators as the government may deem appropriate.
•             At least
50% of the members will be eminent educationists, researchers and leading
professionals from various fields such as arts, business, health, agriculture
and social work. Well, there is no mention of science’s field in above
mentioned list!
•             There
will be National Education Commission Appointment Committee consisting of the
PM, The Chief Justice of India, the Speaker of the LS, the leader of the
opposition in the parliament and the UME.
There are so many different provisions and sub committees
under the NEC. Same provisions under the name of Higher Education Council have
been already introduced in different states where the Education Ministers are
heading the chair and controlling education in their respective states.
As per the draft, the NEC will be responsible for
developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating and revising the vision of
education in the country. If this draft will be finalized, then our educational
institutions and our syllabus will be full of irrationality, intolerance
towards other communities and unscientific thoughts. It will push our future
generation towards darkness. Already the BJP government has introduced
books  in primary education which has so
many myths about scientific inventions in ancient India like plastic surgery,
test tube babies, aero planes and what not! 
We have witnessed the Prime Minister propagating publicly unscientific
ideas, even in the forum of Indian Science Congress which had formed to fight
out unscientific thoughts prevailing in common people. Eventually this will
lead to a fascistic centralisation of the education.
The educationists from entire world have dreamt for
democratic, secular and scientific education. “The University must be free from
external control over the range of subjects of study and methods of teaching
and research. We have to keep it equally free from trammels in other directions
So there may be many golden words in NEP 2019 which can
attract us. But it can never be tolerated that our universities and education
system will be caged by reactionary forces. Our education system must be
decided by educationists, professors, teachers, students, parents and neither
by any Prime Minister nor by any bureaucrats!
In that situation we are affected into different ways.
Firstly, it is our duty to put historical truths in front of the people and
secondly criticize the history made up with political ideological intensions.”
So let us come forward before our schools and colleges get converted into the
place of spreading political agenda of hatred and thus save our society and
future generations. It is the prime need of the hour.
-Editorial Team, Eduindex News

UGC Issues Important Guidelines for Recruitment of Faculty

New Delhi:
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines for
recruitment of faculty members in institutes of higher education to
address the issue of shortage of quality teaching staff in such
institutions.

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, 2018 provides for minimum qualifications for appointment
and other service conditions of University and College teachers and
cadres of Librarians, Directors of Physical Education and Sports for
maintenance of standards in higher education and revision of pay-scales.
The
Commission has the mandate to take steps for the promotion and
co-ordination of university education and for determination and
maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in
Universities, Colleges and Institutions deemed to be Universities (i.e.
in Higher Educational Institutions or HEIs).
Shortage of quality
teaching faculty in HEIs is one amongst the many issues presently
confronting the higher education system in the country. This is also
affecting the quality of higher education.Therefore, these guidelines
should be followed by HEIs to ensure timely filling up of vacant faculty
posts with appropriately eligible and competent candidates.


Selection Procedure:
HEIs
should follow the selection process as per their Acts, Statutes or
constituent documents and in accordance with the University Grants
Commission (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, 2018.
HEIs
should, however, ensure that all the vacant posts, along with the
reservations details, are uploaded on the online portal at https://nherc.in. The monitoring of the filling up of the
vacancies would be done by the MHRD and UGC through this portal.
HEIs should initiate and complete the selection process within a period of 6 months.
Click here to read the complete guidelines