NEW DELHI: The Centre's decision to scrap the University Grants Commission (UGC) and bring in a brand new regulatory body within the upper schooling sector has now not long gone down well with academicians, who have wondered the move saying politicians should now not be excited by academic issues.
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had final week introduced its decision to replace the UGC with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) through repealing the UGC Act, 1951.
According to a draft, which has been positioned within the public domain through the ministry to seek comments from the stakeholders, the brand new commission will solely focus on academic issues and financial grants would be beneath the purview of the ministry.
"It is obvious that as consistent with the brand new norms, the authorisation goes to be given and maintained now not handiest on the basis of what a college has at that exact point of time, however it will be contingent on reaching a set of targets over a decade.
"We can expect these targets to be about resource-generation, a burden that can for sure be passed on as fees and a cutback in recruitment, and possibly, through introducing a wide variety of rubbish, short-term classes. This method compliance with the Centre's diktats will probably be crucial from the phrase go, for each the older and newer universities," JNU professor Ayesha Kidwai mentioned.
Noted academician Jayaprakash Gandhi mentioned, "The construction of the brand new body is such that it'll give political parties more say in decision making relating to schooling, which should preferably be carried out through a group of core educationists and veteran academicians who can take the country forward."
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has also condemned the move as an try to building up direct executive interference in upper schooling.
"It is also now not transparent how shifting the grant-related purposes to the ministry will result in less interference. On the contrary, we concern that it'll result in an greater direct interference through the federal government.
"The present structure is being completely replaced without providing a detailed study of its founding goals, achievements, shortcomings and their possible reasons and corrective measures taken or required to improve the health of the UGC," DUTA president Rajib Ray mentioned
IGNOU professor Kapil Sharma mentioned, "Right from the admission process to the intake of research scholars -- attempts are being made by the government to interfere in each and every aspect. We agree that there were loopholes in the functioning of the UGC, but they should have been addressed on an institution-specific basis. That should have been done by the academicians in the higher education sector and not the government."
According to the HRD Ministry, less executive and more governance, separation of grant-related purposes, finish of the inspection raj, focus on academic quality, powers to put into effect compliance with the educational quality standards and to order closure of sub-standard and bogus institutions are one of the most highlights of the brand new Act -- the Higher Education Commission of India Act, 2018 (Repeal of the University Grants Commission Act).
The new Act is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the Monsoon Session, which starts on July 18.
The executive was earlier mulling to have a single regulator for technical schooling, nationwide council lecturers coaching and UGC.
However, it has been determined to strengthen the upper schooling regulator as it was felt that the UGC remained preoccupied with disbursing finances to institutes and was not able to concentrate on other key areas such as mentoring the institutes, focussing on research to be undertaken and so on.
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had final week introduced its decision to replace the UGC with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) through repealing the UGC Act, 1951.
According to a draft, which has been positioned within the public domain through the ministry to seek comments from the stakeholders, the brand new commission will solely focus on academic issues and financial grants would be beneath the purview of the ministry.
"It is obvious that as consistent with the brand new norms, the authorisation goes to be given and maintained now not handiest on the basis of what a college has at that exact point of time, however it will be contingent on reaching a set of targets over a decade.
"We can expect these targets to be about resource-generation, a burden that can for sure be passed on as fees and a cutback in recruitment, and possibly, through introducing a wide variety of rubbish, short-term classes. This method compliance with the Centre's diktats will probably be crucial from the phrase go, for each the older and newer universities," JNU professor Ayesha Kidwai mentioned.
Noted academician Jayaprakash Gandhi mentioned, "The construction of the brand new body is such that it'll give political parties more say in decision making relating to schooling, which should preferably be carried out through a group of core educationists and veteran academicians who can take the country forward."
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has also condemned the move as an try to building up direct executive interference in upper schooling.
"It is also now not transparent how shifting the grant-related purposes to the ministry will result in less interference. On the contrary, we concern that it'll result in an greater direct interference through the federal government.
"The present structure is being completely replaced without providing a detailed study of its founding goals, achievements, shortcomings and their possible reasons and corrective measures taken or required to improve the health of the UGC," DUTA president Rajib Ray mentioned
IGNOU professor Kapil Sharma mentioned, "Right from the admission process to the intake of research scholars -- attempts are being made by the government to interfere in each and every aspect. We agree that there were loopholes in the functioning of the UGC, but they should have been addressed on an institution-specific basis. That should have been done by the academicians in the higher education sector and not the government."
According to the HRD Ministry, less executive and more governance, separation of grant-related purposes, finish of the inspection raj, focus on academic quality, powers to put into effect compliance with the educational quality standards and to order closure of sub-standard and bogus institutions are one of the most highlights of the brand new Act -- the Higher Education Commission of India Act, 2018 (Repeal of the University Grants Commission Act).
The new Act is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the Monsoon Session, which starts on July 18.
The executive was earlier mulling to have a single regulator for technical schooling, nationwide council lecturers coaching and UGC.
However, it has been determined to strengthen the upper schooling regulator as it was felt that the UGC remained preoccupied with disbursing finances to institutes and was not able to concentrate on other key areas such as mentoring the institutes, focussing on research to be undertaken and so on.
Academicians give thumbs down to Centre's move to scrap UGC
![Academicians give thumbs down to Centre's move to scrap UGC]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 02, 2018
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