Dimapur, June 13 (MExN): The 11th Plan approach paper of University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up, among others, the objective of expansion, inclusiveness (equity), promotion of quality and excellence. Keeping the focus of the 11th Plan, the UGC has developed a strategy to achieve these objectives.
The UGC proposes to achieve the target for general education by adopting a two-pronged strategy. The first is by increasing the intake capacity of existing institutions, through strengthening their physical infrastructure and faculty positions. The UGC will give grants to increase physical infrastructure and departments. At present the UGC supports about 6000 colleges and 167 universities. The UGC will help these institutions to expand their intake capacity.
Also, the government has been following a policy of providing equal access to regions and groups which suffered from low access to higher education, the PIB stated. The 11th Plan’s main focus is to increase the enrolment of those regions and groups which at present have low enrolment and thereby bring inclusiveness in the higher education system. Inclusiveness will require focus on regions, areas and social groups suffering from low access to higher education.
The UGC will follow a two-fold strategy for inclusiveness: Give priority to regions and areas with lower enrolment rate and secondly, give focus on social groups with low enrolment rate. The UGC has developed a regional policy to assist the “Educationally Backward Districts.” 350 districts with enrolment lower than national average have been identified. (In 29 districts it is below 5 % .Another 209 districts have enrolment in range of 5-10 %.).
The main strategy will be to support the universities and colleges in these educationally backward districts.
The enrolment rate is also low in rural, hilly, tribal, border and remote areas. The universities and colleges located in these areas will be supported to increase their intake capacity. In case of” “Educationally backward Social Groups” the enrolment is much lower among the SCs, STs, OBCs, Muslims and other minorities, women, and economically weaker sections or poor.
The UGC will follow two methods to increase the enrolment of these groups: The universities and colleges having relatively higher percentage of SC, ST, OBC, Minority student population will receive additional support to develop some supportive schemes for social groups. Secondly, schemes comprising, fellowships, hostels, remedial courses will be strengthened. The UGC will help to set up Equal Opportunity Office in universities to operate these schemes.
Strategy for improvement of quality and excellence: For improving the quality, the UGC helps to improve the physical infrastructure, including buildings, library, books and computers and faculty .The UGC has number of schemes for faculty improvement, like support for research, schemes for PhD of faculties, travel grants and others.
For promotion of excellence, the UGC supports the “Universities and colleges with potential of excellence and departments. So far 9 universities, 100 colleges and 500 departments are recognized as centers of excellence. The UGC proposes to take several measures to improve the “quality” and “excellence” of the universities, colleges, faculty and students .These include making the NAAC assessment mandatory for all universities so that the institutions take steps to improve their physical infrastructure and faculty. For faculty improvement the schemes will include efforts to increase the adequate number of faculty, and funds for research.
For students the special focus will be on increase in the fellowship for PhD research. The UGC will also take steps to improve and up date the curriculum in conformity with recent development in the subjects, and demand for skilled manpower. Ph D admission will also be standardized. Reforms in examination and evaluation system, with credit and semester system as a component and other reforms will be made coupled with use of E-Governance of UGC and decentralization.
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