HIGHER EDUCATION
In the field of higher education, the Union Ministry is responsible for the maintenance of the Central Universities-Aligarh, Banaras, Delhi and Visva-Bharati. It is also responsible for the co- ordination and maintenance of standards in higher education and it is for this purpose that the University Grants Commission was constituted in 1953. In addition to these constitutional obligations, the Union Government give ad-hoc grants-in-aid to voluntary educational organizations for development purposes and operate some programmes of international cooperation for the development of certain aspects of higher education in India. Significant pilot projects in higher education are also conducted of which the most important is that of Rural Institutes.
1.1. Grants are paid, through the University Grants Commission, to the Central Universities on hundred per cent basis both for their maintenance and development and to State Universities on a sharing basis for their development projects only. In addition to statutory Universities, grants are also paid through the U.G.C. to six of the nine institutions `deemed' to be Universities under Section 3 of the U.G.C. Act, 1956 both for maintenance and development. Of the remaining 3 `deemed' Universities, the Jamia Millia Islamia receives maintenance grants from the Ministry of Education on a cover-the- deficit basis and development grants from the University Grants Commission. The other two viz. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay, are at present receiving grants from the concerned Ministries. Grants to other non-statutory and non-affiliated institutions of Higher Education of an all India importance are also given by the Ministry of Education on an ad-hoc basis. The Ministry of Education continued its assistance on these lines, with the two-fold object of enabling universities and other institutions of higher education to meet the challenge of unprecedented expansion on the one hand, and of the urgent need to improve the quality of education on the other. A brief account of the projects and activities undertaken during the year 1964-65, to meet this challenge is given here.
A. CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES 2. The significant achievements made by the four Central Universities Aligarh, Banaras, Delhi and Visva-Bharati in both the directions of expansion and improvement of quality of education are indicated in the paragraphs which follow:
3. Aligarh Muslim University
3.1. New Vice-Chancellor.-Nawab Ali Yavar-Jang, the new Vice- Chancellor designate is expected to take over charge of the University in March 1965.
3.2. Medical College.-There commendations of the Committee appointed to assess the requirements of the Medical College for the University have been accepted. The estimated expenditure on measures suggested by the
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Committee would be about Rs. 153 lakh (non-recurring) and recurring expenditure of Rs. 5 lakh per annum.
3.3. The President in his capacity as the Visitor of the University, has approved the establishment of a number of new Departments in the Faculty of Medicine.
3.4. Departments of Sanskrit and Hindi.-The Department of Sanskrit and Hindi has been split into two separate Departments of Sanskrit and Hindi. A professor has been appointed as the head of the Department of Sanskrit with a view to strengthening the teaching of Sanskrit in the University.
4. Banaras Hindu University :
4.1. Amending Bill.-In pursuance of the recommendations of the Banaras Hindu University Enquiry Committee, a Bill embodying long-term legislative proposals for better administration of the University was introduced in Parliament on 1st October, 1964 and has been referred to a Joint Select Committee.
4.2. Development of the Faculty of Law.-The recommendations of the Visiting Committee appointed to examine the question of development of the Faculty of law have been accepted and additional staff has been sanctioned.
4.3. Faculty of Commerce.-The proposal of the University for establishment of a separate Faculty of Commerce has been agreed to by the University Grants Commission subject to certain conditions and is now under consideration of the Government.
5. University of Delhi :
5.1. Opening of New Faculties and Departments.-The President, in his capacity as the Visitor of the University, approved the establishment of the Faculty of Mathematics and of the two new Departments: Psychology and Geology.
5.2. Staff Quarters.-The proposal of the University of Delhi for construction of staff quarters at a total cost of Rs. 10 lakh during the rest of the Plan period has been approved.
5.3. Opening of Five New Colleges in Delhi.-During the year under review, a Study Group comprising the representatives of the Ministry of Education, the U.G.C. and the University of Delhi was set up to consider the question of opening new colleges in Delhi with a view to meeting the mounting demand for admissions to colleges in the Capital. The Study Group recommended, inter-alia, opining of five new colleges during the current academic year. The Ministry accepted the recommendations of the Study Group. Only two voluntary organisations were in a position to start colleges. It was, therefore, decided that the Delhi Administration should start the remaining three colleges, the administration of which would, in due course, be entrusted to registered Societies. Accordingly three colleges were set up by the Delhi Administration in 1964.
6. Visva-Bharati
6.1. New Courses.-The University's proposals have been approved for the introduction of the new courses viz. (i) B.A. (Hons.) in comparative Religion, (ii) B. Sc. (Hons.) in Botany and Zoology.
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6.2. Staff Quarters.-Additional staff quarters are proposed to be built at an estimated cost of Rs. 14 lakh.
6.3. Vidya Bhavan Hostel.-The request of the University for additional grant of Rs. 1,28,000 towards construction of Vidya Bhavan Hostel has been accepted.
7. Jawaharlal Nehru University
7.1. In order to make adequate provision for the large and fast increasing student population of Delhi for higher education of the best quality and for the advancement of knowledge and research, it was decided to establish a new university in the Union Territory of Delhi to be named after late Shri Jawaharlal Nehru. The new university will embody a unique synthesis of the Humanities, the Sciences and Technology worthy of the great leader and perpetuate the memory of the many-sided genius of the late Prime Minister.
7.2. A Bill for the establishment of Jawaharlal Nehru University was introduced in the Parliament on the 24th December, 1964. The University will be located in South Delhi.
B. INSTITUTIONS OF ALL INDIA IMPORTANCE 8. Institutions "deemed" to be universities :-
8.1. In consultation with and on the advice of the University Grants Commission, the Ministry of Education has declared two more institutions of all-India importance as"deemed" to be universities within the meaning of Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act 1956. These are: (1) The Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay; and (2) The Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. These are in addition to the seven institutions already declared as "deemed" universities up to the end of March 1964.
8.2. Jamia Millia.- The recognition accorded to the Jamia Millia Islamia as deemed to be a university is for a period of three years in the first instance i.e. up to 1965 and is limited, for the present, to courses leading to B.A. and B.Ed. degrees. During 1964-65, the Jamia Millia Islamia continued to receive grants from the Ministry of Education on a cover-the-deficit basis. It has, however, been decided that development grant will, in future, be paid to the Jamia by the University Grants Commission. The institution provides admission from the nursery stage to the graduate level and in addition maintains a Teachers' College and a Rural Institute.
8.3. Grants were paid by the Ministry of Education also to non- statutory, non-affiliated institutions of higher education of all- India importance. The Kanya Gurukula Mahavidyalaya, Dehra Dun, the Lok Bharati, Sanosara and the K. S.Y.N. Samiti, Lonavala, were paid maintenance grants of Rs. 30,000, Rs. 16,073 and Rs. 3,490 respectively. In addition, non-recurring grants of Rs. 51,000, Rs. 1,31,000 and Rs. 25,000 were sanctioned to Kanya Gurukul Mahavidyalaya, Dehra Dun, Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Educa- tion, Pondicherry and Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad, respectively.
C. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION 9. Under Section 12 of the U.G.C. Act, 1956 it is the general duty of the Commission to take all such steps it may consider fit for the promotion and
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coordination of university education and for the determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in Universities.
10. The University Grants Commission has been making efforts to improve higher education in the country and has initiated several schemes for the purpose during the second and the third Plans. A brief account of the main projects and schemes for expansion and improvement of higher education assisted by the University Grants Commission during 1964-65 is given below.
11. Development Projects.-The visiting Committees appointed by the Commission have so far assessed the development needs of 57 Universities including 6 Institutions deemed to be Universities and allocated grants amounting to Rs. 30.29 crore including Rs. 13.48 crore for science departments; Rs. 8.64 crore for humanity departments and Rs. 8.17 crore for general schemes. During the year under report the development proposals of the North Bengal University were assessed and on the basis of the recommendations of the Visiting Committee as accepted by the Commission, an allocation of Rs. 53. 47 lakh has been made to the University (science-14.15, humanities-17.32 and general- 22.00). These grants are given for construction of laboratories, purchase of scientific equipment, library books and journals and appointment of teaching staff as well as ancillary staff required for teaching and research.
12. Centres of Advanced Study.-The Expert Committee appointed by the University Grants Commission to advise and make recommendations regarding the establishment of such centres in the Universities, recommended a total of 65 departments in various branches of natural sciences, humanities, social sciences etc. to be developed as the Centres of Advanced Study. on the advice of the Committee, the Commission has selected 26 University departments as centres of advanced study in specific subjects-15 in Science and 11 in Humanities-during the third Plan period. These Centres will provide adequate facilities to scholars of outstanding ability for advanced study and research and work in close collaboration with the national laboratories and other similar institutions. Grants amounting to Rs. 1.99 crore have been allocated for these centres against which the Commission has so far paid grants amounting to Rs. 44 lakh.
12.1. The Asia Foundation of the U.S.A. have agreed to provide assistance of $ 30,000 for meeting urgent requirements of a few Centres in Social Sciences and have under consideration the question of providing about $1 lakh per year for 3 years from 1965 onwards.
13. Improvement of Salary Scales of Teachers.-Till the end of 1963-64, 33 Universities including four Central Universities had introduced the scales of pay recommended by the University Grants Commission and about 400 University teachers had been benefited. During 1964-65, the Universities of Jabalpur and Gujarat also agreed to implement these scales of pay. The Commission has agreed to help the Universities in Bihar towards the implementation of the revised scales of pay with effect from 1st April 1964. it is expected that with the implementation of revised scales of pay in the above mentioned universities, about 5,000 University teachers in all will be covered under the scheme.
13.1. The Commission bears 50/75 per cent of the increased expenditure Consequent upon the implementation of the above scales of pay in the case
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of men's and women's affiliated colleges respectively for a period of five years. So far, 14,000 teachers working in 451 colleges affiliated to 23 Universities have received benefits under the scheme. The Commission has since agreed to provide assistance to certain colleges in West Bengal and also to affiliated colleges in U.P. and Bihar on a sharing basis and it is expected that by the end of the current year about 17,000 teachers in 600 colleges would be covered under the scheme.
14. Construction of Hostels and Staff Quarters.-During the year under review, the Commission approved the following schemes for construction of Hostels, Staff quarters etc. in the various Universities and institutions deemed to be universities.
Number of
Scheme Universities Total cost of the Commission's
and Institutions Projects share
deemed to be
Universities
1 2 3 4
(Rs. in lakhs) (Rs. in lakhs)
1. Students Hostels 12 85.64 47.24
2. Teachers Hostels 33 122.00 111.00
3. Staff Quarters 11 77.17 50.59
4. Guest Houses 7 13.00 7.50
5. Health Centres 4 2.7 2.00
6. Students Homes - 1.00 1.00
15. Financial Assistance for Research/Learned Work.-The scheme was introduced in 1963-64 for providing financial assistance to teachers in universities and colleges affiliated to them for undertaking research or learned work. Under this scheme, limited grants (not exceeding Rs. 5,000) are provided for the purchase of special apparatus (or for its fabrication), special chemicals, books, field work, etc., etc. During the current year the Commission selected 419 teachers-143 in Humanities and Social Sciences, 261 in science subjects and 15 in Engineering and Technology. The estimated assistance to be provided in 1964-65 under the scheme will be of the order of Rs. 4 lakh.
16. Exchange of Teachers.-In pursuance of the recommendation made at the Seminar on National Integration organised by the University Grants Commission, a scheme for the exchange of reputed teachers between the universities has been initiated during the current year. Under the scheme universities are assisted to invite reputed professors or experts who have specialised knowledge in various branches of study from other centres of learning in India for short periods not exceeding 6 months to deliver a course of lectures, conduct seminars and offer advice or guidance to research workers. The Commission provides a lump grant of Rs. 10,000 to each university towards this scheme which may be raised up to Rs. 15,000. The Com- mission's assistance during the current year for this scheme is expected to be Rs. 2.75 lakh.
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D.RURAL HIGHER EDUCATION 17. Present Position and Future Development.-At present 14 Rural Institutes are functioning in different parts of the country-13 in 11 States and one in the Union Territory of Delhi. The question of reorganising: the Rural Institutes and remedying the handicaps under which they have so far laboured, has engaged the consideration of the Union Government. The Committee set up by the University Grants Commission to assess the standards, and the scope of the education imparted by the Rural Institutes, advised inter-alia that two or three deemed zonal universities be set up under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act (Act III of 1956), with the existing Rural Institutes forming their constituent units. The National Council for Rural Higher Education considered this report at its annual meeting held on the 12th September, 1964 and appointed two ad hoc Committees to advise on the location of the campuses of the proposed rural uni- versities and on the reorganisation of Rural Institutes.
18. Achievement of Plan Targets.-The third Plan target of establishing four new Rural Institutes has already been achieved with the establishment of the Rural Institutes at Wardha (Maharashtra), Hanumanamatti (Mysore), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Thavanur (Kerala).
18.1. The question of setting up two additional Rural Institutes, viz., one in Allahabad District and the other in Visakhapatnam District of Andhra Pradesh, which has been under the consideration of the Government of India in consultation with the State Governments concerned, will now be decided in the light of the recommendations of the Reorganisation Committee on Rural Institutes.
19. Grants and Stipends.-Central grants at the rate of 75 per cent nonrecurring and 50 per cent recurring (75 per cent for Post- Diploma Courses) respectively of approved expenditure are given to all the Rural Institutes except Jamia Rural Institute, New Delhi, which is receiving Central grants on `cover the deficit' basis. Only the Kasturba Rural Institute, Rajpura, has voluntarily foregone Central grants. Central grants are also given to the Rural Institutes for the award of stipends to 20 per cent of the students on roll in each class at approved rates. Central grants (Recurring and Nonrecurring) amounting to Rs. 19,59,314 and stipend grants amounting to Rs. 65,531.15 P. only were released to the Rural Institutes up to the 31st December, 1964.
20. Examinations.-The total number of candidates who took the annual and supplementary examinations for the various diploma and certificate courses conducted by the National Council for Rural Higher Education in April and October, 1964 was 1,188. Of them 901 were declared successful.
E. SCHEMES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE MINISTRY 21. Grants to Voluntary Organisations for Construction of Hostels.-A grant of Rs. 25,000 has been given to the S.N.V. Sadanam Trust, Ernakulam, for the construction of a hostel. Proposals for grant amounting to approximately Rs. 1 lakh for some other voluntary organisations are under consideration.
22. Loans for Construction of Hostels/Staff Quarters.-The Ministry of Education continued to operate the two schemes viz. (i) loans to Universities and Delhi Colleges for construction of hostels and staff quarters and
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