HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
6.1.1 Coordination and determination of standards in higher education is a subject in the Union List and is a special responsibility of the Central Government. This responsibility is discharged mainly through the UGC which was established in 1956 under an Act of Parliament. The Indira Gandhi National Open University will also perform these functions in respect of the Open University and Distance Learning System. Besides, the Central Government have established agencies for promotion and coordination of research efforts in specialised fields. There are three such national agencies at present, namely the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Indian Council of Historical Research and the Indian Council of Philosophical Research.
6.1.2 The magnitude of the problem in maintaining standards in Higher Education could be appreciated with reference to the graph on Growth of Higher Educational Institutions presented below:
University Grants Commissions
Growth of the Higher Education System 6.2.1 At the beginning of the year 1988-89, the total student enrolment in Universities and Colleges was 38.14 lakhs. This was 1.32 lakhs more than the enrolment in the previous year. The enrolment in the University Departments was 6.37 lakhs and that in the affiliated Colleges was 31.77 lakhs.
6.2.2 Enrolment in the Faculty of Arts constituted 40.3% of the total enrolment. In the Faculties of Science and Commerce the percentage was 19.7 and 21.5 respectively. Enrolment at the first degree level was 33.57 lakhs (88%); at the postgraduate level 3.62 lakhs (95 %); at the research level 0.42 lakhs (1.1 %); and at the diploma and certificate level 0.53 lakhs (1.4%).
6.2.3 The number of teachers increased to 2.42 lakhs during the year. Of these, 0.53 lakhs were in the University Departments/University Colleges and the rest in the affiliated Colleges. Of the 53165 teachers in the Universities, 6273 were Professors, 13079 were Readers, 31580 were Lecturers and 2233 were Tutors/Demonstrators. In the affiliated Colleges, the number of senior teachers was 24923, the number of Lecturers was 155389 and that of Tutors/Demonstrators was 8496.
6.2.4 During the year under report six State Universities, namely the Kuvempu University (Shimoga), Kota Open University (Kota), University of Ajmer (Ajmer), Rajasthan Agriculture University (Bikaner), Tripura University (Agartala) and Purvanchal University (Jaunpur) were established.
Higher Education among Women 6.2.5 The enrolment of women students at the
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beginning of the year 1988-89 was 11.95 lakhs as against 11.25 lakhs in the previous year. At the postgraduate level, the enrolment of women was 32.7% of the total enrolment. The enrolment of women students was the highest in Kerala (51.6%) followed by Punjab (46.6%), Delhi (44.6%), Haryana (39.7%) and Meghalaya/Nagaland (39.6%). The enrolment of women was the lowest in Bihar (15.9%).
Programme and Activities of the Commission 6.2.6 Some of the major thrust areas of the National Policy on Education which were pursued with vigour during the year were: Autonomous Colleges, Redesigning of courses, State Councils of Higher Education, Accreditation and Assessment Councils, Alternative Models of Management in Universities, National Qualifying Test for recruitment of teachers, Making research and development broad-based, Training/Orientation of teachers, Improvement of Efficiency, Youth and Sports and Education for the Minorities, Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Handicapped and Women. A brief account of the efforts made by the Commission in respect of various schemes is given in the following paragraphs.
Autonomous Colleges 6.2.7 Based on the revised guidelines for the scheme of autonomous colleges circulated in 1987, 76 colleges (19 in Andhra Pradesh, 28 in Tamil Nadu, 25 in Madhya Pradesh and 4 in Rajasthan) have been approved for grant of autonomous status thus making a total of 95 autonomous colleges till November, 1988. Proposals made by several Colleges are under various stages of consideration by the concerned university. The states from which there has been no significant response are Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.
State Councils of Higher Education 6.2.8 The Commission approved revised guidelines for setting up of State Councils of Higher Education which will plan and coordinate higher education at the State level. The State Council of Higher Education has been set up in Andhra Pradesh.
Re-designing of Courses 6.2.9 The scheme of restructuring under-graduate courses in general education was introduced by the U.G.C. with a view to making the first degree courses more relevant and to link education with work/field/ practical experience and productivity. Thirty two Universities. have introduced these courses in 134 colleges till November 30, 1988. In order to provide an impetus to the programme of redesigning of courses, the U.G.C. has set up 27 Curriculum Development Centres, 10 in Sciences and 17 in Humanities and Social Sciences. These Centres will review the existing curricula with a view to modernise them and to develop and prepare new teaching and reading materials. The Commission has so far received model curricula in 12 disciplines. These will be discussed by expert committees in the respective subjects and thereafter circulated to universities alongwith the recommendations of the expert committees. Meanwhile, the Commission has continued its assistance to 294 colleges which have been implementing a programme of College Science improvement besides 40 University Departments which were receiving assistance for University leadership programme in Science. Similarly, 544 colleges and 12 university departments have been receiving assistance for improvements in teaching Humanities and Social Sciences.
6.2.10 The Commission has agreed to the introduction of a three-year degree course in Physical Education, Health Education and Sports in universities and multi-faculty colleges. In the initial stages, only one college in each district having the basic minimum facilities viz. track and field gymnastic, Yoga, conditioning unit etc. will be selected for the introduction of the course. Universities/colleges were advised to send proposals for the introduction of the course. Till 31st March, 1988 proposals of 11 universities and 22 colleges were approved by the Commission for starting the course.
Consolidation of Existing Institutions 6.2.11 The National Policy on Education places the main emphasis in higher education on the consolidation of and expansion of facilities in the existing institutions. Accordingly a major part of the efforts of the Commission was devoted to the strengthening of the infrastructure in the existing Universities and Colleges. During the year, the Commission decided to provide additional allocation to universities equivalent to the spill over of the ongoing building projects from the Sixth Plan and earlier plans over and above the Seventh Plan allocation. Universities have been requested to utilise this amount towards capital works viz., construction of class rooms, laboratory, library buildings, hostels, staff quarters etc. In view of the emphasis laid in the National Policy on Education (1986) on removal of obsolescence and consolidation of equipment in
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universities and colleges, the Commission has agreed to provide assistance to Universities and Colleges for removal of obsolescence and consolidation of equipment during 1987-88.
6.2.12 As for Colleges, the guidelines for Seventh Plan development circulated last year were reviewed during 1987-88 and certain relaxations were provided. Also, in order to implement the provision of the New Education Policy, the Commission circulated to Universities and State Governments the guidelines on terms and conditions of affiliation of colleges by a University. As regards overall assistance provided to college sector, proposals were received from 2823 Colleges for basic assistance, of which those of 2683 were approved. 2259 Colleges sought assistance for development of undergraduate education of which, proposals of 1716 Colleges have been approved. In addition, the Commission had approved 114 proposals from single faculty Colleges as well as 119 from postgraduate institutions. The total amount approved for assistance to Colleges in the Seventh Plan till June 30, 1988 is Rs. 114.52 crores.
Improvement in Efficiency 6.2.13 The Commission has sanctioned computer facilities to 103 Universities. In addition, the Commission has agreed to provide mini computers to 400 Colleges during the Seventh Plan period. To begin with, 281 colleges have been selected out of which 186 have been sanctioned financial assistance for the purpose upto December, 1988. Besides using these facilities for training and research, they would be used for maintenance of student records, accounts and other data required for administration and Management.
Teacher-Recruitment Training and Performance Evaluation 6.2.14 The Commission considered the recommendations of the Committee appointed by it to work-out modalities for conduct of qualifying test for recruitment of teachers and decided that in view of the complexities of the problem, the appointment of the lecturers on the basis of the qualifying test be not enforced during 1988-89 and meanwhile modalities be worked out well in time to implement this scheme from the year 1989-90. For the orientation of newly recruited college and university lecturers, an Academic Staff Orientation Scheme has been drawn up. The content of the programme would be flexible so that universities could modify it to suit their local requirements. The programme would be multi-disciplinary in nature. Grants amounting to Rs. 3.47 crores were sanctioned to 41 universities for the setting up of Academic Staff Colleges and upto November, 1988 as many as 38 of these Staff Colleges had become functional, 45 Orientation Courses had been organised and about 2500 teachers had been given orientation. It is expected that all the 48 identified Academic Staff Colleges will become functional during 1988-89. The Task Force appointed by the Commission for evolving a system of performance evaluation of teachers and a code of professional ethics for them has completed its report on the institution of a system of performance appraisal of teachers which was sent in November, 1988 to the universities/colleges and State Governments for further action.
Strengthening Research
Special Assistance Programmes 6.2.15 The Commission continues to provide assistance to 26 Centres of Advanced Study and 75 Departments of Special Assistance in Science, Engineering and Technology and 15 Centres of Advanced Study and 58 Departments of Special Assistance in Humanities- and Social Sciences. In addition, 36 Departmental Research Support Projects in Science and 13 in Humanities and Social Sciences are under implementation. The subject panels of the Commission have further identified some more Departments to be brought under these Special Assistance Programmes.
COSIST Programmes 6.2.16 Ninety five Departments have been assisted under the scheme of Strengthening Infrastructure in Science and Technology Education and Research till November 30, 1988.
Common Facilities and Services 6.2.17 Modern computer based information documentation centres have already been set up at Bangalore, Bombay and Baroda. These centres have improved the information accessibility to the teachers and students and have provided necessary bibliographic support to them alongwith making available the latest documentation in the respective disciplines. The Nuclear Science Centre at the JNU Campus has now been established as an autonomous institution of the U.G.C. as a registered society. In addition, the Inter University Centre in Astronomy and Astro Physics (IUCAA) set up at Poona University has also been given the status of autonomous society in November, 1988.
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Media and Educational Technology 6.2.18 The U.G.C. has taken the initiative to utilise the time slot given for higher education and televising the TV programmes in higher education entitled "Countrywide Classroom". The Commission has agreed to provide colour television sets to Colleges in phases during the Seventh Plan period A perspective plan for the U.G.C. INSAT Project is being formulated in which projections will be made for future INSAT time requirement in higher education. The Commission is at present supporting 4 Educational Media Research Centres (EMRCs) at the University of Poona, Gujarat University (Ahmedabad), Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (Hyderabad) and Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi). Seven Audio-Visual Research Centres (AVRCs) at University of Roorkee; Osmania University; University of jodhpur; Anna University, Madras; St. Xavier's College, Calcutta; Madurai Kamraj University, Madurai and Kashmir University, Srinagar are being supported for training of personnel and production of software. As envisaged by the Programme of Action on the National Policy of Education, the Commission has taken up a project on Non-broadcast Mode Educational Material' for the production of model course material in 15 subjects in the form of Audio/Video Cassettes with the help of best available teachers in the next three years. A Committee has been constituted to advise on matters relating to the preparation of the model video course material for undergraduate students. Eight production centres have been identified for the purpose. To encourage the preparation of educational programmes, the UGC had organised Video Programme Festivel this year in two phases.
Other Programmes
Introduction of New Courses 6.2.19 The Commission has been making efforts in consultation with the concerned National agencies for formulation of courses to fulfil the need for trained manpower in certain emerging areas of importance. The Commission is collaborating with the Department of Ocean Development for the development and augmentation of Ocean Sciences and Technology in the University sector. The Commission has also launched a programme to start Post-M.Sc. Course in Atmospheric Sciences in certain universities/institutions deemed to be Universities. Similarly, M.Sc. Electronics Science Course has been started in the Universities of Calcutta, Delhi and Poona. This course is being jointly supported by the Department of Electronics and the University Grants Commission. The Department of Electronics is also supporting programmes run by the Commission under the UGC-DOE joint programme for running different manpower training courses in Computer Sciences and Application like one-year Diploma course in Computer Application; 3- year Master of Computer Application Course and B. Tech. and M. Tech. courses in Computer Sciences. Universities have also been identified to offer courses in Futurology & Futuristic studies.
Adult, Continuing and Extension Education Programmes 6.2.20 In the context of the National Literacy Mission, the Commission formulated during the year, new guidelines on adult and continuing education and extension programmes in universities under which the universities were advised to adopt specific area (s) for organising adult education including mass programme for functional literacy, prepare microlevel plans after survey of the area proposed to be adopted and identify various needs/areas which require educational interventions and utilize the expertise, infrastructure and facilities available with the university set-up and establish linkages with and secure assistance from other development agencies for execution of the programmes planned. The new guidelines are intended to provide a package assistance for all programmes, emphasising attention on women, scheduled castes/tribes and physically handicapped. The National Literacy Mission (NLM) assigns to universities/colleges an important task of covering five lakh people in 1988-89 and six lakh during 1989-90 through 25,000 and 30,000 adult education centres respectively besides involving themselves in the programme for functional literacy. Apart from continuing assistance for the activities of the population education clubs set up by the universities, the universities were advised during the year to increase the number of clubs so that grass root level activities are enhanced. The Task Force and the Resource Centres set up under the UNFPA-UGC project to provide support services in population education programmes to universities/colleges in specified areas in terms of development of curricula, training and extension programmes reported significant progress.