HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
University Grants Commission (UGC)
Growth of the Higher Education System 6.1.1 In the beginning of the year 1990-91, the total student enrolment in universities and colleges was 42.47 lakhs. This was 1.72 lakhs more than the enrolment in the previous year. The enrolment in the university departments was 7.05 lakhs and that in the affiliated colleges was 35.42 lakhs.
6.1.2 Enrolment in the faculty of arts constituted 40.4% of the total enrolment. In the faculties of science and commerce the percentage was 19.6 and 21.9 respectively. Enrolment at the first degree level was 37.41 lakhs (88.1%); at the post-graduate level 4.03 lakhs (9.5%); at the research level 0.47 lakhs (1.1%) and at the diploma and certificate level 0.55 lakhs (1.3%). The number of teachers increased to 2.56 lakhs during the year. Of these, 0.57 lakhs were in the university departments/university colleges and the rest in the affiliated colleges. Of the 56732 teachers in the Universities, 7262 were Professors, 14864 Readers, 32337 Lecturers and 2269 Tutors/Demonstrators. In the affiliated lecturers was 1,62,858 and that of tutors/demonstrators was 8771.
6.1.3 During the year under report three State universities viz. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madras, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik and North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon were established, thus raising the total number of universities in the country to 147.
Higher Education among Women 6.1.4 The enrolment of women students at the beginning of the year 1990-91 was 13.67 lakhs as against 12.92 lakhs in the previous year. Sex-wise break-up of total enrolment in each State shows that the enrolment of women students as a percentage of total enrolment in the State was the highest in Kerala (52.7%) followed by the Punjab (47.5%), Delhi (45.6%), Haryana (41.3%), Meghalaya/Nagaland (38.8%) and West Bengal/Tripura/Sikkim (37.8%). The enrolment of women was the lowest in Bihar (16.2%).
Programmes_and Activities of the Commission 6.1.5 Some of the major thrust areas pursued with vigour during the year were : Autonomous Colleges; Redesigning of Courses; Inter- University Centres; Fellowships; Research Associateships; Special Assistance Programme; Orientation of Teachers; COSIST; Adult Education; 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.
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Autonomous Colleges 6.1.6 The Commission continued its efforts to promote and encourage the concept of autonomy through its schemes of autonomous colleges. As a result of continuous follow-up, eleven more colleges were granted autonomous status during the year under report, thus bringing the total number of such colleges to 103 as on 31st March, 1991.
Re-designing of Courses 6.1.7 The scheme of restructuring under-graduate courses in general education was introduced by the UGC with a view to making the first degree courses more relevant to environment and to the developmental needs of the community and to link education with work/field/practical experience and productivity. Several universities and colleges have introduced these courses. Further, in order to provide an impetus to the programme of redesigning of courses, the UGC has set up twenty-seven Curriculum Development Centres, ten in sciences and seventeen in Humanities and Social Sciences. These Centres will review the existing curricula with a view to modernising them and to developing and preparing new teaching and reading materials. The Commission has so far received model curricula in twenty-two disciplines. National Workshops in different subject areas have also been organised to discuss these model curricula. Meanwhile, the Commission has continued its assistance to 314 colleges which have been implementing College Science Improvement Programme (COSIP). of College Humanities and social Sciences Improvement Programme(COHSSIP).
6.1.8 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 and conditioning units will be selected for the introduction of the course. Till 31st March, 1991 proposals of twenty universities and thirty-six colleges were approved by the Commission for starting the course.
Improvement in Efficiency 6.1.9 The Commission has sanctioned computer facilities to 105 universities upto 31st March, 1991. In addition, the Commission provided assistance to 882 colleges upto 31st March, 1991 for installing computer facilities. Besides using these facilities for training and research, these facilities can be used for maintenance of student records; accounts and other data required for administration and management.
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Teacher-Recruitment Training and Performance Evaluation 6.1.10 During the year, the Commission conducted qualifying test for recruitment of lecturers in humanities and social sciences. It has given options to the States to accept the UGC accredited by the UGC. Similar test in science subjects was conducted jointly by the UGC and the CSIR. The Commission decided to exempt those candidates from appearing in the test who have already passed JRF examinations of the UGC/CSIR. The Commission also decided to exempt those candidates from appearing in the test who have already obtained M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees and the candidates who would be awarded these degrees upto December, 1990 and December 1992 respectively. Under the Academic Staff Orientation Scheme for orientation of newly recruited and in- service college and university lecturers, 48 Academic Staff Colleges (ASCs) identified by the Commission organised orientation programmes. The total number of orientation programmes organised since the inception of the programme in 1987-88 upto July, 1990 was 413 covering 12,305 teachers. Similarly, the total number of refresher courses organised since their inception in 1988-89 upto July, 1990 was 335 covering 8861 teachers. Grants to the tune of Rs. 7.32 crores were sanctioned to the universities for the programme upto the end of March, 1990. The projections obtained from the ASCs also reveal that in the coming year, they plan to organise 175 orientation programmes covering nearly 6,400 new teachers and 294 refresher courses covering about 10,000 inservice teachers. The UGC has constituted a Committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the ASC Scheme.
Special Assistance Programmes 6.1.11 The Commission continues to provide assistance to 41 Centres of Advanced Study and 106 Departments of Special Assistance in Science, Engineering and Technology and 16 Centres of Advanced Study and 90 Departments of Special Assistance in Humanities and Social Sciences. In addition, 44 Departmental Research Support Projects in Science and 17 in Humanities and Social Sciences are under implementation. The subject panels of the Commission have further identified some more departments to be brought under the Special Assistance Programme.
COSIST Programme 6.1.12 One hundred and eleven department were assisted under the scheme of strengthening infrastructure in Science and Technology Education and Research till 31st March, 1991.
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Super Conductivity Programme 6.1.13 The Commission has supported thirty-five institutions under the programme during the last three years. During the year, it was also decided, inter alia, to establish a "consortium of universities in the area of superconductivity, education and research". The academic progress made under the programme can be gauged by the fact that since the inception of the programme in 1987, thirty-eight students have been awarded Ph.D./M.Phil in super-conductivity by various universities while 200 students are actively working in this area as on 31st March, 1991.
Common Facilities and Services 6.1.14 Modern computer based information documentation centres centres have improved the information accessbility to the teachers and students and have provided necessary bibliographic support to them alongwith making available the latest documentation in the respective disciplines. In addition, the Commission has set up inter-university centres in different areas with the object of providing national research facilities within the university system. During the year, an Inter-University Consortium was set up at Indore for the synchrotron radiation facility and the Crystal Growth Centre at Anna University, Madras was upgraded as a centre for providing common facilities. These Centres are in addition to the Nuclear Science Centre at the JNU Campus, New Delhi and the Inter-university Centre in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Poona University (IUCAA) which have been functioning as autonomous societies since November 1988.
Media and Educational Technology 79
telecasts. source-wise, seventy-six per cent of the programmes telecast were Indian while the remaining were from foreign sources. To encourage healthy competition in the production of the educational video programmes, the commission organised a video festival at Calcutta.
6.1.16 Another important venture of the Commission has been the co- production arrangement entered into with WGBH Boston for the production of a TV series titled "State of the World" (now renamed as "Race to Save the Planet"). It is a ten-part series that would explore the human dimensions of international environmental issues including future of the earth and provide needed insights to understand the roots and processes of modernisation, industrialisation and the relationship between human society and the natural resources. The series focuses on solutions, constructive ideas and new approaches from all over the world and the need to evaluate policies for creating a sustainable environmental future. A Steering Committee oversees the co-production arrangements from the Indian side. It has been decided to bring out the series in two languages viz. Hindi and Tamil by adding more Indian footage. The series will be in twenty-six parts each and the work would be done mostly by the existing EMRCs/AVRCs. The telecast of the programme commenced from October, 1990.
Other Programmes
Introduction of New Courses 6.1.17 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. Electronics Science Course which is already being offered in the universities of Calcutta, Delhi, Poona, Kurukshetra and Cochin. This Course is being jointly supported by the Department of Electronics and the University Grants Commission. The Department of Electronics is also supporting the programme run by the Commission under the UGC-DOE Joint Programme of manpower training courses in computer sciences and Application like one-year Diploma Course in computer Application, 3-Year Master of computer Science Application Course, B.Tech and M.Tech. courses in Computer Sciences and M.E. in Computer Science. Courses in Futures (Futurology) have also been approved in ten Universities.
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Adult, Continuing and Extension Education Programmes 6.1. 18 The Commission is providing assistance to universities for promoting programmes of adult education, eradication of illiteracy, continuing education, population education and planning forums. Under the new guidelines on area based development approach circulated to universities, assistance for these programmes is being provided by the Commission on a package basis.
6.1.19 During the year, the Commission resolved to implement important strategies under the National Literacy Mission for the spread of universal literacy in the country. In this connection, the Commission considered the minutes of the meeting of the Group on Students Mobilisation constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and resolved as under :-
a) The whole university system must involve itself in NLM. Involvement in NLM should be in a spirit of mission and the Vice-Chancellors themselves have to place this work centre stage. Vice-Chancellors should also take steps to involve teachers.
b) Involvement of teachers and students should be on a projects given to universities/colleges can be phased out (after the current courses conclude) or converted into mobilisation/training units.
c) Work for NLM should be the main function of the departments of adult/continuing education. While instruction, research, etc. in adult education are relevant, their main concern should relate to NLM. Whatever reorientation is needed, it should be undertaken expeditiously.
d) The exact nature of student involvement should be decided by universities/colleges themselves. This could be in the nature of obligatory work, or purely voluntary service activity, but large scale involvement of students should be ensured.
e) NLM should be essential part of the courses for teachers organised in academic staff colleges.
f) Several films on involvement of students in NLM (e.g. in Kottayam) should be got made with a view to motivating and informing teachers and students.
The above resolution of the Commission was brought to the notice of the universities through personal appeal by the Chairman, UGC and all Vice-Chancellors were requested to chalk out a programme to play a major role to wipe out illiteracy in the country. Also,
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during the year, the Commission, on the recommendations of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, agreed to the deputation of 100 teachers from universities/colleges by supporting the full cost for a period of two years on whole time basis to work for the nationwide literacy movement. The Standing Committee on Adult, Continuing and Extension Education was reconstituted by the commission to advise it on the policy matters and over-viewing the implementation of the entire programme. Apart from continuing assistance for the activities of the population education clubs set up by the universities, efforts were made by Population Education Resource Centres to set up linkages within their service area as also with other departments, such as Departments of Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology and some non- governmental organisations and international agencies. Other important activities undertaken by the working group and resource centres set up under the UNFDA-UGC project during the year were curriculum development, preparation of learning material, research in population education and extension.
Scholarships and Fellowships 6.1.20 For the development of research in universities and colleges, the Commission provides assistance for award of junior research fellowships in various subjects. These fellowships are awarded only to those research scholars who have qualified in national level tests conducted by the UGC, CSIR, GATE etc. Tests conducted at all India level in some selected subjects by JNU and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore have been accredited as equivalent to national tests for this purpose.
6.1.21 Teachers of outstanding eminence are awarded national fellowships for a specified period to devote themselves exclusively to research and writing. Under the scheme of research scientists, 200 positions have been created in the grades of lecturers, readers and professors in order to provide opportunities to those who wish to pursue research as a career. Selections under this scheme are made directly by the Commission. During the year, the Commission reviewed the cases of those research scientists who had completed the five year contract period as research scientists "All and those who are already working as research scientists A/B/C.
Coaching Classes for Competitive Examinations for Weakers Sections
amongst Minority Communities the 42 identified centres (universities and colleges) for organising coaching classes for competitive examinations for weaker sections among the minority communities.
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Facilities for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes 6.1.23 In addition to the Junior Research Fellowships reserved for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes out of the total number of such fellowships instituted in various universities, the Commission is directly awarding every year fifty fellowships for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Similarly, the Commission has reserved forty research associateships for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes. In order to provide opportunities to teachers in affiliated colleges belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes for improving-their qualifications by doing M.Phil/Ph.D., the Commission has instituted fifty teacher fellowships every year.