X. REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON HIGHER EDUCATION.
As desired by the Central Advisory Board of Education at its forty-seventh plenary session on 5th May, 1992, the Working Group on Higher Education met on the 5th and 6th May, 1992 to consider various issues emanating from the Report of the CABE Committee on policy. The Working Group also considered the "National Policy on Education, 1986" and the "Revised Policy Formulation Draft/.
The Working Group on Higher Education met under the Chairmanship of Prof. G. Ram Reddy, Chairman, University Grants commission. Shri N.C. Bajpai, Secretary, Higher Education & Languages, Government of Uttar Pradesh was the Reporteur of the Group. Shri Y.N. Chaturvedi, Secretary, U.G.C. was the Resource Person. The Working Group has also had the benefit of guidance and avice from the distinguished invitee, Dr. Narendra Kumar Singh Gaur, Hon'ble Minister for Higher Education, Labour,Training and Employment, Uttar Pradesh.
The Working Group's recommendations are as follows:
1. Higher Education: NPE - Revised Para 5.33:
The Working Group agreed with the recommendation regarding the setting up of an autonomous commission to foster and improve teaching, study and research in Sanskrit and other classical languages. The Working Group presumed that financial assistance to traditional Sanskrit institutions will be available
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from this commission on the lines it is available to general unviersities from the UGC.
2. Open Universities and Distance Education: NPE Revised Para 5.35:
Whereas the Group agreed with the recommendation it also felt that initial financial input from the Indira Gandhi National Open University should be made available for development of the State Open Universities, as the open universities require bulk of the assistance in the beginning itself.
3. The Group noted that in some parts of the country universities are starting the continuing departments of correspondence courses with very inadequate facilities and resources in the name of open learning. The Group was strongly of the opinion that this is. unfair to the students and the IGNOU/UGC should lay down the norms and criteria to be fulfilled by the Departments of Correspondence Courses and State Open Universities, so that no abarrations creep into the open learning system.
The Group felt that a system of acreditation of departments of correspondence courses and State Open universities would be very helpful in ensuring standards of learning in the open system and in securing creditability in the open system. The Group was apprised that an accreditation system is being contemplated by the UGC and the Government of India. The Group recommends that either through such a system or separately, an accreditation system for open learning institutions should be set up without delay.
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4. The Group noted that whereas at the policy level there is no ambiguity about the parity of the open system and the formal system of higher education but in reality the arrangements for horizontal and vertical mobility the transfer of credits have not, come about. The UGC and the IGNOU should use their authority and influence to the fullest extent with the university system to bring this about at the earliest.
5. Delinking Degrees from Jobs: NPE Revised Para 5.41:
Whereas the Group generally agreed with the recommendation it was of the opinion that its implementation should not only be in consultation with the States but the States must also be motivated to set up their own accreditation State level organisations.
The Working Group was in agreement with the remaining formulations of the revised policy as circulated in the CABE.
The Working Group also considered some of the prominent recommendations made by the CABE Committee on Policy with regard to Higher Education. The Working Group's recommendation in this regard are as below:
1. Para 13.3: The Working Group was somewhat disappointed to note that despite a clear statement in the National Policy on Education, 1986, the State Councils of Higher Education have not been set up in most States so far. The Working Group felt that with obvious usefulness of such a council, it should be set up in
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respective State without delay. The Working Group felt that because of the pressing financial constraints being faced by most of the States, it would be substantially helpful if the Central Government or the UGC comes forward to extend a one time assistance of about rupees one crore to each State which sets up the State Council of Higher Education. Subsequent recurring expenditure would naturally be the responsibility of the concerned State Government.
2. Para 13.7: The Working Group was not in agreement with the recommendation of the CABE Committee on Policy. On the contrary the Working Group felt that there is a need to have conversion in policies and coordination in implementation by various national level agencies working in the field of Higher Education like UGC, Medical Council of India, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, AICTE, proposed autonomous Commission for Sanskrit, etc. At present there is no such forum to bring about such coordination. The group is of the view that the committee of Ministers/Secretaries will not meet the intended purpose because the policies are substantially laid down by the earlier mentioned organisations and are implemented by them. Therefore, the coordination mechanism should evolve with the hands of these organisations. The Working Group strongly felt that there is need to, set up an appropriate institutional coordination mechanism involving the various national organisations responsible for higher education.
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The Working Group was in general agreement with the thrust of the recommendations of the CABE Committee on Policy in regard to the other items covered by it.
The Working Group felt that apart from the policy issues which undoubtedly require clear enunciation, the practical aspect of working of universities needs to be energised because it is this aspect which directly influences the quality of education. The Working Group felt that the atmosphere of passivity in the system of higher education definitely needs to be transformed into an atmosphere of dynamism and vibrancy. It is due to such passivity that simple and obvious requirements and obligations like having and achieving to academic calender or reviewing the courses periodically are not getting done in most of the universities in the country. In this regard, the Working Group was in full agreement with the Statement of New Education Policy, 1986 in the Part VII, "Making the System Work". The Working Group urges the Central and the State Governments to take energetic steps to implement these provisions meaningfully.
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