HIGHER EDUCATION (GENERAL AND TECHNICAL)
Dr. V.R.P. Sinha, Director, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Seven Bunglows, Versova, Bombay-400061 (20th September, 1990)
- The 10 + 2 + 3 structure is good as a common base and should be continued.
Prof. B. Ganguly, Head, Department of Education in Science & Mathematics and Dean (Academic), NCERT, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi- 110016 (24th September, 1990)
- Recommendation regarding common school system is a typical example to show that we often recommend something knowing fully well that this would not materialise.
Dr. Ramjee Singh, Professor & Head, Department of Gandhian Thought, Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur - letter dated 29.9.90
- As a practical measure, the empowering people for work must start at the pre-primary level and at the Secondary level, the student should be made to acquire atleast one skill so that he can earn his livelihood. At the University level, education of arts must be discouraged and engineering, medical and other technical students should be tagged with concerned industries, workshops and hospitals as far as possible to lessen the financial burden of the Government as well as to make their education practically more perfect.
59
- It is a poor reflection on the Committee and the education system that even after 43 years of independence it talks of a phased strategy for switching over to mother tongue on the higher levels of education. This infatuation for English at the upper level is the root cause of the growth of English medium commercial institutions all over India. The absence of a reference to Hindi in the perspective paper shows an undue fear.
Dr. C.M. Bhatia, Ex-Vice-Chancellor, University of Allahabad, 8, Vijay Nagar Colony, Agra (25th September, 1990)
- Excellence in University Education has not been concretely tackled. It is the key note of University Education. At present 90 per cent of our universities do not deserve the name of a university.
Dr. U.C. Upadhyay, Vice-Chancellor, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Faizabad (Uttar Pradesh), Letter No. 10480/N-11/PA-VC, dated 20.9.90
- As far as higher technical education is concerned, elevating the status of agricultural education to technical education, it would be necessary to link the manpower development with the manpower requirement in different fields. If this is not done, the technical graduates would be in over supply and they would face frustration because of unemployment.
Dr. Viswanatham Kanithi, M.P. (LS), 39, North Avenue, New Delhi Letter dated 12th September, 1990.
- After the 12th class an all India test be conducted to select candidates for various professional courses, which should not be of a duration less than five years.
60
Shri B.V. Moghe, Adarsh College, Shivajinagar, Hingoli-431513 Letter dated 28th September, 1990
- In the field of Higher Education the system of Distance Education should be introduced. The Orientation and Refresher Courses to the College Teachers be made obligatory through Distance Education only.
- Distribution of Cheap "Ph.D." degree be carefully checked.
- The decentralisation of UGC is an urgent need to check its further deterioration.
- Immediate provision of a "Personnel Cell" and an "Audit Unit" at every college having a standing of more than 10 years, be made. "Central Tribunal" in the field of higher Education be suggested to be established, as early as possible.
Prof. D.P. Barooah, Vice-Chancellor, Gauhati University, Guwahati- 781014 - Letter dated 2nd October, 1990
- Higher Education should be open for all, making provision for `Learning while earning' in relevant cases. Universities should continue to be centres for teaching, research and training in professional jobs where technical knowledge is required as in teaching, engineering, medicine, law, management, etc.
- Degrees cannot be delinked; for different types of jobs in Government, Industries, Banks, etc., a national or regional test service minus conventional degrees may be provided for.
61
- The University Court (Senate) ought to be the Supreme policy making body in the University; It should be left to the Court (Senate) to initiate the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.
- Barring Central Universities, Universities are generally starved of funds. To remedy this a University Grants Committee in the manner prescribed by the Radhakrishnan Commission ought to be set up in every State. In this regard, the point made in Education Reform Commission Punjab, 1985 regarding autonomy of the University ought to be accepted.
- Autonomous colleges as recommended by the Kothari Commission should be established in appropriate places in each State.
- The University Acts are to be amended in the light of suggestions from University bodies to provide for effective autonomy and democratisation of University structure by providing for representation of different sections of the University Community in the statutory bodies on the lines of the recommendations of the Kothari Commission.
- Every teaching Department in a University should have a Management Committee with adequate administrative and financial powers.
Dr. D.A. Ghanchi, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, North Gujarat University, Patna-384265 - Letter dated 5th October, 1990.
- The Review Committee is unfortunately ambivalent regarding its stand on the medium of instruction at the tertiary level. Except the national level institutions like the I.I.T., the I.I.M. etc., nowhere do we find "teachers and students joining higher
62
educational institutions from all over the country." Hence, in these national-level institutions the medium of instruction should be, as it has been, English. In the rest, it may be the regional language supplemented by Hindi or English as Library languages.
- At both secondary and tertiary stages the curriculum should be automatically supported by schemes of funding by corporate financial institutions to graduating students to launch self-employing ventures in agriculture, business industry, services, etc. Every school/college must have guidance-cum-placement-cumcoordination services for the purpose.
- An equitable formula for restructuring the fees for higher education is over-due. Taxes on users of educational products should also be tried. Public donations should earn exemption from income-tax,, wealth tax, etc. Schemes of educational vouchers also can be tried out. Special cess and surcharges must also be levied selectively. Educational institutions should also be encouraged to earn through avenues like investment, real estate, productions in their installations, consultancy etc.
Dr. Hari Govind Singh, Vice-chancellor, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Letter dated the 27th September, 1990
- The structure and organisation of a university should be reexamined and reviewed with a view to enabing them to undertake the responsibility of educational planning and implementation in the area. The university should be provided with complete functional autonomy. All selections must be based on merit and merit alone and this should start right from the selection of the Vice-chancellor.
63
Prof. S.P. Mukherjee, Dean, Faculty of Science, University College of Science, Calcutta, Letter dated the 1st October, 1990.
- The structure and functions of a university system, its financing and administration, its relationship with the state administration and the UGC have to be clearly stated may be in terms of drastic changes.
Shri G.D. Sharma, Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Orissa, Letter dated 2.10.90
- The higher education should be relevant not only to present society but also to the society to be formed in future. It should be fitting the need of our people and country. The curriculum in colleges and universities should be related to regional development of that area.
Justice C.S. Dharmadhikari (Retd.), Dhantoli, Nagpur - Letter dated 6.10.90.
- In my view the Universities should be facultywise and not regional. For example there should be a technical University for all the technical colleges.
Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai, Director, Centre for Adult Education & Extension, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvanathapuram (8.10.1990)
- R&D has to be strengthened in all fields. The quality of higher and technical education has to be improved considerably allowing only the fittest to pursue such courses. Comparability with International Standards should be the aim.
64
- The operational style of College/University campuses has to change considerably so that both teachers and students actively engage themselves in developmental activities of local priority and needs. Extension function at the appropriate levels has to be clearly chalked out and implemented.
Shri Kshetna Mohan Giri, At&PO Mayurbhanj, Orissa (2.10.90)
- Higher educational institutions in India should be managed by the Government of India so that national integration is promoted.
Shri G.M. Verma, C-4/H/164-B, Janak Puri, New Delhi (October 4, 1990)
- The present college structures have to be changed from faculties of humanities, commerce, science etc. to ones based on professions or vocations such as college of accountancy, planning, biomedical technology etc.
Shri Pabitra Kumar Sarma, Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014, (5.10.1990)
- All universities should be divested of the affiliated colleges by legislation. Autonomous colleges should be the central institutions which will be the guiding spirit behind all schools and vocational institutions. UGC should be converted into a grant giving body only.
65