PREFACE
 

1. The expansion of facilities has been the major characteristic of the university scene in India since in dependence. Expansion has taken place partly to meet the demands of equity and social justice and in the case of some courses to meet the manpower requirements of a diversifying economy. Expansion has been more pronounced at the first degree level and generally in arts, science and commerce courses, Little consideration was given to the employability of university graduates and/or the absorptive capacity of the job market. Without commensurate increase in employment opportunities and the failure to make secondary education terminal, the products of second level of education have tended to flock to colleges and universities, exerting tremendous pressure on the latter's material and manpower resources. In the context of the general scarcity of financial resources for educational development, third level educational institutions- barring the few where entry has been regulated- have been unable to ensure the quality of education and /or reorient and restructure it in such a way as to enhance its relevance to societal and individual needs. The pursuit of university education by students has generally been without any well defined purpose.

2. In the context of general dissatisfaction with what the colleges and universities have offered and the increasing incidence of unemployment among graduates, the University Grants Commission initiated a number of programmes-in the Fifth Five Year Plan and early eighties to remodel and restructure courses, particularly with the purpose of promoting among university students usable knowledge and skills. These efforts have met with limited success and universities and colleges have, in spite of the substantial support given by the UGC, shown little enthusiasm and less motivation to introduce restructured courses which emphasized practical training and would provide knowledge and skills mote relevant to the needs of the job market.

3. Reviewing the university scene, particularly the burgeonong number of students enrolled at the first degree level in arts, science and commerce courses and pursuing education without any specific and well defined objective, the U.G.C came to the conclusion that a fresh and more meaningful exercise is needed to restructure education at the first degree level. This restructuring has to be in such a way that, apart from providing knowledge and attitudes required for creative and productive functioning in the twenty first century, the proposed courses at this level should aim at imparting among students skills which are in demand and which a student can use to lead a dignified life as a productive citizen of a democracy Considering the limited absorptive capacity of the organized sector the emphasis in the proposed courses would have to be on the development of capabilities required for self employment and diversifying the informal sector and for upgrading the productivity of household occupations.

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4. The Committee set up by the UGC was assigned a number of tasks which included among others: an examination of the vocational courses available at the plus two stage; identification of areas for which degree level vocational courses could be provided for students completing the plus two stage vocational courses; development of courses in identified sectors in collaboration and consultation with representatives of employment establishments; an indications of the financial and manpower resources required for the introduction of these courses at the first degree stage; suggesting steps that would require to be taken to ensure effective implementation of the programme.

5. The Committee's report addresses these and other related issues. It has proposed that the basic structure of the present three year degree course be not changed. A student be required to select at least one vocational subject along with the other two or three prescribed in university regulations. This limited option has been suggested with a view to avoiding the disruption of the existing first degree programme which might result from its whole sale and radical transformation. With a view to gaining experience which might help in substantial widening of the coverage in later phase, the Committee has proposed a more realistic and feasible beginning by suggesting introduction of 35 vocational subjects to be introduced in 100 universities and colleges offering first degree courses in arts, science and commerce. The subjects were identified and detailed syllabi prepared for each of them with the assistance of experts drawn from universities, colleges, professional institutions and employing establishments. The emphasis in these courses is on providing knowledge and skills required for entry into gainful employment, particularly self-employment.

6. The successful implementation of the programme will depend upon a number of factors financial resources that are allocated; preparatory steps that are taken particularly for the preparation of teaching- learning materials and for training of faculty; motivation of students and their parents; speedy action that is taken at the institutional level for introduction of these subjects; administrative arrangements that are made at various level for implementation of the programme; support that employing establishments agree to provide; assistance that institutions concerned with promotion of self employing ventures will provide to graduates and so on. The nature of action required at macro and micro levels has been detailed out in the report. A tentative estimate of the financial requirement for the first phase of the programme has also been made, A significant point emphasized is the need for establishing suitable mechanisms for regular monitoring and evaluation of the experience of implementing the programme so that its coverage and scope is expanded in later phases. This expansion would be necessary considering the large number of institutions which provide first degree level courses and students enrolled in them.