APPOINTMENT OF THE CORE COMMITTEE : TERMS OF REFERENCE
18. The need, to enhance the employability of university graduates is being felt in the context of increasing employment among them. It has also been felt that the effortat vocationalization at the +2 stage be meaningfully linked to and education at the first degree level among other things to provide vertical mobility to products of vocational courses introduced at the higher secondary stage. To examine these and other courses, the University Grants Commission constituted a Core Committee in November, 1991, with the following terms of reference:
i) examine courses at the +2 level (higher secondary stage) in Home Science, Service Sector, Agriculture Sector, Paramedical Sector and Industry and Commerce, Electronics and other sectors.
ii) identify areas for which degree/diploma courses may be developed in universities and colleges which could provide to students higher skills than the + 2 stage vocational courses;
iii) develop the course design and the requirement of teachers as also equipment in the workshops.
iv) interact with a cross section of employers and finally modify the course content so that skills imparted are useful to the employers.
19. The membership of the Committee consisted of the following:
i) Dr. T.N. Dhar - Chairman
Retd. UNESCO Specialist
in Human Resource Development
A-60, Yojna Vihar
Delhi-110092.
ii) Prof. T.N. Kapoor - Member
Vice-Chancellor
Panjab University
Chandigarh
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iii) Prof. S. Ramegowda - Member
Vice-Chancellor
Karnataka University
Dharwad.
iv) Prof. B.P. Singh - Member
Research Scientist
Nuclear Science Centre
New Delhi.
v) Prof. S.K. Srivastava - Member
Deptt. of Electronics & Communication
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi.
vi) Prof. A.K. Mishra - Member
Head, Deptt. of Vocationalization
of Education
NCERT, New Delhi.
vii) Dr.(Mrs.) D.M. de Rebellow - Member
Joint Secretary
Ministry of Human Resource Development
New Delhi.
viii)Dr. M.D. Tiwari - Member-Secretary
Joint Director
University Grants Commission,
New Delhi.
20. The first meeting of the Committee was held on December 30, 1991. In this meeting,Secretary and the Vice-Chairman of the University Grants Commission elaborated the terms of reference of the Committee and the tasks that the Commission felt should be accomplished by it. Briefly, these involved:
- an examination of the experience of vocationalization of education at the higher secondary stage.
- an examination of the experience of restructuring courses at the first degree level undertaken by colleges and universities under the auspices and with the support of the University Grants Commission.
- an identification of first degree level subjects which could be vocationalized.
- the preparation of detailed outlines for vocational subjects, emcompassing both theory and practical aspects.
- an indication of infrastructural needs for introduction of re-designed subjects in selected colleges and universities for which support of the UGC would be necessary.
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- specification of measures, needed to mobilize and/or train manpower for teaching these subjects.
- an indication of the strategies for implementation of the programme.
21. Since the design of courses was to be for the purpose of ensuring that students develop knowledge, skills and attitudes for gainful employment, a realistic assessment of the skill requirements of the employment market was stressed, with major emphasis being given to -the possibility of self employment and the needs of the "informal" sector.
22. The first meeting of the Committee was devoted to a detailed discussion of the implications of its terms of reference and their import for such issues as clientele of the proposed vocational courses, prevailing institutional arrangements for vocational training and the need to avoid duplication of effort, equivalence of the new courses with the existing ones, the need for establishing downward and upward linkages between the new subjects and the + 2 stage courses on the one hand and post-graduate subjects in universities on the other, the need to build into courses elements which will promote entrepreneurial competencies needed for self-employment etc.
23. It was felt that the exercise would have to be undertaken from two broad perspectives:
- the academic context of developing courses which would be concerned with such issues as their equivalence evaluation of student performance, preparation of materials, training of teachers etc.
- the employment context which would have to be determined by an assessment of skill needs of the economy. While the former would call for an intimate involvement of academics from colleges and universities, the latter would require detailed consultations with employers.
24. In recommending vocational subjects for introduction at the first degree stage (BA, B.Com, B.Sc. etc.), the Committee considered three options:
- deepening and diversifying the skill component of courses which are by their very nature expected to provide usable vocational skills.
- designing and developing of a number of three year vocational courses for introduction at the first degree level.
- introducing one vocational subject in the existing first degree programme while allowing students a choice of other two/three subjects as prescribed by the university.
25. In regard to the first option, the Committee felt that there was need for examining in depth the syllabi of courses which by their very nature should lead to the development of readily usable skills. Thus a Commerce graduate should have the requisite skills to perform functions for which he has received education and training, like accounting, banking and insurance etc. Similarly, those who take up Home Science based courses should have enough skills needed in discipline related jobs. An examination of the syllabi might call for much greater emphasis
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on training in skills, particularly in a work place. This exercise, the Committee felt, could be left to universities and colleges.
26. As regards the second option, the Committee felt that it would be a desirable and long term development particularly in the context of Vocationalization at the + 2 stage. Vocational courses which would build on the skill promoted through vocationalization at the + 2 stage could be developed for introduction at the first degree stage. This would be particularly necessary in the context of the technological developments which lead to changes in job requirements at a rapid rate and therefore, call for a higher level of basic education to promote adjustment to change. While designing a three year degree vocational course, consideration would have to be given to two issues. Firstly, it would be necessary to undertake detailed exercises in designing course content which is different and does not in any way duplicate the courses which are already available in institutions providing vocational training, like polytechnics. The need would be to develop courses on the basis of an analysis of the demand for knowledge and skills at present not being promoted in any of the already existing institutions. Secondly, while considering requirement of new skills and the development of courses to meet them, it will be necessary to examine whether they can not be introduced in existing vocational/ professional institutions which have more adequate resources and competence than colleges and universities which have been traditionally concerned with " general" education.
27. The Committee's preference is for the third option viz. introduction in the existing first degree programme of one vocational subject which aims at promoting, among students, knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the performance of specific jobs. The principal reasons for this preference are:
- the need to avoid duplication of education/training already being provided in polytechnics and similar institutions.
- the importance of student's motivation and preference for a university degree.
- the possibility of getting courses accepted by universities and their academic bodies which would be easier if the proposed courses do not entail drastic and radical restructuring of the existing first degree programme.
- the feasibility of introducing these courses in the context of general constraint of resources, since the cost of providing infrastructure for teaching one vocational subject would be comparatively less.
- the desirability of ensuring that students opting for one vocational subject will continue to have opportunity for post-graduate education in one of the non-vocational subjects that they will continue to choose.
- the possibility of providing an opportunity for first degree level undergraduate education for students who have completed vocational courses at the + 2 stage.
28. Among other things the terms of reference for the Committee required an examination of "courses at the + 2 level (higher secondary stage) in home science, social sector, agriculture
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sector, paramedical sector, industry and commerce, electronics and other sectors". This term of reference was presumably included with a view to requiring the Committee to consider the possibility of introducing courses in these sectors at the first degree stage so that products of + 2 stage could have avenues for studying them at the university level. While the Committee examined the + 2 level courses for the above possibility, it felt that, in the first phase, subjects should be introduced at the first degree level only in those sectors which fall within the purview of the UGC and for which it ran provide support to institutions within the context of its existing grant-in- aid schemes. While the Committee suggested introduction of selected subjects In home science, service sector and electronics, it has left out industry, agriculture and para medical sectors, the manpower training in which is the concern of institutions of higher learning falling within the purview of institutions other than the University Grants Commission.