UGC GUIDE-LINES ON POST-GRADUATE CENTRES
[1] At present three broad patterns for providing postgraduate education obtain in the country. These are: (a) Universities where postgraduate teaching is imparted in university teaching departments only, (b) universities where postgraduate instructions are given by affiliated colleges only, and (c) universities where postgraduate teaching is done through university teaching departments as well as affiliated colleges. In addition, a few universities provide postgraduate instructions in university teaching departments and university centres for postgraduate studies as well as affiliated colleges. In the interest of maintaining and raising the standard of postgraduate education and research in the country, it would be desirable to develop postgraduate education (and a minimal level of research associated with it) in the university teaching departments and/or in the university centres for postgraduate studies. In the case of universities where postgraduate education is imparted through affiliated colleges, the norms prescribed by the Commission for postgraduate education should be used both for purposes of according affiliation to new courses to be started in the colleges as well as for bringing up to the required level the facilities in the colleges already offering postgraduate courses.
2] It will be desirable to advise the universities to modify their conditions of affiliation for starting postgraduate courses in affiliated colleges in consonance with the norms prescribed by the UGC for the purpose.
[3] The pressure of demand for postgraduate education will continue to grow on account of limited employment opportunities. Increasing facilities would have to be provided to students from the weaker sections of the society to pursue postgraduate education. Towards this end, greater use may be made of providing facilities for correspondence courses, external degrees, and allowing students to appear as private candidates for various postgraduate courses.
[4] With a view to maintaining academic standards of P.G. education and making optimum use of the limited resources, additional facilities for P.G. studies be created only at such places where it is considered absolutely necessary to do so. New centres for postgraduate education should be established where
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existing facilities for postgraduate education have been fully utilised and the need for the creation of additional facilties for post-graduate education is justified on academic considerations. The universities may consider the desirability of introducing multiple streams of courses as also multiple shifts in the existing departments at the postgraduate level before a proposal for the establishment of a university centre for postgraduate studies is considered to ensure the optimum utilisation of the existing resources.
[5] The establishment of university centre for postgraduate studies, should, as a rule, be a step towards raising the academic standards, innovative changes and interaction with the college system rather than merely as providing for another campus for post- graduate teaching and research in the existing subjects only.
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