The Ministry of Human Resource Development has recently put up the Draft National Education Policy on its website and other sources requesting comments and inputs from general public (citizens). The draft was developed by a committee chaired by Shri. K. Kasturirangan (Former Chairman - ISRO). It is for the first time that a comprehensive education policy has been developed since 1986.
The draft is divided into 4 major parts :
- School Education
- Higher Education
- Additional Key Focus Areas and
- Transforming Education
In this article, I would like to share my key takeaways from the Part 2 : "Higher Education" of the "Draft". The "Draft" suggests the following key changes and inclusions in the present system of Higher Education in India:
A. Objective of increasing Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education (HEI) from current 25.8% to 50% by 2035.
B. Revamping of Higher Education system by creating multidisciplinary (MD) higher education institutions. Moving towards a HE system consisting of large multidisciplinary universities and colleges each of which will aim to have a upward of 5,000 or more students.This multidisciplinary system will help breaking down artificial silos between various disciplines enabling students to develop both artistically and analytically. An university will be called as a Multi-disciplinary University if it offers at least 2 programs in the arts and humanities, at least two in science and mathematics and at least one in social sciences.
C. The "Draft" puts more emphasis on moving to / establishing Large Multidisciplinary Universities. This will be carried out swiftly in a systematic manner in three ways:
1. consolidating and restructuring existing institutions
2. building new ones including establishing new world class model institution of this type across the country
D. All HEIs, by 2030 will develop into one of the three types of institutions as mention below. In the long run the Indian Higher Education system will consolidate into far smaller number of Institutions across the three types of HEIs but the average size of these institutions will be much larger than the average size today.
1. Research Universities: This universities will focus of more of Research in areas of national importance and will have on campus enrollment between 5,000 to 25,000 or more students offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. Expected target of creating 150-300 such universities.
2. Teaching Universities: This type of university will focus primarily on high quality teaching across disciplines and will have on campus enrollment between 5,000 to 25,000 or more students on the campus offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. Expected target of creating 1000 to 2000 such universities
3. Colleges: These will focus exclusively in the goal of high quality teaching. These institutions will largely run undergraduate programs om addition to diploma and certification programs.
E. Central Government funded HEI will develop into Type 1 Institution: the existing Central Universities (CUs), Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs like IIIT Allahabad etc), Institutions of National Importance (like IIMs, IITs, IISERs etc) and other Institutions substantially funded by Central Government (like new IIITs in PPP mode) will all be supported to become Type 1 Institutions (mentioned above).
F. Moving towards a more Liberal undergraduate education: Demolishing currently prevalent rigid boundaries and creating new possibilities of lifelong learning.The draft proposes flexible Bachelor's degree option to facilitate the attainment of ideal attributes of liberal education. It suggests having a four year Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BLA) or Bachelor of Liberal Education (BLE) etc along side three year BA, B.Sc or equivalent courses. In addition to this, the design of the program will offer an exit option for the student after three years with a BA, B.Scor relevant undergraduate degree if student so desires.
The draft suggests that all undergraduate programs shall be inter-disciplinary and to enable this, the curriculum shall have:
1. A common core curriculum/ subject distribution requirement for all students
2. One or two area(S) of specialization
G. The "Draft" proposes setting up of "INDIAN INSTITUTE OF LIBERAL ARTS" in line with IIM's and IITs as centres of holistic learning, important in the advancement of knowledge on the country.
H. Establishment of National Research Foundation (NRF) whose aim will be to seed, grow and facilitate research at academic institutions where research is at nascent stage through system of mentoring by active research scholars. NRF will act as a liason among researchers, government and industry.
I. Focusing on merit based faculty appointments, the draft suggests to eliminate the practice of contract employment. Appointments of faculty, their tenures and promotions, and compensation increase will be on the basis of merit taking into account teaching, research and service.
J. Beside the issue of Hindi Language Imposition in schools (which attracted a lot of criticism from non-hindi speaking states), the draft also suggest offering quality higher education in Indian Languages across fields in all domains.
K. Simplified Institutional categories and streamlined university nomenclature: The present complex nomenclature of HEI's in the country as 'deemed to be university', 'affiliating university' etc will be phased out. Universities will be characterized only as public, private or private aided or as their type 1 or 2 or 3. Current affiliated colleges will develop into autonomous colleges. Universities will have no affiliated colleges. This will be done in phased out manner so as to achieve by 2032 i.e there will be no affiliating colleges after 2032.
L. The draft proposes establishing "Rasthriya Shikhsa Ayog" or "National Education Commission. This will be responsible for developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating and revising the vision of education in the country on a continous and sustained basis. It will also create institutional framework for HEI in India. The RSA will be headed by Hon'ble Prime Minsiter.
Post Script (PS) : Please note that the policy put up by the Ministry is just a DRAFT. As per the guidelines any policy is put up as draft by the Government for consideration and comments by the general public. The final version is then approved accommodating genuine modifications suggested by the public.
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