In Person
over the years, UGC has evolved a wide variety of programmes for realisation of the goals of higher education. Some of these have assumed ‘FlagShip’ status as they focus on individual students, teachers, researchers, socially vulnerable groups, thematic priorities in teaching and research and institutions of higher learning ranging from Departments and Colleges to Universities. Several compensatory interventions for marginalised sections of the society for enhancing their participation in higher education have been a special concern of these initiatives with a view to promote social equity. Establishment of Inter-University Centres has provided a fillip to make high-end research facilities and support to the Indian higher education system. Recently, the UGC has decided to launch an inspirational intervention through the establishment of Chairs in honour of Nobel Laureates who have done our country proud. The UGC would endeavour to harness the indentified strength, channelise its resources and direct its efforts towards overcoming the perceived inadequacies.
The Government of India has been taking a number of steps to bring improvement in the Gross Enrolment Ratio. Please provide us your views on this. Higher education in India has reported an impressive growth since independence. However, the last decade has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of higher education sector. This decade was marked by an exponential increase in the number of students enrolling into higher education; a quantum jump in the number of institutions including universities; and a substantive increase in public funding. The University Grants Commission has been contributing immensely to this growth in the higher education through various policies, programmes, academic reforms and administrative and financial support to the institutions. UGC has been working ceaselessly with the challenge of providing equal opportunity for quality higher education to ever-growing number of students while maintaining equity with the societal and sectoral diversity of the country. The other challenges include; reinvigorating institutions, achieving excellence of international benchmarks and extending frontiers of knowledge. Keeping these challenges in mind, the UGC aims at achieving rapid expansion for deepening excellence and providing equal access to quality higher education during the 12th Five Year Plan. There has been an unprecedented growth in the number of institu-
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tions in recent years. From nearly 250 Universities in 2000-01, today we have as many as 700 degree awarding institutions in the country. Similarly there has been a three-fold increase in number of colleges in the country from about 12,000 in 2000-01 to over 36,000 now. The number of students enrolling to higher education has also witnessed exponential growth during last decade. This increase was also nearly three-fold from nearly eight million in 2000-01 to over 20 million now. There has been substantial progress in terms of overall Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the country during past 5-6 years. GER has increased from about 11 percent in 2005-06 to about 19 percent in 2012-13. Considering the present trend both in terms of increase in number of institutions and students, country is likely to touch a GER of 30 percent by the year 2020. There have been some concerns about lower student enrolment in certain fields of higher education as compared to others. These fields include Veterinary Science (0.14 percent), Agriculture (0.48 percent) and law (1.84 percent). The UGC is endeavouring to promote students opting for such areas to achieve higher
centres, off-shore campuses and study centres after five years of its coming into existence. All the private universities are expected to conform to the relevant provisions of the UGC Act, 1956, as amended from time to time. However since these private universities are established through state act, it is the state governments concerned that also need to ensure that the quality of education being offered in their universities is up to the mark. UGC is in the process of bringing a new Regulation on Private Universities.
What initiatives UGC is taking to ensure equity in higher education in the country? India is a young country, as 50 percent of the population is less than 25 year old; nearly 65 percent population is below 35. The true potential of the youths who dominate Indian population can be harnessed only through access to higher education. However, this effort will remain futile unless the social equity is nurtured adequately. Despite considerable efforts that are put in, the real potential of our youth belonging to the vulnerable sec-
“Ragging is a menace; it must be addressed immediately by the education fraternity” enrolment in such fields. There has also been considerable increase in number of teachers in higher education in the country. There has been over two-fold increase in the number of teachers from nearly four lakh in 2000-01 to over nine lakh now.
In your opinion what are the specific steps that can be taken to ensure that quality of education being offered in private institutions is up to the mark? We have UGC (Establishment and maintenance of Standards in Private Universities) Regulations, 2003, which helps in regulating educational standards in private universities. Private universities are generally established by a separate State Act. A private university is a unitary university having adequate facilities for teaching, research, examination and extension services. A private university established under a State Act is expected to operate ordinarily within the boundary of the State concerned. However, after the development of main campus, in exceptional circumstances, the university may be permitted to open off-campus
tions of the society remains untapped. The UGC has always been giving considerable emphasis to greater participation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Minorities, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Persons with Disabilities and Women in higher education. Some of the notable schemes of the UGC for nurturing societal equity for various beneficiary categories include Indira Gandhi PG Scholarship for Single Girl child, Residential Coaching Academics for Minorities, Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowships for SCs and STs, and Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minorities, Post-doctoral fellowships for SCs, STs, and Women, etc. Through these schemes, the UGC has supported nearly 19 lakh students from as many as over 6500 institutions involving an expenditure of `4684 Crores in the recent past.
We are currently having lot of discussion on allowing foreign universities. What is your view on allowing foreign universities to function in the country? Since there is a bill pending with parliament