The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 9th January 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

An ambitious push for values, ethics in higher education

Why in News?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing regulations, guidelines and directives at break neck speed that some of the important ones miss drawing the attention of the higher education community. One such guideline is Mulya Pravah 2.0, a modified version of Mulya Pravah, which was notified in 2019.

What is University Grants Commission (UGC)?

The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Education in accordance with the UGC Act 1956. It is charged with the coordination, determination, and maintenance of higher education standards. It grants India’s universities recognition and makes financial contributions to accredited institutions and universities. 

History of UGC

• The Central Advisory Board of Education Report (Sargent Report) on the Post-War Development of Indian Education, which was published in 1944, was the first attempt to create a formal educational system.
• The University Grants Committee was established in 1945, and it was given charge of overseeing the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras, and Delhi.
• The committee was given the authority to oversee all of that era’s institutions in 1947.
• The University Education Commission was established in 1948, and Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as its chairman. The commission recommended changing the current University Grants Committee into a University Grants Commission India, similar to the UK.
• The University Grants Commission was inaugurated on December 28, 1953, by former minister of education Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• With the passage of the “University Grants Commission Act, 1956” by the Parliament in November 1956, the UGC (University Grants Commission) was legally created as a statutory entity of the Government of India. The goal was to oversee the development, determination, and maintenance of university education standards in our country.
• Thereafter Six centres were established by UGC in 1994 and 1995 in Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati, and Bangalore to oversee the region-specific Indian educational system. The head office is now situated in New Delhi, at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.

Head Office and Regional Offices of UGC

• Under the direction of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the University Education Commission was established in 1948 with the mission of reporting on university education in India and making recommendations for enhancements and extensions that might be desirable to meet the needs and aspirations of the nation now and in the future.
• It was suggested that the University Grants Committee be reorganized along the general lines of the University Grants Commission of the United Kingdom, with a full-time Chairman and other members to be chosen from among reputable educators.
• The UGC opened seven regional offices to serve the states it oversees, decentralizing its operations in the process.
• The goals of establishing these offices were to promote decentralization and to ensure that a large number of colleges across the country have better opportunities to respond to their needs and problems through easier access.

Universities Regulated by the UGC

India has different kinds of universities, each with its own rules and support:

• Central universities: Set up by the national government, these tend to be larger and well-known.
• State universities: Run by each state, these often have many affiliated colleges in smaller towns. They mainly offer undergraduate courses. Some older colleges may offer higher degrees, too.
• Deemed universities: Special institutes recognized for their excellence. They are given some freedom to set their own rules.
• Private universities: Approved by the national government, these can grant degrees. They are often focused on specific fields. They can't have affiliated colleges like state universities.

Objectives of the University Grants Commission

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) is primarily responsible for funding universities and coordinating, establishing, and upholding ethical standards in higher education institutions. The commission supports the consensus among the academic community, the state and local governments, and the public.
• For institutions to be UGC-approved universities, UGC has established additional requirements or standards.
• Numerous prestigious, medium-sized, and small institutions are being founded daily in India as a result of the expansion of higher education. There are several  of these universities that are bogus and do not meet the UGC requirements.

Mandates of UGC

The UGC holds a unique position as the sole grant-giving agency in the country, entrusted with dual responsibilities: providing funds and overseeing the coordination, establishment, and preservation of standards in higher education institutions. The UGC's core responsibilities encompass:

• Promotion and coordination of university education.
• Determination and maintenance of teaching, examination, and research standards in universities.
• Formulation of regulations for minimum educational standards.
• Monitoring developments in collegiate and university education and disbursing grants to these institutions.
• Acting as a crucial intermediary between the Union and state governments and higher education institutions.
• Offering guidance to Central and State governments regarding necessary measures for enhancing university education.

Functions of the University Grants Commission

• To distribute grants to colleges and universities using its own money for development or other general purposes. Advises the national and state governments on how to distribute funding from the Consolidated Fund of India to universities.
• To provide advice to any authority on the creation of a new university or a plan to expand an existing university.
• To compile data on international and Indian university education.
• To distribute scholarships to colleges and universities while keeping track of changes in the sector of higher education.
• To include everything from the university’s financial situation and its various academic specializations to the rules and guidelines that are followed in a particular higher education setting.
• To provide education to the students in various streams through its Countrywide classroom teachings and a four-year-old 24-hour educational channel ‘Vyas.’
• To Conduct the National Eligibility Test (NET) through its National Educational Testing Bureau in a bid to determine eligibility for lectureship.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) established the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in September 1994 in Bangalore to evaluate the performance of the country’s universities and colleges.
• The duty of performance evaluation, assessment, and accreditation of domestic institutions and colleges is part of NAAC’s mandate.
• In order to enable all institutions of higher learning to fully utilize their resources, opportunities, and capacities, the NAAC, an autonomous organization of the UGC, is founded on objective and continual development rather than being punitive or judgmental.
• An institution’s performance is evaluated through assessment, which is done through a process based on self-study and peer review with the use of predetermined criteria.
• The NAAC’s certification, which has a five-year validity period, is referred to as accreditation. Currently, NAAC assessment and accreditation are optional processes.

Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy - STRIDE

• The Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy(STRIDE) has been introduced by the University Grants Commission UGC.
• With the aid of collaborative research, students will be able to contribute to India’s rising economy thanks to the STRIDE Scheme, which will enhance research culture and innovation in colleges and institutions.

Components of STRIDE

• According to information provided by the UGC, the STRIDE Scheme’s first component promotes the development of research capability.
• By mentoring, cultivating, and supporting young talent to develop innovative solutions for local, regional, national, and international challenges, it seeks to find young talent and provide research capacity building in a variety of areas.
• Under the Institutional mode, this component is open to all disciplines. The Institution receives funding under this component to help with faculty and student capacity building.
• The programme is broken down into three main parts: research capacity building of universities and colleges, social innovation and action research, and research in the humanities and human sciences.
• The maximum grant amount for the third component is Rs 1 crore for one HEI and Rs 5 crore for projects involving several institutions.

Deeksharambh

• The University Grants Commission UGC has created “Deeksharambh- a guide to student induction program” and requested that all universities create and carry out induction programmes for new students entering the field of higher education.
• Deeksharambh – The student Induction Program’s goals include assisting new students in settling in and becoming comfortable in their surroundings, educating them about the institution’s ethos and culture, fostering relationships between them and other students and faculty members, and exposing them to a sense of greater purpose and self-exploration.

Concerns raised with Scrapping of UGC

• Up to 2013–14, the UGC gave central institutions and a few “deemed-to-be universities” complete financial assistance, while the state sector’s qualified colleges and universities got plan payments on a matching basis.
• A considerable decrease in UGC funding for higher education institutions is seen in the actual spending allocation for 2017–18. As a result, universities no longer have enough funding for teaching, research, and innovation.
• The government had proposed the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) to reform the regulatory agencies for better administration of the higher education sector, and, therefore, the proposed HECI would focus solely on academic matters and monetary grants.
• Recall that the issue of shortages of faculty and other facilities in the university sector, which adversely affects the quality of teaching and research, was raised recently.