‘Universities should be free of bureaucratic control’ - chairman Ved Prakash said
University
Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Ved Prakash on Thursday said universities in
the country should be freed from bureaucratic clutches and other kinds of
external control if they are to foster innovation.
Delivering
a lecture after inaugurating some facilities at the University of Mysore, Prof.
Prakash said there is no motivation or incentives for innovation in the field
of higher education because of bureaucratic control. He said higher education
in India is in a deep financial crisis and though the funding has increased
over the years in absolute amounts, the proportion of funding to the overall
plan size is on the decline.
The
UGC chairman called for financial reforms to cope with the situation and said
that though education cess is in place, it is meant only for promoting
elementary education.
Prof.
Prakash said modern higher education in India is hardly 125 years old, compared
to educational institutions abroad that have evolved over up to 900 years.
“Yet, there is no reason for us to be apologetic about the state of higher
education as in a short span India has produced outstanding scientists and
professionals,” he said.
However,
he said the gross enrolment ratio and regional disparities were worrying
factors. “While the gross enrolment ratio is as high as 42 per cent in some
parts of the country, it is 6 per cent or so in some regions. The disparities
are huge, with enrolment at 33 per 1,00,000 population in some areas, and 7.5
per 1,00,000 in others,” he said.
He
said there are issues related to transition rate from primary to secondary and
post-secondary stages. Some students making the transition are found to lack
the competencies to complete higher level courses. He also said that there is a
strong disconnect between academia and the industry and that there is a lack of
leadership to haul higher education out of the crisis.
Earlier,
Prof. Prakash inaugurated the renovated UGS-HRDC building at the Manasagangotri
campus. K.S. Rangappa, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Registrar R. Rajanna,
and other staff members and students were present.
Source | Business Line | 2 December 2016
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