Maharashtra government to set up team of experts to help colleges, universities reach milestones
MUMBAI: The state government has prepared a blueprint for enhancing the quality of higher education in the next few years. Increasing the number of accredited colleges from 1,174 to 3,000 by 2021, helping 700 more colleges to attain ‘A grade in NAAC, bringing reforms in curriculum, classroom pedagogy are some of the goals set by the state.
Since most universities and colleges in the state performed poorly in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the higher and technical education department plans to set up a Maharashtra State Assessment and Accreditation Assistance Cell (MSAAC).
The cell’s primary work will be to push institutions into getting accreditation and to equip them to prepare self-assessment reports based on the requirement of the ranking agencies.
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Quality improvement measures are much needed in institutions of higher education in the state. The vision document prepared by the education department should be followed in totality if we need results. The government should ensure such initiatives are not abandoned midway but taken seriously by all stakeholders. It also needs to ensure smooth flow of funds. The grants offered by the Centre will also act as an incentive for colleges to do well. Instead of expecting every college to achieve the lowest target, facilitating colleges doing exceptionally well is a good move.
The state plans to empanel some experts from NIRF to help colleges and universities in understanding their requirements. Help will also be taken from colleges and universities that have performed well in the rankings.
While Savitribai Phule Pune University was ranked among the top 10 universities in the country, Mumbai University dropped from the 101-150 band to the 151-200 in NIRF. No other university in the state performed well.
Among colleges, only St Xavier’s from the city managed 74th rank. State’s project director for Rashtriya Uchchatar Shikshan Abhiyan (RUSA), Meeta Rajiv Lochan, said colleges need to focus on increasing their research output and students’ placements. “The ranking agencies consider these as important parameters. Many of our colleges, however, do not have postgraduate departments or research centres. Students’ placement cell is another essential parameter where our colleges need improvement,” said the director.
The state also plans to help colleges increase the number of research proposals sent to funding agencies. “Some of the colleges in our state are doing really well, we need to just facilitate them and take them to another level,” the director said. RUSA will use a software used by Punjab University and customise it for colleges and universities in the state.
Since the process of getting NAAC accreditation has moved online, institutions will have to depend heavily on data processing and the software will help them in organising their data too. City's top colleges such as St Xavier’s, Jai Hind, Ruia and Mithibai that want to transform into universities, or the ones that will form cluster universities like HR, KC and Somaiya will have to compete with colleges and universities from across the country to get funding from the Centre.
As the central government funding under RUSA will go only to a limited number of institutions in the country, the education department has chalked out a multi-pronged approach to help them to improve their pitch note. For example, the grant of Rs 55 crore for upgrading autonomous colleges to universities will be given only to three colleges in the country. The state has around 45 eligible colleges.
A college principal said the state is actively taking interest in enhancing the quality of higher education and are conducting regular workshops and seminars to create awareness about different grant opportunities. In the past, RUSA has helped setting up six research hubs in colleges and universities for transfer of technology to the industries, considered to be one of their most successful achievements.
Source | Times of India | 25th May 2018
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