The Hindu : Higher education gets corporate-like approach

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 24, 2002

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National

Higher education gets corporate-like approach
Pranab Dhal Samanta

NEW DELHI, FEB. 23. The list of sops in the Tenth Plan profile of the University Grants Commission for institutions willing to generate profit through ``innovative'' schemes and programmes have once again confirmed the slant towards a corporate-like approach to funding higher education.

The document, agreeing that funding for education should be increased to 6 per cent of the GDP, states that universities and colleges should be able to generate at least 25 per cent of their budgetary requirements through other means.

It then goes on to enumerate a few suggestions such as revision of fee structure through consultation with students and parents, promoting profit-making outreach programmes that find favour with the industry sector, and other such efforts.

Further, the UGC has sought to replace the bonus amount it gives to institutions able to initiate projects to generate funds with a ``matching grant''. This would mean that institutions would now be paid grants equivalent to the amount they have been able to generate.

In fact, the commission has mooted the idea of a Higher Education Development Finance Corporation for the future. ``It would help provide venture capital to colleges and universities to embark on innovative teaching and learning programmes. It would create a base for soft loan system for students,'' the document justifies.

Standardisation

Incentives have also been promised for reforms made in the direction of improving quality of education. While there is no elaboration of what measures would qualify as contributing to enhancing the quality of education, the commission seems to have found an answer for this by pledging to make all universities and colleges undergo the ``quality judgment process'' of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

Though many universities and colleges have objected to this in the past, the commission is determined to ensure that the standardisation procedures are implemented. The document states that the UGC would promote the setting up of an Internal Quality Assurance Cell in universities and colleges to ensure these standards.

This apart, the UGC has committed itself to promoting the ``cafeteria-based'' system in institutions. This would entail introduction of a credit-based system allowing students to pick and choose the subjects they want to take up.

To this end, the commission has sought to strengthen the relationship between educational institutions and the work sphere by suggesting that students be allowed to pursue simultaneously diploma programmes alongside their degrees. This, the UGC believes, would equip students better in terms of getting jobs.

In all, the entire Plan profile has been based on the reasoning that the perception of Indian students has changed over the years and they are being increasingly seen as an effective work force the world over, making it necessary for higher education system to take note and introduce changes.

As the ``bottom line'' of the document sums it up: ``We have a unique chance of making higher education a vehicle to strengthen the newly-found identity of India in the world. The chance is simply too great to miss.''

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