By Jomy Pullokaran IST (Updated)
Mini
Higher education quality has suffered in the last few years - universities featuring in the list of global top universities is a low single digit. Against such a backdrop, the Higher Education Commission will not only lay down the desired learning outcomes, it will also set the standards for factors that will influence the outcomes of learning.
The Narendra Modi-led government on Wednesday prepared a draft bill to set up a Higher Education Commission of India (HEIC) in place of University Grants Commission (UGC).
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has appealed to all educationists, stakeholders and public to give suggestions by July 7, 2018 for the draft bill.
The draft bill has claimed that new institution will provide more autonomy to colleges and facilitate holistic growth of the education system at more affordable cost.
The government has also decided to develop norms for setting standards for opening and closure of institutions, provide for greater flexibility and autonomy to institutions, lay standards for appointments to critical leadership positions at the institutional level irrespective of University started under any law.
According to the draft bill, HRD department will be looking after grant functions and HECI will be focusing on academic matters. The new act is likely to be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament.
Earlier, government was planning for a single regulator for All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and UGC.
The idea to have a single higher education regulator is not a new one, but has been recommended by various committees set up by previous governments.
While the National Knowledge Commission (2006) had recommended an independent regulatory authority for higher education, the Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (2009) had also advocated an apex regulatory body by converging multiple agencies in the field of higher education.
The UGC Review Committee in 2014 had also recommended the commission be replaced with an apex institution named National Higher Education Authority.
First Published: IST
