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UGC expects to get 100 proposals for Paramarsh Scheme
UGC expects to get 100 proposals for Paramarsh Scheme | Millenium Post | 26 August 2019 | | New Delhi |
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is expecting to receive around 100 proposals from the higher education institutions for its ‘Paramarsh Scheme’. As part of the scheme, top institutions will mentor five non-accredited institutes to secure National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grade. “The last date for submitting proposals by the mentors is September 2. These will then be examined,” a UGC official said here on Monday. “Once the proposals are accepted by the UGC, the institutes can start the mentoring programme within a month,” the official added. The scheme mandates that the mentor institutions should have secured an NAAC score of 3.26 out of 4. Human Resource Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, who launched the scheme last month, said it would improve quality and standards of higher education in the country. The official noted that since securing NAAC accreditation has been made mandatory for the open universities too, the top institutions can also mentor open universities which will be applying for NAAC grade for the first time.
Under the ‘Paramarsh’ scheme, the leading institutions will provide regular mentoring to help colleges to get accredited by the NAACA. The mentor institutions can be provided financial assistance of up to Rs 30 lakh. There is also an option of appointing an expert, who can be paid a fellowship amount of Rs 31,000 per month. The scheme aims to improve the global rankings of Indian higher educational institutions. “The scheme will lead to enhancement of the mentee institutions’ quality and its profile as a result of improved quality of research, teaching and learning methodologies. The mentee institution will also have increased exposure and speedier adaptation to best practices,” the official added. The NAAC is an autonomous body that assesses and accredits higher education institutions in the country. – Courtesy / UGC Circular – Published on 24-07-2019 – Paramarsh – UGC Scheme for Mentoring NAAC Accreditation Aspirant Institutions to Promote Quality Assurance in Higher Education / Registration
UGC May Allow Pursuing Multiple Degrees Simultaneously, Sets Panel To Revisit The Idea
UGC May Allow Pursuing Multiple Degrees Simultaneously, Sets Panel To Revisit The Idea | Business World | 22 July, 2019
This is not the first time the commission is examining the issue. The UGC had set up a committee in 2012 as well and consultations were held on the same but ultimately the idea was junked.
Students might soon be able to pursue multiple degrees simultaneously from different universities or the same university, with the University Grants Commission (UGC) studying the feasibility of the idea. The UGC has set up a panel headed by its Vice Chairman Bhushan Patwardhan to examine the issue of pursuing two degree programmes simultaneously from the same university or different universities either through distance mode, online mode or part-time mode. However, this is not the first time the commission is examining the issue. The UGC had set up a committee in 2012 as well and consultations were held on the same but ultimately the idea was junked. “The panel was set up late last month and has already met once. Now consultations are being held with different stakeholders to explore the feasibility of the idea,” a senior UGC official told PTI.
The 2012 committee headed by then Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad University, Furqan Qamar, had recommended that a student enrolled in a degree programme under regular mode may be allowed to pursue a maximum of one additional degree programme simultaneously under open or distance mode from the same or a different university. “However, two-degree programmes under regular mode may not be allowed simultaneously as it may create logistic, administrative and academic problems. A student pursuing a degree programme under regular mode may be allowed to pursue a maximum of one certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, PG diploma programme simultaneously either in regular or open and distance mode in the same university or from other institutions,” the panel report had said. According to UGC officials, “the commission had then sought comments of the statutory councils on the committee’s report and the responses received did not endorse the idea of allowing students to pursue multiple degree programmes simultaneously. Hence the plan did not take off”. “It has now been decided to revisit the idea because technology has brought in lot of changes. There are vast majority of people who want to pursue specialised courses besides their regular degree programmes,” the official said. – Courtesy
No plan to recognise one year master’s degree of foreign universities
No plan to recognise one year master’s degree of foreign universities | Financial Express | Krishnanand Tripathi | July 15, 2019 |
Studying abroad: Government has no plan to recognise one year masters degree offered by foreign universities.
Foreign Degree: The Union government has no plan to recognise one-year post-graduate degrees obtained by foreign universities. The government has also denied that it had set up a panel to specifically into the issue of granting recognition to one-year postgraduate degree offered by the universities located outside the country. However, a committee under the leadership of UGC chairman was set up by the government to look into decide the equivalence of qualifications of foreign degrees with Indian degrees, informed HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. The committee recommended that India may recognise foreign degrees on the basis of mutual respect for the academic sovereignty of each country.
So far India has signed agreements only with two countries, France and Morocco to recognise each other’s degrees so that students from both the sides can have a hassle-free mobility and valid degree. However, the government has no plan or proposal to recognise one-year post-graduate degrees awarded by foreign universities. There is no proposal at present to recognize one year Master’s degree obtained from foreign countries,” Human Resource Development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank informed the Lok Sabha. “As per the current policy, equivalence is accorded by AIU only for those master degrees awarded by approved foreign universities that are of two-year duration,” clarified the minister. The expert panel has recommended the government to enter into agreements with those countries that have a rigorous, robust and credible system for recognising their higher educational institutions and programmes. And this recognition will be made at the same level of degree offered by Indian universities. – Courtesy
UGC approves STRIDE to boost research projects in India
UGC approves STRIDE to boost research projects in India | India Today Web Desk | New Delhi | July 1, 2019 |
STRIDE shall support research capacity building as well as basic, applied and transformational action research that can contribute to the national interest.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a new scheme – ‘Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy’ (STRIDE). Broadly, STRIDE will provide support to research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant. STRIDE shall support research capacity building as well as basic, applied and transformational action research that can contribute to the national interest. STRIDE shall support creation, development, and integration of new ideas, concepts, and practices for the public good and strengthening civil society. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that STRIDE scheme will strengthen research culture and innovation in colleges and universities, and will help students and faculty to contribute towards India’s developing economy with collaborative research. He also added that focus on humanities and human sciences will boost quality research on Indian languages and knowledge systems. Trans-disciplinary research is a team effort of investigators from different disciplines to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological innovations that integrate and transcend beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem.
Trans-disciplinary research goes beyond the mere production of knowledge and extends to the practical use of the knowledge outside academic endeavor.
In essence, it takes into consideration the societal impact of knowledge enunciating as what should be the main aim of the research. It creates unity of intellectual frameworks beyond the disciplinary perspectives and solves problems by going beyond the boundaries of disciplines to involve various stakeholders. Trans-disciplinary research generates knowledge through the use of multi and inter-disciplinary concepts and integrates new theories among science and society.
STRIDE Objectives:
- To identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research for India’s developing economy and national development
- To fund multi-institutional network high-impact research projects in humanities and human sciences.
STRIDE components:
Component-1 will endeavor to identify the motivated young talents with research and innovation aptitude in universities and colleges. The scheme will provide research capacity building in diverse disciplines by mentoring, nurturing and supporting young talents to innovate pragmatic solutions for local, regional, national and global problems. This component is open to all disciplines for grant upto 1 crore.
Component-2 will be mainly to enhance problem-solving skills with the help of social innovation and action research to improve the wellbeing of people and contribute to India’s developing economy. Collaborations between universities, government, voluntary organizations, and industries are encouraged under this scheme. This component is open to all disciplines for grant upto 50 lakh – 1 crore.
Component-3 will fund high impact research projects in the identified thrust areas inhumanities and human sciences through a national network of eminent scientists from leading institutions. Disciplines eligible for funding under this component include philosophy, history, archaeology, anthropology, psychology, liberal arts, linguistics, Indian languages and culture, Indian knowledge systems, law, education, journalism, mass communication, commerce, management, environment and sustainable development. Grant available for this component is upto 1 crore for one HEI and upto 5 crores for the multi institutional network. To encourage high-quality high impact research in humanities, there is a provision to identify experts and invite them to develop a proposal. UGC is also proposing to provide a grant of Rs 2 lakh for developing proposals. An Advisory Committee has been set up by the UGC under the chairmanship of Prof Bhushan Patwardhan, Vice Chairman to oversee the entire scheme. Details of the scheme will be available on UGC website by 8th July 2019. Call for proposals will be announced by the UGC by July 20, 2019.
Last date to submit an application
Applications will have to be submitted online. STRIDE web portal will be open for receiving applications by July 31, 2019. Award of grant will be based on merit of the project proposal. STRIDE scheme proposals will be carefully evaluated with the help of peer review and assessment by expert committees. Shortlisted applicants may be invited for presentation.
Database
R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary HRD Ministry said that the National Innovation Foundation has a database of over 3 lakh technological ideas from over 608 districts waiting to be explored. STRIDE scheme will help students and faculty to undertake collaborative research to explore these knowledge resources for India’s developing economy. The ten grand challenges facing the humanities in India described in report to MHRD are part of thrust areas identified for funding under STRIDE. UGC Chairman Prof DP Singh said STRIDE will provide support to the innovative research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based, nationally important and globally significant. UGC Vice chairman Prof Bhushan Patwardhan said that the three components of STRIDE will help to strengthen transdisciplinary research culture in colleges and universities. It will provide an opportunity to build multisectoral linkages between university-government-community-industry for national development and wellbeing of people. In addition, STRIDE will give a major impetus to high impact research in humanities and human sciences. – Courtesy
Proposal to make Hindi compulsory in UG courses can affect unity of country: CPI(M)
Business Standard | Press Trust of India | New Delhi | June 25, 2019 |
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The efforts of the UGC to “push” Hindi as a compulsory subject in undergraduate courses will stir up a hornets’ nest among other linguistic groups and affect the unity of the country, the CPI (M) said. Following representations to make Hindi compulsory, the University Grants Commission (UGC) in July last year had written to varsities to explore the feasibility of inclusion of the language in their undergraduate programmes. Demanding that the UGC withdraw the “circular”, the Left party said even previous attempts to “impose” Hindi were thwarted. “The politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is deeply concerned at the effort by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to push Hindi as a compulsory subject in all undergraduate courses across India,” a statement issued by the Left party said. It is “strange” that a circular in this regard has been issued in the background of the widespread protest in the country against the imposition of Hindi as part of the draft National Education Policy-2019 earlier, it said.
The protests had forced the government to beat a hasty retreat, the CPI(M) politburo said in the statement. “The central government issued a clarification to settle the controversy for now. Therefore, the UGC cannot push this agenda, independently. India is a country of great diversity in language and culture. This attempt, without a proper process by a statutory body, to impose one particular national language is only going to stir up a hornets’ nest among other linguistic groups,” it said. “The unity of our people based on the rich diversity in language and culture will only be disrupted by such efforts,” according to the statement. The party has also appealed to all sections of people and organisations involved in the education sector to mobilise public opinion and force the government to ensure that the UGC withdraws the circular in order to uphold the unity of all linguistic and cultural groups of the country. The Jawaharlal Nehru University is likely to discuss on Friday the UGC proposal, a move that the varsity’s students’ union has opposed. – Courtesy
Research published in pay-and-publish journals won’t count: UGC panel
Research published in pay-and-publish journals won’t count: UGC panel | The Indian Express | Shyamlal Yadav | New Delhi | June 21, 2019 |
The four-member panel was formed by the UGC late last year after The Indian Express published a series of investigative reports on how India has emerged as one of the biggest markets for “predatory” publishers of substandard research journals. Last week, the UGC launched the Consortium of Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to approve a new official list of academic publications.
Suggesting sweeping reforms to promote the quality of research in India, a UGC panel has recommended that publication of research material in “predatory” journals or presentations in conferences organised by their publishers should not be considered for academic credit in any form.They include selection, confirmation, promotion, appraisal, and award of scholarships and degrees, the panel has suggested. The committee, which submitted its 14-page report to the UGC recently, has also recommended changes in PhD and MPhil programmes, including a new board for social sciences research. The four-member committee — headed by P Balram, former director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru — was formed by the UGC late last year after The Indian Express published a series of investigative reports on how India has emerged as one of the biggest markets for “predatory” publishers of substandard research journals.
The reports showed how over 300 “predatory” publishers bring out journals that claim to be international and publish papers for a “charge” ranging from $30-$1,800 per piece. Some of the prominent publishers featured in the investigation were OMICS, Austin, Science Domain, IAEME and IOSR Journals, which together bring out over 1,200 journals on subjects ranging from medicine to management. Last week, the UGC launched the Consortium of Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to approve a new official list of academic publications. In its report, the Balram committee has recommended the creation of a board under the UGC for research in social sciences and humanities with separate allocation of funds. It has also suggested the appointment of a Dean for research and development in every university linked to externally funded grants and projects. On predatory journals and conferences organised by their publishers, the committee’s report said: “The mandatory requirement of publication in journals/conference proceedings for award of doctoral degrees and as a metric in evaluating faculty under the API (Academic Performance Index) score has resulted in a proliferation of predatory journals and conferences, which have abandoned classical peer review as a method of quality control.”
When contacted by The Indian Express, Balram said: “We submitted the report recently. It is a very brief report on the improvement of quality of research. It is up to the UGC, HRD Ministry and state governments to implement it.” Bhushan Patwardhan, UGC Vice Chairperson, confirmed that the Commission has received the report. “It will be considered by the UGC in its next meeting scheduled in July,” he said. Apart from Balram, the committee includes Sharad Deshpande, former professor and head, Department of Philosophy, Savitribai Phule University, Pune; Shridhar R Gadre, Distinguished Professor, Savitribai Phule University, Pune; and, Anitha Kurup, Dean, National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc campus. For the effective implementation of its recommendations, the committee has suggested that an empowered panel of eminent academicians be set up to work with UGC nodal officers for new schemes. It has also asked the UGC to revamp its regional centres and initiate capacity building programmes for its staff to build in-house expertise.
NEW BOARD, R&D DEAN
Key recommendations of UGC panel: -Papers in predatory journals won’t count – -New board for social sciences research, – -R&D Dean in every university, –Short-term internship in policy organisations, –100 post-doctoral fellowships per year in social sciences, humanities, –Translation programme for regional research – Courtesy
The UGC has launched CARE to “identify, continuously monitor and maintain” UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals across disciplines
New system of approving research journals launched | The Indian Express | Express News Service | New Delhi | June 15, 2019 |
In a series of investigative reports, The Indian Express reported on how over 300 “predatory” publishers bring out journals that claim to be international and publish papers for a “charge” ranging from $30-$1,800 per piece.
In its response to an investigation by The Indian Express on how India has emerged as one of the biggest markets for “predatory” and substandard journals, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched a Consortium of Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to “identify, continuously monitor and maintain” UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals across disciplines. This new list of approved journals will be available at newly launched website https://ugccare.unipune.ac.in. The UGC on Friday launched the new system on which it was working since the series was published in The Indian Express in July last year.
In a series of investigative reports, The Indian Express reported on how over 300 “predatory” publishers bring out journals that claim to be international and publish papers for a “charge” ranging from $30-$1,800 per piece. UGC secretary Rajnish Jain has issued the notification in which there is a six-point advice to the academic society. He asked them to avoid publishing in predatory/dubious publications and not to consider any publication which comes out in a dubious journal. Vice Chancellors, selection committees, research supervisors and guides have been advised to ensure that their decision are primarily based on quality of research work and not merely on the number of publications. – Courtesy
UGC to assess quality of PhDs awarded in the last decade
UGC to assess quality of PhDs awarded in the last decade | Times of India | Sheetal Banchariya | TNN | Jun 3, 2019 |
The assessment of around 2 lakh PhDs will be done through random sampling method |
In the last 10 years, the maximum number of PhDs has been awarded across the universities. In the session, 2007-08, as many as 13,237 PhD degrees were awarded, which increased two-folds in 2017-18 where 34,400 scholars were awarded PhDs in various academic fields. Lack of a centralised record system of research topics being pursued by scholars is the reason behind increasing PhDs, says Raja Shekhar Bellamkonda, dean of the School of Management Studies and director of Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), University of Hyderabad (UoH). “Many times, scholars in different parts of the country are unaware of similar research being conducted elsewhere, that leads to identical studies. This has led to an increase without any value addition,” he adds. UGC has invited proposals for a six-month study on ‘Quality of PhD theses in Indian universities’, which will analyse the quality of researches carried out in the various central, state, private and deemed-to-be universities over the last decade. Expressing concern over the quality of the exponentially increasing number of researches, Rajnish Jain, secretary, UGC, says, “The number of universities and gross enrolment ratio (GER) has been increasing, which is also leading to proportional growth in the number of students pursuing PhD degrees. We want to ensure that the quality is not deteriorating with increasing number of PhD theses.”
The study will help in qualitative analysis of around 2 lakh PhDs awarded in the last 10 years “It is difficult to put all the researches under the quality scanner, hence, the study will be conducted through the sampling process, where a particular number of theses will be thoroughly analysed to extrapolate the findings at national as well as state levels,” adds Jain. The remuneration and total scholars participating in the study has not been fixed and depends on the quality of the proposals that the UGC will receive by June 10, 2019.
SHIFTING TRENDS PhDs in Sciences and Arts, for long, have maintained equilibrium and accounted for an average of 70% of total researches. However, theses in Sciences have increased in the last few years. The UGC official cites thrust on tech-research as one of the major reasons behind the increase. “Researches in Science and Technology (S&T) have been given major thrust in the last few years with various fellowships, government initiatives and MHRD schemes, which is one of the reasons that Science PhDs are taking the lead,” says Jain. Students are opting for PhDs in Sciences to have access to increasing employment opportunities due to digitisation, says Bellamkonda. He adds, “Private universities and deemed-to-be universities are more focussed on offering engineering and science courses that leads to lesser students conducting researches in Arts. – Courtesy
UGC to rein in fake D.Litt racket
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | T SUDHEESH | May 31, 2019 |
The UGC would take measures to improve the quality of the research and studies.
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Alappuzha: University Grants Commission (UGC) will take steps to rein in widespread distribution of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) by non-existent universities. Dr Sushma Yadav, member, UGC, told DC that the issue of fake D.Litt had come to its notice for quite some time now. ‘The Commission will take steps to penalise people who indulge in the fraudulent act’, she said. Dr Yadav, a day after UGC decided to study the quality of PhD degrees awarded in the last ten years by universities across the country, said that receiving D.Litts from fake universities is rampant across the country. ‘It’s a social aberration. UGC has already banned private universities which promote distance education from distributing D.Litts. It also periodically publishes a list of spurious institutes which have violated the UGC Act of 1956.’, she said.
The UGC would take measures to improve the quality of the research and studies. PhD scholars must get sufficient guidance, orientation and training and good teachers, she said. “Many PhD scholars don’t know what they’re doing. If you sit over 15-20 books and then write something, that is not what research is. Without going through the rigorous process outlined by the UGC, research and studies can make any dent,” she said. “We don’t know why the universities refuse to follow the rules. It’s high time the quality of researches in the country maintained as higher education has expanded a lot over the last decade. There is a huge mismatch between quality and quantity in education.” The obsession of people with D.Litt by fly-by-night Universities continues in the country although this time brought this issue to the light with the series of reports in July last year. – Courtesy
In PM Narendra Modi’s 100-day education agenda, more Institutions of Eminences, faculty recruitment
In PM Modi’s 100-day education agenda, more Institutions of Eminences, faculty recruitment The Indian Express | Ritika Chopra | May 25, 2019 |
The 100-day action plan for education under the new government, drafted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and approved by the PMO recently, lists nine priorities for higher education.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education agenda for the first 100 days of his re-elected government includes unveiling of a new national education policy, a special drive to fill five lakh vacant faculty positions in higher education, and addition of 10 Institutions of Eminence (IoE) to the existing sanctioned strength of 20, The Indian Express has learnt. The 100-day action plan for education under the new government, drafted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and approved by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) recently, lists nine priorities for higher education. Many of the initiatives build on work done in the last term. The Ministry’s 100-day plan has been prepared at the behest of the PMO, which had directed department heads of various ministries to prepare a ‘Plan of Action’ for the next government, taking into account promises made in the manifesto released by the BJP, even as Lok Sabha elections were underway.
Among promises HRD Ministry expects to deliver on till August:
New Education Policy: It took two committees and almost four years, but the new education policy report is ready and will be formally submitted on May 31, states the 100-day action plan. The ministry is aiming to invite public feedback on the document on June 1 and finalise the Cabinet note by July 1.
Five-year implementation plan: While the new education policy will shape education’s future in the document, the HRD Ministry will also unveil a five-year vision document covering themes such as access, quality, excellence, governance systems, research and innovation, employability, accreditation processes, use of technology for education, internationalisation and financing the higher education. HRD will seek the Finance Ministry’s approval in June and the Cabinet’s in the first week of July.
Institutions of Eminence: Although the NDA-II government conferred the IoE status only on six institutions against the promised 20, the ministry is keen to expand the sanctioned strength to 30. IoEs are expected to break into the international top 100 club of academic institutions. A cabinet note on the proposal will be moved in the second week of July.
Higher Education Commission of India: Although the plan to replace UGC with a new body was opposed by the academic community last year, the ministry will make a fresh attempt once the new cabinet is sworn in. The ministry’s timeline states that the draft Act will be discussed with the state governments in June and a final decision will be made in August.
New Accreditation System: Building on new accreditation regulations introduced by the Modi government in the first term, the ministry plans to decentralise the accreditation process by permitting private agencies, in addition to NAAC, to rate educational institutions. Applications will invited by the second week of July and agencies will be appointed by August 15.
National Research Fund Act: The ministry, along with Science and Technology Ministry, plans to set up an umbrella body, which will subsume the Science and Engineering Research Body, to fund all research activities in the country. The draft Act will be ready by month-end.
In addition to the above, the ministry will set up an online portal to monitor filling up of vacant teaching positions across state and central universities and private institutions. – Courtesy
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