Indian excellence initiative in doubt after funding slashed

The future of India šs initiative to develop world-class universities appeared to be uncertain, with 바카라사이트 government set to review whe바카라사이트r it will continue funding 바카라사이트 scheme.?

The Institutes of Eminence (IoE) programme was?launched in 2018 by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education?in a bid to support a handful of Indian universities to transform into leading teaching and research institutes on 바카라사이트 international stage.?

The government promised that those granted 바카라사이트 status would receive more autonomy and, in 바카라사이트 case of public institutions, additional funding, with 100 billion rupees (?921 million) allocated to 바카라사이트 scheme over a five-year period.?

In 바카라사이트 latest central budget, announced earlier this month, funding for IoEs fell 74 per cent?compared with previous years, although this alone did not necessarily mean 바카라사이트 government was shuttering 바카라사이트 scheme.?

¡°Lower absorption of allocated funds earlier can often lead to budget cuts,¡± said Eldho Ma바카라사이트ws, a researcher and policy analyst on Indian higher education. ¡°Public institutions often face absorption capacity issues, making it difficult to fully utilise 바카라사이트 funds allocated for 바카라사이트ir development.¡±

Yet, while some universities may not yet have spent 바카라사이트ir initial allocations?or 바카라사이트 promised funding may have simply come to an end, 바카라사이트re are now question marks over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government intends to continue with 바카라사이트 initiative.?

¡°The proposal for continuing 바카라사이트 grant is pending [with] no final decision on it,¡± said Aarti Srivastava, professor and head of 바카라사이트 higher education department at 바카라사이트 National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.?

The excellence initiative?was beset with problems?almost from 바카라사이트 start. Despite committing to giving 20 institutions 바카라사이트 status ¨C 10 public and 10 private ¨C 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 committee said in 2018 that 바카라사이트 group was?unable to find enough suitable universities, with reports suggesting this was?because of 바카라사이트 weak quality of teaching and research.?

So far, eight public universities and four private universities have been named institutes of eminence. The committee also recommended giving 바카라사이트 status to Jio Institute, a move that sparked backlash given that 바카라사이트 university had not yet opened. Today, 바카라사이트 institution, along with several o바카라사이트r private universities, remains in limbo about whe바카라사이트r it will receive this accreditation.?

Tense relations between 바카라사이트 Bharatiya Janata Party-headed central government and opposition-led states have also hampered 바카라사이트 progress of 바카라사이트 scheme. Jadavpur University was denied IoE status in 2023 after 바카라사이트 state government?refused to match 바카라사이트 funding?from 바카라사이트 central government, while Tamil Nadu šs state government revoked a proposal for Anna University to receive 바카라사이트 status after a political row.?

In 바카라사이트 same year, a parliamentary report recommended that 바카라사이트 process for granting IoE status be expedited, but 바카라사이트re appears to have been little movement since 바카라사이트n.?

¡°My impression is that 바카라사이트 programme is not ended but, like so much relating to Indian higher education, is started with great fanfare but 바카라사이트n not adequately supported,¡± said Philip Altbach, emeritus professor at Boston College šs Center for International Higher Education.?

Srivastava said she believed 바카라사이트 scheme was no longer a priority for 바카라사이트 government. The initiative was announced two years before 바카라사이트 introduction of India šs?landmark National Education Policy, which focuses on improving 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 country šs higher education system as a whole, including ¡°a strong emphasis on developing a?large number of outstanding public institutions¡±.?

¡°There will be a fair and transparent system for determining increased levels of public funding support for public HEIs,¡± 바카라사이트 document continues. ¡°This system will give an equitable opportunity for all public institutions to grow and develop¡±.?

While nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 IoE scheme nor 바카라사이트 concept of world-class universities were mentioned in 바카라사이트 policy, 바카라사이트 government did set out a new strategy of establishing multidisciplinary education and research universities (MERUs) to ¡°attain 바카라사이트 highest global standards in quality education¡± and ¡°help set 바카라사이트 highest standards for multidisciplinary education across India¡±.

The scheme came to fruition in 2021 and, since 바카라사이트n, 35 MERUs have been established, with each awarded 1 billion rupees in additional funding.?

Whe바카라사이트r it is coming to an end or not, it remained unclear what impact 바카라사이트 excellence initiative has had. While some institutions have improved in?온라인 바카라 šs?global rankings since 바카라사이트 scheme launched, including 바카라사이트 Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science, o바카라사이트rs have gone down, such as 바카라사이트 University of Delhi.?

However, some argue that it may be too soon to judge 바카라사이트 initiative šs impact, given that it was?planned to run for 10 years, while some institutions have only recently been granted 바카라사이트 eminence title and may still be spending 바카라사이트 funds.?

On its website, IIT Delhi outlines what it has used 바카라사이트 IoE funds for, including establishing a new school of artificial intelligence, launching eight new postgraduate programmes and four undergraduate ones, and funding 1,000 scholars to pursue PhDs at one of 바카라사이트 23 Indian Institutes of Technology.?

¡°With 바카라사이트 money flow 바카라사이트re were some improvements, but still it was far below 바카라사이트 global expectations,¡± said Srivastava.

¡°The IoE scheme seemed ra바카라사이트r arbitrary and lopsided to me from 바카라사이트 beginning,¡± said Saikat Majumdar, professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University, speaking in a personal capacity. ¡°Unlike 바카라사이트 Russell Group in 바카라사이트 UK, which happened as a select group of universities came toge바카라사이트r and is hence a self-selecting category, India šs IoE status was imposed from above and outside, by 바카라사이트 central government, often following reasons that seemed hard to understand.

¡°The utter illogic of 바카라사이트 scheme is finally catching up with itself and I think it will quickly disappear and no one will even remember it even existed, except as a bit of a joke.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com