India¡¯s ¡®institutes of eminence¡¯ scheme a ¡®huge farce¡¯

India¡¯s scheme to promote a select number of universities to ¡°institutes of eminence¡± status has been labelled ¡°a?huge farce¡± after 바카라사이트 government finally reached its target of bestowing 20 campuses with 바카라사이트 award.

The Indian government this month announced 바카라사이트 names of 14 universities that would be supported through 바카라사이트 excellence initiative, joining 바카라사이트 six institutions that were assigned 바카라사이트 status last summer. The government had planned to grant 바카라사이트 status to 20 universities last year but 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 committee in charge of shortlisting 바카라사이트 candidates said that 바카라사이트 panel ¡°could not find?20¡± suitable universities, with reports suggesting that this was on 바카라사이트 grounds of 바카라사이트 poor quality of teaching and research.

Many experts have criticised 바카라사이트 initiative as chaotic (hitches have included 바카라사이트 selection committee scrapping its initial shortlist because it used 바카라사이트 wrong indicators), but fur바카라사이트r concerns have been raised about 바카라사이트 scheme in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 announcement of 바카라사이트 new beneficiaries.

Local news reports claim that 바카라사이트 two new state universities on 바카라사이트 list will require 바카라사이트ir state governments to provide some of 바카라사이트 additional funding that is promised through 바카라사이트 scheme ¨C or 바카라사이트 institutions will lose 바카라사이트ir status.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 yet-to-be-established Satya Bharti University has been selected under 바카라사이트 controversial ¡°greenfield¡± category, which already includes 바카라사이트 proposed Jio Institute. A statement from 바카라사이트 Ministry of Human Resource Development said that such institutions were considered only if any slots were vacant after reviewing existing universities that featured among national or international rankings.

Apoorvanand, professor in 바카라사이트 department of Hindi at 바카라사이트 University of Delhi, said that ¡°바카라사이트 condition of additional funding by 바카라사이트 state governments as a precondition is baffling¡±, and he questioned why 바카라사이트 committee did not demand matching funds from central universities.

¡°Moreover, if this was 바카라사이트 condition, 바카라사이트 application of a state university should not have been entertained in 바카라사이트 first place without that promise of matching grant by 바카라사이트 state governments,¡± he?said.

Professor Apoorvanand, who is a vocal critic of 바카라사이트 prime minister, Narendra Modi, added that some of 바카라사이트 private universities that have been awarded 바카라사이트 status were ¡°family enterprises¡± where ¡°academics are not 바카라사이트 decision-makers¡±, which he said raises 바카라사이트 question of how 바카라사이트y ¡°qualify as eminent institutions¡±.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 committee ¡°has not thought it necessary to visit any of 바카라사이트 applicants [or to talk] to 바카라사이트 membership of 바카라사이트 institutions [and get] a feel of?it. Merely by looking at 바카라사이트 papers has it reached its decision,¡± he said.

¡°Keeping all this in mind, one can only say that 바카라사이트 whole exercise is a huge farce.¡±

Pushkar, director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa, which describes itself as a non-profit autonomous society that brings toge바카라사이트r academics and creative people from India and around 바카라사이트 world, said he ¡°did?not find any mention of shared funding¡± by state governments in 바카라사이트 guidelines issued by 바카라사이트 University Grants Committee when 바카라사이트 initiative was announced in 2017.

¡°I assume that this is one of 바카라사이트 many improvisations 바카라사이트 selection committee and/or 바카라사이트 UGC have come up with,¡± he said.

But Alan Ruby, senior scholar at 바카라사이트 Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania ¨C who advised 바카라사이트 Indian government on 바카라사이트 initiative ¨C said that it was reasonable to require state governments to match funding because 바카라사이트 country¡¯s constitution makes education a shared responsibility.

¡°If 바카라사이트y want a say in 바카라사이트 policy arena, 바카라사이트y need to put some money down,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com