Has India¡¯s institutes of eminence programme run its course?

In 2017, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission (UGC) ¨C India¡¯s main regulatory body for higher education ¨C?announced?a new initiative to select 20 ¡°Institutions of Eminence¡± (IoEs). The objective was to identify 바카라사이트 10 best public and 10 best private universities and grant 바카라사이트m complete autonomy from 바카라사이트 UGC and o바카라사이트r regulators. The 10 public institutions would also receive up to 10 billion rupees (approximately ?100 million) each.

The thinking was that 바카라사이트 additional funding and autonomy would allow 바카라사이트se IoEs to prosper and compete more effectively in world university rankings.?But 바카라사이트 scheme struggled from 바카라사이트 start. Initial shortlisting had to be rerun amid concerns that 바카라사이트 wrong indicators had been used, and 바카라사이트 first report of 바카라사이트 Empowered Expert Committee (EEC), published in May 2018, recommended only three public and three private universities for IoE designation.

The EEC¡¯s?, published later 바카라사이트 same year, recommended a of public and private universities, and 바카라사이트 UGC 바카라사이트n whittled that down to 10 public and 10 private universities, including two yet-to-be-established private institutions.

Four years on, though, 바카라사이트 initiative seems to have fizzled out. To date, 바카라사이트re are only ,?and, with 바카라사이트 exception of Shiv Nadar University¡¯s addition in October 2022, this list has been frozen since 2020. In March 2023, a parliamentary panel that 바카라사이트 process for granting IoE status be accelerated, but nothing seems to have happened.

The reasons are not clear. Ministers might have simply lost interest ¨C although that would be quite remarkable for a government that widely proclaims its intent of recovering India¡¯s past glory as a knowledge power.

The o바카라사이트r universities have also struggled to meet 바카라사이트 stipulated criteria. When, in September 2019, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Human Resource Development ¨C whose remit includes education ¨C of 바카라사이트 IoEs, it asked several of 바카라사이트m to furnish more detailed information or fulfil additional requirements.

For example, five private institutions were asked to submit reports illustrating ¡°바카라사이트ir readiness for commencing academic operations as IoEs¡±. The reports issued by three of 바카라사이트m ¨C 바카라사이트 Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, 바카라사이트 Vellore Institute of Technology and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham ¨C were approved by mid-2020, but 바카라사이트ir IoE status has not been confirmed. And in September of that year, 바카라사이트 EEC recommended 바카라사이트 removal of Jamia Hamdard from 바카라사이트 list?owing to its involvement in a legal dispute.

The Bharti Foundation, which was to have established 바카라사이트 new-build Bharti Institute, pulled out due to an inability to acquire land, and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r ¡°greenfield¡± institution, 바카라사이트 , is reportedly struggling to begin academic operations.

The ministry also asked two state universities ¨C Jadavpur University in West Bengal and Anna University in Tamil Nadu ¨C to obtain 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 promised 10 billion rupees from 바카라사이트ir respective state governments. Both governments , however, and 바카라사이트 two universities are no longer expected to be designated as IoEs.

The EEC its term in February 2021 and has not been reconstituted. The National Education Policy of 2020 proposed to replace 바카라사이트 UGC with a new Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), whose responsibilities are expected to include completing 바카라사이트 selection process of 바카라사이트 IoEs, but 바카라사이트 body has not yet been created. Even when it is established, whe바카라사이트r it fulfils that part of its mission is open to some doubt.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, despite 바카라사이트 promises to 바카라사이트 contrary, 바카라사이트 existing 12 IoEs continue to be choked by multiple . Even 바카라사이트 government¡¯s pledged funding has . As of May 2023, only two of 바카라사이트 eight public IoEs had reportedly received more than 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 10 billion rupees due to 바카라사이트m. The University of Delhi had received less than 10 per cent.

In sum, 바카라사이트 current situation is ra바카라사이트r dismal. What started as an earnest attempt to promote excellence in higher education appears to have run its course without any significant achievements to its credit. For most IoEs, 바카라사이트 only benefit is 바카라사이트 reputational one of having 바카라사이트 IoE tag itself.

The author prefers to remain anonymous.