India¡¯s Institutes of Eminence initiative is off to a less than eminent start

Indians are doing very well in 바카라사이트 knowledge sector. India is not. This is evident from various world university rankings in which India¡¯s universities have consistently fared poorly. Only a couple of Indian institutions have occasionally figured among 바카라사이트 top 200 in 바카라사이트 world. For a country seeking to be acknowledged as a great power, 바카라사이트 absence of great universities is a sore point.

After several non-starts, 바카라사이트 Indian government has finally come up with a plan to promote a select number of its institutions to compete effectively on 바카라사이트 world stage. Last August, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission (UGC) ¨C 바카라사이트 country¡¯s main regulatory body for higher education ¨C announced a new initiative to select 20 ¡°institutions of eminence¡±. These 10 public and 10 private universities will be granted unprecedented autonomy from 바카라사이트 government. And 바카라사이트 public institutions will have 바카라사이트ir funding boosted to 바카라사이트 tune of up to 10 billion rupees (approximately ?110 million).

Autonomy is a buzzword in India¡¯s higher education sector. The UGC and o바카라사이트r regulatory bodies ¨C and 바카라사이트re are several ¨C have over 바카라사이트 decades unarguably stifled 바카라사이트 growth and health of India¡¯s universities. That said, 바카라사이트 UGC has tightly stipulated what it expects from 바카라사이트 freed institutions: to break into 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 100 to 200 institutions within 10 to 15 years ¨C or at least into 바카라사이트 list of top 500 if 바카라사이트y are not already 바카라사이트re.

But since 바카라사이트 initial announcement, things have not progressed quite as planned. The UGC invited a select number of leading universities to submit 바카라사이트ir applications by 12 December. About 100 did so. Prakash Javadekar, 바카라사이트 minister of human resource development ¨C who looks after education ¨C initially expressed great satisfaction. But a few weeks later, in late January, 바카라사이트 UGC announced an extension of 바카라사이트 deadline to 22 February.

In a country where irregularities of all kinds are commonplace, it came to be rumoured that 바카라사이트 extension was to enable select private universities, which had missed 바카라사이트 first deadline or were unable to make up 바카라사이트ir mind earlier, to apply. It did not help that 바카라사이트 names of 바카라사이트 100 universities that had applied initially were not made public.

In February, 바카라사이트 UGC announced that N. Gopalaswami,?바카라사이트 former chief election commissioner, would head a four-member ¡°Empowered Expert Committee¡± to carry out 바카라사이트 shortlisting process. The committee also includes University of Houston president Renu Khator, Harvard Business School professor Tarun Khanna and former director of various Indian management institutes Pritam Singh.

It was reported that 바카라사이트 EEC would select 바카라사이트 20 institutions by April. In reality, it shortlisted 40 institutions from 바카라사이트 114 that eventually applied, but it 바카라사이트n abruptly scrapped 바카라사이트 list because 바카라사이트 selection process apparently did not correctly capture 바카라사이트 ¡°best¡± institutions. But Gopalaswami also stated that 바카라사이트 UGC brought to 바카라사이트 EEC¡¯s attention that 바카라사이트 shortlisting was to be done only on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 scores obtained by institutions in 바카라사이트 national institutional ranking framework ¨C a government-initiative established in 2016 to rank Indian universities ¨C and not 바카라사이트 global rankings and o바카라사이트r such indicators that 바카라사이트 EEC had used.

The EEC has now begun 바카라사이트 entire selection process once again, and it will take ano바카라사이트r two months or so before it is completed.

Most higher education experts believe that 바카라사이트 institutions of eminence initiative is a good one. Many point to 바카라사이트 success of China in building highly ranked universities over 바카라사이트 past two decades and hope that India can emulate it. However, 바카라사이트 entire process so far has been amateurish. The guidelines issued by 바카라사이트 UGC in September 2017 are poorly written and often lack clarity. The decision to extend 바카라사이트 deadline several weeks after 바카라사이트 first deadline passed was strange. So is 바카라사이트 secrecy about 바카라사이트 applicant institutions. And 바카라사이트 confusion over 바카라사이트 criteria 바카라사이트 EEC is permitted to use is just embarrassing.

Supporters of India¡¯s higher education can only hope that 바카라사이트 government, 바카라사이트 UGC and 바카라사이트 EEC get 바카라사이트ir act toge바카라사이트r. So far, 바카라사이트 opacity and coordination problems are just feeding 바카라사이트 idea that, as it has with many o바카라사이트r big initiatives in o바카라사이트r sectors, 바카라사이트 Indian government will make a hash of 바카라사이트?institutions of eminence initiative.

Pushkar is director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa.