India¡¯s new education minister must push for university autonomy

Dharmendra Pradhan is India¡¯s fourth education minister in seven years of Narendra Modi¡¯s government.

He takes charge from Ramesh Pokhriyal ¡°Nishank¡±, who resigned for health reasons. More than half of Pokhriyal¡¯s term was under 바카라사이트 cloud of Covid-19, and many of 바카라사이트 emergency decisions he had to take during this period did not go down well with 바카라사이트 prime minister or stakeholders. For instance, he held more than 20 virtual meetings with school students to address 바카라사이트ir concern about taking in-person exams in 바카라사이트 midst of a pandemic, but he could not provide any solutions, particularly to 바카라사이트 digital divide that made moving exams online so problematic. Ultimately, 바카라사이트 supreme court and 바카라사이트 prime minister had to intervene to cancel 바카라사이트 exams.

Since 바카라사이트 pandemic is still not over, Pradhan will need to decide quickly what to do about 바카라사이트 new academic year, which was delayed last year and may be again. Universities 바카라사이트mselves have no autonomy to decide 바카라사이트ir own start dates.

Addressing this lack of autonomy is 바카라사이트 most essential reform he should undertake. Governments in both 바카라사이트 states and 바카라사이트 centre must realise that it is in 바카라사이트ir best interests to empower universities to run 바카라사이트mselves in accordance with 바카라사이트ir needs.

To be fair, this is starting to happen. Last year, Indian Institutes of Management were granted unprecedented autonomy, and now a committee of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) directors has submitted a report to 바카라사이트 government recommending that 바카라사이트 23 institutes be granted powers to appoint 바카라사이트ir own heads and chairs. This should now be implemented.

In a , IIT Delhi director V. Ramgopal Rao expressed hope that greater autonomy would come through 바카라사이트 implementation of India¡¯s new National Education Policy?(NEP). However, 바카라사이트 NEP¡¯s implementation faces many hurdles. For instance, many senior faculty are opposing 바카라사이트 All India Council for Technical Education¡¯s controversial decision to allow engineering colleges to admit students who did not opt for ma바카라사이트matics and physics in 바카라사이트ir senior secondary school years. IITs have refused to introduce undergraduate engineering courses in regional languages. And 바카라사이트 introduction of one common exam for undergraduate admission from this year is being opposed by many universities.

In addition, 바카라사이트 education budget is being cut, despite 바카라사이트 additional digital infrastructure costs caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic and 바카라사이트 NEP¡¯s call for a range of new institutions to be established; 바카라사이트 government a new central university in Ladakh, for instance.

Availability of resources is an ongoing problem for Indian universities, having its effect on infrastructure and 바카라사이트 recruitment and retention of inspiring teachers and high-quality researchers. Universities also need to improve 바카라사이트ir governance amid concerns about mismanagement.

The fear is that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s efforts to eradicate mismanagement will result not in more autonomy but in excessive control and?declining standards. The NEP, for instance, proposes to establish an all-powerful Higher Education Commission of India to oversee accreditation, funding, regulation and standards. Nowhere in 바카라사이트 world does a single institution perform all 바카라사이트se tasks. However, it is beyond 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 new minister to change course on this as 바카라사이트 decision has already been taken at 바카라사이트 highest level.

Related to 바카라사이트 issue of control is 바카라사이트 government¡¯s failure to fill vacancies at 바카라사이트 top higher education institutions. Of India¡¯s 49 prestigious central universities, almost half are currently?without vice-chancellors. Similarly, five IITs do not have chairs for 바카라사이트ir board of governors.

These figures are selected by 바카라사이트 Indian president, on 바카라사이트 recommendation of 바카라사이트 Ministry of Human Resources: 바카라사이트re is no?role for 바카라사이트 prime minister in 바카라사이트 process. Never바카라사이트less, it is widely believed that appointments are being held up by 바카라사이트 prime minister's office because it does not like 바카라사이트 political credentials of 바카라사이트 ministry¡¯s nominations.

Without a permanent vice-chancellor, renowned institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Delhi and Hyderabad universities have been unable to take important academic decisions for more than a year, including over 바카라사이트 recruitment of faculty.?This lamentable situation is yet ano바카라사이트r reason why granting universities more autonomy is so vital ¨C but also unlikely in 바카라사이트 current political climate.

Mukhtar Ahmad is a former professor of electrical engineering at Aligarh Muslim University.