Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

UGC plans programme on trans-disciplina­ry research

- Amandeep Shukla amandeep.shukla@htlive.com

THE NEARLY ~500 CR PLAN WILL SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN VARSITIES, COLLEGES TO DISCOVER NEW AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE

NEWDELHI:THE University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to launch an ambitious scheme to promote trans-disciplina­ry research, an official aware of the matter said.

Called Stride — Scheme for Trans-disciplina­ry Research through Higher Education Institutes for National Developmen­t and Entreprene­urship — the nearly ~500 crore programme will support the efforts of students and faculty in universiti­es and colleges to discover new areas of knowledge.

Trans-disciplina­ry research is a team effort by investigat­ors from different discipline­s to create new conceptual and theoretica­l innovation­s that go beyond the confines of a subject-specific approach, a UGC official said, not wishing to be named. “Stride will support trans-disciplina­ry research and socially inclusive innovation­s for national developmen­t and entreprene­urship. New ideas, concepts and practices for public good and strengthen­ing civil society will be encouraged,” the official said. The scheme envisages exchange between faculty from universiti­es and top colleges and scientists from national bodies such as Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Council of Agricultur­al Research, DRDO, Isro, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnol­ogy etc for specific periods. A unique aspect of Stride is its open nature, the official added. While it would promote research in a range of areas from philosophy, history, archaeolog­y, anthropolo­gy, psychology, Indology, liberal arts, languages, culture, law, education, journalism and mass communicat­ion, environmen­t and sustainabl­e developmen­t, it would not be confined to these. “Since the idea is to promote trans-disciplina­ry research, artificial subject boundaries would not be the con- fine. There is no straitjack­et.”

One of Stride’s aims is to ensure that the research done is of practical utility. The programme will support basic, applied and transforma­tional action research to support government policies. “The highlight of this scheme is its flexibilit­y. Research that is socially relevant to initiative­s which address local, national or global needs will be encouraged,” UGC official said.

R Subrahmany­am, secretary (higher education) in the Union human resource developmen­t ministry, said the UGC approved the scheme on January 29. Inder Mohan Kapahy, a former UGC member, said, “This is welcome for encouragin­g cooperativ­e efforts of national-level reputable specialise­d institutio­ns with universiti­es and colleges. In the recent past, the bulk of efforts had been to encourage only top institutio­ns like IITS ,IIMS and other such elite institutio­ns. Indian IHES can excel in fields like history, archaeolog­y, philosophy, linguistic­s, etc. So far, the focus had been only on science, technology, management. Expanding the area of focus is good.”

KERALA CHURCH SCANDAL

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India