“OUR PHILOSOPHY IS TO FUND AND FORGET”

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar, who believes that india today’s Best Universities Survey has “earned its name by implementing a robust and credible process of scrutiny”, spoke exclusively to Senior Associate Editor Kaushik

Q. What have been the major reforms in the last four years to improve university education? A.

We have given more autonomy to higher education institutes, pushed for research and innovation, improved the quality of education and introduced digital learning. But for results to show, you need time. We are working in the right direction, taking all stakeholders into confidence.

Q. Critics say the government is interfering too much in universities, such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Hyderabad.

A.

There is no question of interference. Instead, we are creating a mechanism to grant more autonomy. We passed the IIM bill to make these institutes more autonomous. We must trust our best institutes—if we don’t, they cannot grow. Our new philosophy is to fund and forget. Just because the government has funded these institutes, it’s not necessary to regulate them if they are performing well. If they fail to perform, the government has residuary powers to take corrective measures. For other institutes, I introduced graded autonomy—reward the performers so that others get an incentive to perform. Fifteen per cent of the institutes, which have been rated A+, will get 75 per cent of the autonomy enjoyed by the IIMs. We are also finalising 20 institutes of eminence.

Q. Indian universities often fail to find respectable positions in global rankings because of poor research and innovation.

A.

Multiple initiatives have been taken to encourage research and innovation. The IMPRINT (Impacting Research Innovation and Technology) scheme focuses on 10 crucial domains, including security and defence, information technology, energy, sustainable habitat, healthcare, nanotechnology and climate change. The Uchchatar Avishkar Yojana enables industry-academia partnership. Our big push for start-ups has seen more than 400 of them incubate from hostel rooms. We received 1,000 applications for the PM’s research fellowship that offers direct admission to PhD in the IITs and at IISc. We also set up six research parks; the IIT Madras research park has been making profits.

The biggest game-changer has been the launch of the Higher Education Funding Agency [HEFA], which aims to mobilise Rs 20,000 crore through market borrowings and release the amount to government institutions as interest-free loans. We have already disbursed Rs 5,000 crore. It creates faster research infrastructure. Bright students go abroad because of lack of good research facilities, guides and scholarships here. Through HEFA, we are providing all three. Our prime focus has been to create a culture of research and innovation. Innovation alone can lead our country to sustainable prosperity.

WE ARE WORKING

TO GRANT MORE AUTONOMY. WE MUST TRUST OUR BEST INSTITUTES— HOW WILL THEY GROW IF WE DON’T?

Q. How is the overall quality of university education, especially the technical stream, being improved? A.

We have trebled the outlay for the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, which aims to provide strategic funding to higher educational institutions. The goal is to enhance quality and excellence in 10 state universities and 70 autonomous colleges, provide infrastructure support to 50 universities and 750 colleges. The World Bank has rated the implementation of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Project of India as one of the world’s best. Under this project, some 1,200 vacancies—80 per cent of the total strength—in government engineering colleges in 15 states have been filled up.

Q. What is being done to ensure the spread of higher education institutes beyond major cities? A.

We have 840 universities, but we are obsessed with one university in Delhi. We are setting up 70 degree model colleges and eight professional colleges in the aspirational districts. We hope to break the regional disparity with technology, such as SWAYAM [Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds] and Swayam Prabha, a cluster of 32 DTH channels offering digital and televised classrooms in the remotest corners of the country. Swayam provides free study material online. It covers 1,032 courses and caters to 2.2 million people. I want to increase the reach to 20 million in next three years. Under GIAN [Global Initiative of Academic Networks], 700 professors from 58 countries have spent two weeks in India to teach a course each. This year, 800 professors will come from 62 countries. The National Digital Library launched in 2016 hosts 17 million titles.

Q. The BJP’s 2014 election manifesto had promised more student loan facilities and a simpler application process. A.

The UPA government spent Rs 800 crore a year on interest subsidy for education loans to the poor. In the last three years, our government spent Rs 1,800 crore annually, benefitting 800,000 students. In the next three years, we will increase the amount to Rs 2,200 crore, for a million students.

Q. Are we going to see an integrated regulatory mechanism for higher education?

A.

Before creating the Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA), the single regulator for higher education, we’re working on reforming the University Grants Commission, the All India Council for Technical Education and the National Council for Teacher Education. We have already made the National Assessment and Accreditation Council more transparent.

Q. There are reports the HEERA plan is being dumped.

A.

That’s not true. We are working on HEERA. These things take time.

Q. What steps have you taken to ensure integration of skills in higher education?

A.

We’re launching general degrees with a professional tag. Next year, we hope to start BA (Professional). It’ll have 1,000 hours of extra curriculum, including ICT [information & communications technology], personality development and two other skill sets of choice.

Q. Statistics of women in higher education remains abysmally low. A.

Only 8 per cent of IIT students are women. In my first IIT Council meeting, I said this should be raised to 20 per cent. Last year, we introduced a quota of supernumerary [over and above the actual intake] seats for women, to reach 20 per cent in a phased manner by 2026. We are taking steps to provide free education to girls till standard 12. If girls cross 12th standard, they will complete college.

Q. How is the quality of teachers in higher education being improved? A.

We have a mandatory one-month induction course for new college teachers. From 2021, holding a doctorate will be mandatory to be eligible to teach in college.

Q. How can university education be made more job-friendly?

A.

Universities must change curriculum every two years to stay relevant. Many universities have not done so for 15 years. By next year, the UGC and AICTE will publish a model curriculum. Universities can take help from it.

Q. When can we expect the new education policy?

A.

The policy will be out soon. I saw the first draft on June 14.

Q. There has been criticism that individuals subscribing to a particular ideology have been appointed as vice-chancellors in several universities.

A.

All vice-chancellors were appointed on merit.

UNIVERSITIES MUST CHANGE CURRICULUM EVERY TWO YEARS TO STAY RELEVANT. A MODEL CURRICULUM WILL BE PUBLISHED BY UGC AND AICTE BY NEXT YEAR