Warm greetings for the academic year 2017-18. The year ahead reveals the possibility of great challenges for the higher education. The initiatives of MHRD is creating uncertainity and policy eclipses leading to crisis at best and chao’s at worst. To name a few change in the nomenclature of UGC & AICTE, with redefined roles and functions as HERA communicates more confusion then clarity.
If educational reforms be introduced for the purpose of enhancing the quality interms of knowledge and skill components in higher education, the Central Government and MHRD can implement the Recommendation of the committees / commissions (Knowledge commission on higher education, TSRS committee report on higher education) can be implemented. Instead of that MHRD is issuing new circulars and notices.
The Central Government is non committal in spending minimum of 8 to 10% GOP for the development of higher education. The great betrayal was done by the government in RUSA scheme by denying funding to the aided private colleges.
Already there is assessment and accreditation agency called NAAC. MHRD introduced NIRF. All these make the higher education documentation centric and not student / learner centric. The government is not appointing aided teachers in private colleges. In a matter of few years, the aided teachers will retire and only management staff will be in the colleges. Talented management staff search for either government job or jobs in public sector banks. The talented pool of young teachers are either migrating abroad or other sectors.
To overcome these challenges there is a need to be more united, focused in our collective efforts and show the solidarity in negotiating with the government for better academic future.
Long live teacher’s movement.
Editor