UGC’s New Ethics Course for PhD Students Is Welcome but Not Good Enough

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced a new mandatory course for PhD students to familiarise them with ethical issues relevant to conducting and publishing research. In the long term, the course presumably aims to reduce the prevalence of research misconduct, for which India has developed an unenviable reputation.

The coursework the UGC has specified is to be completed before registration, and spans six units with 30 hours of teaching and which are all together worth two credits. It will cover topics such as (but not limited to) scientific conduct, publication ethics, open access publishing and research metrics.

There are many reasons why the Indian scientific community has a poor reputation when it comes to research quality. One of them is that most scientists and students are not very fluent in English, the de facto language of research worldwide, and are inclined to repeat what others have said when they can’t say it themselves. Another is that the education system – aside from notable exceptions at the level of some universities – has downplayed the importance of not plagiarising or not cherry-picking data.

Further, and to echo R. Prasad, science editor at The Hindu, the course is welcome to the extent that it addresses data fabrication and falsification but disappointing because it doesn’t extend to image manipulation.

In 2019, The Hindu reported that a string of papers published by Indian scientists had been flagged on a research discussion platform for including images that had been modified and/or copied from other sources in order to support a result when in fact they didn’t. The scientists that authored these papers, and who were thus responsible for the manipulation, hailed from prestigious national and state-level institutions as well as less prominent places, suggesting that the problem wasn’t affected by access to resources or better working environments but was likely more systemic in nature.

That many of these scientists also hold senior positions in their respective organisations, ergo the image manipulation was intentional and not inadvertent, supports the same conclusion. For example, in 2017, it emerged that V. Ramakrishnan, the director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, had published 50 papers from 1984 to 2014 that contained plagiarised text – a charge that Ramakrishnan rejected.

While some people, including administrators and research funders, may only just be waking up to the true extent of the problem, Retraction Watch‘s searchable database of retracted papers suggests Indian scientists have been manipulating images for decades. Elisabeth Bik, a microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant, has also unearthed numerous papers on Twitter and the evaluation platform with problematic images and which had Indian authors.

The course is also limited because it doesn’t discuss, at least on the face of it, the consequences of engaging in unethical practices. Then again, if the corresponding sanctions exist, all institutes must implement them and uniformly so. Currently, very few researchers at various institutes have been appropriately punished for their transgressions, contributing to the widespread idea that, in India, you can plagiarise and flourish. It’s possible that simply ensuring intentional errors will be caught and dealt with, irrespective of who committed them and their stature within an institution, could significantly mitigate the extent of the problem. And if scientific institutions can make a habit of it, the UGC or any other body may have fewer reasons to interfere.

Thus, Prasad writes, “If UGC is serious about teaching research and publication ethics, it should make scientific conduct and publication ethics into two separate courses with sufficient teaching hours or devote more time to teach research ethics and necessarily include image preparation as part of the course.”

But if the course is going to be administered in its current form, then the UGC at least has to commit to two things: first, quantify the problem and maintain the numbers on record, and second, check whether the course achieved its intended outcomes, such as by reducing the number of cases of misconduct, once every five years and modify the course as necessary.

Source: The Wire, 10/01/2020

Varsities should send teachers on sabbatical leave for pursuing research: UGC panel

Universities and colleges should develop action plans to send mid-career teachers on sabbatical leave for pursuing research and writing, a panel set up by the UGC has recommended.

Universities and colleges should develop action plans to send mid-career teachers on sabbatical leave for pursuing research and writing, a panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended.

The four-member committee on “Promoting and improving quality of research in Indian universities and colleges” headed by professor P Balaram, former director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, recently submitted its report to the commission.

“The UGC should encourage and support state universities and affiliated colleges to put in place a rigorous but generous program that would offer sabbatical leave to mid-career teachers for pursuing research and writing books and monographs which consolidated accumulated original research knowledge,” the panel said in its report.

The report said mid-career national level sabbatical awards on a competitive basis for a year may be introduced enabling 50-100 faculty-members to pursue research which may also provide an opportunity for faculty to build collaborative contacts with major national and international institutions.

“Such opportunities must be mandated in both public and private institutions,” the report said.

Developing classroom pedagogy, curricula and system of assessment, promoting academic integrity, remedial teaching, encouraging vernacular languages, use of technology and media platforms and policy internships, are among the other recommendations made by the committee.

Source: Hindustan Times, 8/08/2019

Record 55,000 clear UGC-NET

Over 55,000 candidates have cleared the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test to qualify as assistant professor and get a Junior Research Fellowship grant. This is the highestever number of candidates to have passed the exam. Last year, the number was around 38,000.

This time, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced these results in a record threeweek time. The exam was conducted on July 8 and the results were announced by the board on Tuesday. So far, the board used to take at least three months to do the same.

Although 11.48 lakh candidates had registered, 8.59 lakh appeared for the exam, around 6.5% of whom finally made the cut. For the first time, it was made into a twopaper exam (one general, meant for all candidates, and a subject paper) from the earlier three-paper one. The exam was conducted for 84 different subjects.

This year, the numbers of candidates registered (11,48,235) and appeared (8,59,498) are also the highest ever for the exam.

As per UGC norms, 6% candidates are allowed to clear the exam, but this time the number increased to around 6.5% due to the bunching of marks.

CBSE officials attributed use of more manpower to the early announcement of the results.

In the third week of July, the board uploaded OMR (optical mark resolution) sheet images and the answers, and invited challenges till July 27. According to CBSE sources, it received three kinds of challenges — some blackened two circles of the same question and requested the board to consider only one circle, others asked for subject change at the time of the examination and some candidates pointed out a few corrections in questions. While the first two challenges were turned down, the board put the third challenge before experts and implemented their advice.

Source: Times of India, 1/08/2018

UGC, AICTE to be history soon; govt to bring new higher education regulator

UGC and AICTE are soon going to be a thing of the past with the government planning to replace them with a single higher education regulator.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) are soon going to be a thing of the past with the government planning to replace them with a single higher education regulator.

The proposed Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA) is aimed at eliminating overlaps in jurisdiction and remove irrelevant regulatory provisions.

The HRD ministry is working with Niti Aayog on the plan of bringing technical as well as non-technical institutions under the same umbrella.

According to sources, a detailed blueprint of the proposed regulator and its legislation is being worked upon.

“Both Niti Aayog and HRD ministry officials are working on the plan. It was felt that multiple regulatory bodies led to excessive and restrictive regulation and hence contributed to lack of institutional autonomy,” a source said.

However, the plan to have a single higher education regulator is not a new one but has been recommended by various committees set up by the government.

Source: Hindustan Times, 6-06-2017

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launches UGC App to fight Ragging

New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar today launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) here in New Delhi. Speaking on this occasion Shri Javadekar said this mobile app will help students register complaints to counter the menace of ragging.

The Minister said earlier one had to visit the website for registering a complaint of ragging and our record shows that timely action was taken which in turn had resulted in the decrease of such instances. But still this ill has to be eliminated completely, he said.

Shri Javadekar said as per his knowledge in campuses majority of senior students actually help guide their juniors and properly mentor them, but in few cases ragging happens which needs to be completely eliminated from campuses. He said “physical or mental torture of a new student is ragging which we won’t allow, this is unacceptable and therefore this app will become a handy tool to any student who goes through such experience.”

The Minister said this app will work on android system on which students can log in and register their complaints immediately. Accordingly all concerned will be informed immediately and action will start immediately.

He said it is a good step for protection and will give a feeling of security to students. The Minister categorically cautioned that those who are involved in ragging will not be tolerated and they will not be allowed to continue their education in that institution. At the same time they will meet severe penalty and punishment as per the law. However the Minister expressed hope that good senior students will act as mentors for their juniors.

Source: Indiaeducationdiary, 30-05-2017

UGC approves guidelines for creating 20 ‘world-class’ institutions

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved the proposed guidelines for creating 20 world-class institutions in the country. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Commission held on Wednesday.

Sources also said that with the UGC clearing the final draft for creating 20 world-class universities, the proposal is likely to go to Cabinet soon.

The Modi government has been focussing on creating 20 world class institutions, ten in public and ten in the private sector. A more liberal regulatory framework has been recommended for these institutes as they will get more autonomy in designing syllabi and deciding fee structure. Teachers would also be allowed to take up consultancy work among others.

It is learnt that government sector institutions may be given financial support of up to Rs1000 crore each, sources said.

Rather than being called world class institutes they will be called ‘institutes of eminence’, sources said. Officials said UGC regulations will not be applicable in most part to these 20 institutes. The changes to the regulations were made following the feedback the ministry received after they were presented in the public domain.

Meanwhile, a report of the pay review committee headed by UGC member VS Chauhan, to recommend fresh pay scales for university and college teachers was also submitted and will be examined by the HRD ministry.

The announcement had come last year in the middle of an agitation by teachers against the UGC and the HRD ministry over increase in class hours and research commitments. The teachers have been demanding a pay revision.

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-02-2017

Loopholes in CBSE’s NET

n 2014, the University Grants Commission (UGC) handed over the responsibility of conducting the National Eligibility Test (NET), for qualification to the post of Assistant Professor, to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Though this did not seem, on the face of it, much of a change, the harsh reality of this change sunk in on the day of the exam. The exams used to be conducted in universities or colleges earlier. These were places easily accessible, and had canteens and small time eating places around their campuses. With the exam centres shifting to CBSE schools, of which a large number are inaccessible, came their inherent culture that does not take into consideration those without a deep pocket to dip into. Many of these schools are located in the outskirts and fringes of the ever-growing cities. And many such schools exist within townships that are cut off from the rest of the world. For instance, an international school in Coimbatore is bordered off on all sides from the world outside. Probably this is how parents want their children to grow up. With the time given for lunch break, it is impossible for a candidate to reach the gate by foot and have something to eat and return to the hall on time. To add to the misery, there aren’t any eateries around such state of the art educational institutions. The management of the school also ensures that the children who study there don’t catch a glimpse of the common man’s eateries or shacks as that is not what parents want today. While some schools are kind enough to allow a classroom for students to keep their bags in which many carry their food, there are schools that don’t provide such space to leave bags too. Not every student will have a driver outside waiting with the bag in a car or parents who stand in the sun all day outside such gated communities or sit down by the shade of some lonely tree. A particular centre in Kerala had more frisking than in many airports. And it was really amusing to find a young teacher taking a man, almost twice his age to the washroom to attend nature’s call. It is, incidentally a spectacle when elderly persons, sometimes with grey hairs, attempt to clear this eligibility test to teach in colleges. When the man raised his eyebrows, the teacher told him that the rules demanded this. Thank god CBSE does not insist that the exam invigilators are supposed to ensure that the candidate uses the washroom properly. Again take the case of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, a city burgeoning on all sides, and with increasing demand for education from the new elite, many new schools are opening up in the fringes. After CBSE took the responsibility of conducting the NET exams, the centres have shifted towards such schools. For students travelling from unknown places in order to get an opportunity to serve this very nation by becoming college and university teachers, it is really inaccessible.
Another issue is that many such townships might not have local bus services and even if there is, it might be very less frequent. As for people living in such places and going to such big schools, they would definitely be using AC school buses or cars. These are issues any organisation or autonomous body must be concerned about. Like the IITs and IIMs, wouldNET too become inaccessible to the marginalised in this country soon? Change is good and development is needed, as long as it is inclusive. Any change or development that is exclusive would only lead to the increase in disparities. This is similar to the hole in the ozone layer, which if big, will destroy the nation even faster. The educational system in India is already heading towards a disaster with its disparities. A chance to save the nation is a better tomorrow. For a better tomorrow we need to educate the students today. And for that we need good teachers. And the necessary devil to become a teacher is the NET. Many have argued against the very format of this examination for the selection of a very matured and responsible position. But let us now get together and stop the very exam from becoming exclusive and bring this to the notice of the UGC and request them to look into the matter and hence make this exam candidate-friendly and more sensible and sensitive.

Source: DNA, 29-01-2017

Some laugh it off, others fume at NAAC score

New Delhi: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





DU Teachers See Ratings As A Ploy To Further `Privatisation Agenda'

Many in Delhi University have taken the National Assessment and Accreditation Council's (NAAC) ratings with a healthy dose of scepticism. It's not surprising that the CGPA scores and the inevitable ranking of them do not match either the public perception or the actual worth of the institutions judged. Consequently , St Stephen's ranking below less popular colleges in DU is mildly embarrassing but not to be taken too seriously.“The quality of teachers hasn't gone down,“ said Nandita Narain who teaches mathematics at the college. “Students come to us for the lectures, tutorials, extra-curricular activities and the atmosphere. We haven't lost any of that.“ She maintained that the interaction with faculty members had gone well but the one with students may have been less cordial.
St Stephen's, as another senior teacher pointed out, was going through a phase of turmoil when the NAAC process was undertaken. Practically all of 2015 was spent in unsavoury battles with various students--one over an e-magazine and another, a sexual harassment case--that went to court. This, together with attempts to amend the college's constitution led to “severe polarisation“ in the college.
“NAAC requires you to have an internal quality assessment committee, which includes the most senior teachers. The committee formed had new, junior teachers and most of the data was not provided at all,“ he said. The tea cher alleged that the former principal had himself complained of the faculty being “fossilised.“ “He (the ex-principal) was trying to tell everyone that the college is going to the dogs because of the teachers,“ he said. “The NAAC score is a complete misrepresentation.“
NAAC may not capture the real picture even in times of peace. As Narain opines, members of the Delhi University Teachers' Association at least don't take the NAAC terribly seriously“. “We see this as a ploy to further their privatisation agenda by linking NAAC to funding. Those doing well will be pushed toward autonomy ,“ she said.
Academics fear this will be used to “de-link“ the colleges with better grades from the universities and get them to “generate their own funds.“ “This means dismembering the university and could mean massive fee hike,“ said Rudrashish Chakraborty of the English department at Kirori Mal College. That, in turn, will impact diversity that NAAC seeks to reward.
Chakraborty doesn't believe the NAAC score reflects the real picture. He helped with the process at KMC, that's received a 3.54 score--the third highest in DU so far--more out of “loyalty to the institution“ than any faith in the value of the accredita tion. “NAAC follows a one-size-fits-all norm, a uniform set for universities and colleges.That can't work. It doesn't take into account the material conditions of different institutions and how they survive.The only objective of this is to give legitimacy to private educational institutions in terms of grades,“ he said.
Both Chakraborty and Narain point out that there's “disproportionate weightage“ to research in undergraduate college and to parameters over which colleges may not have a lot of control--infrastructure for public-funded institutions, curriculum, leadership when they are ruled centrally by the university administration.
“The criteria have to be finely calibrated keeping in mind the diversity of the education system but these considerations are hardly factored in,“ said Chakraborty .“NAAC doesn't have a mechanism to recognise the contribution of teachers in the classroom, that is, good teaching which benefits students. It ends up promoting self-interest in the form of individual research and projects at the cost of collective interest, especially that of students.“
Facilities for research for non-science subjects are hard to come by too and how do you increase support for students without funds? “This is a very mechanical way of looking at things. There's nothing academic about it, no depth or serious exploration of the actual problems. Where there should be a surprise visit, we have a three-day carnival,“ he retorted.
The good it does is incidental to the actual process and purpose of the exercise.KMC and several other colleges refurbished and augmented their infrastructure for the NAAC assessment round.“It brought the college that had been in a state of decline together. It arrested that decline. It created a bond between all the stakeholders--teachers, students, parents--and created a social bond in the professional space,“ added Chakraborty .

Source: Times of India, 28-12-2016

Beware the cultural revolution

Government directive to educational institutions to execute the digital financial literacy mission subverts the idea of the university.

Cultural revolution, feared by this writer and promised by a minister of the Modi government in these pages, has begun in India. As in the Cultural Revolution in China, universities, schools and educational institutions are being harnessed to unleash it on the country.

In an unprecedented and outrageous move, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has asked institutions of higher education to deploy their students, faculty and other resources to implement this government’s scheme of turning India into a cashless society. A high-sounding name has been found for this drive: The Digital Financial Literacy Mission. All central universities, IITs, AISERs and other institutions have been asked to rope in students and train them to be digital finance educators. They will fan out in the bazaars, like Sadar Bazar and Azadpur Sabzi Mandi in Delhi, to teach street vendors and shopkeepers the technicalities of cashless transactions.
They are expected to train traders in using the machines and apprise them of the benefits of moving towards a cashless society.

The MHRD has issued a four-page circular, where it calls the scheme a transformational mission. The ministry has asked the directors/heads of institutions to ensure that the mission is undertaken earnestly. Not only are organisations like the NCC and the NSS to be used, but to ensure the participation of students, the ministry has asked the institutions to make it an academic programme and award credits. The language of the circular is one of command, not of suggestion.

The merit of the government’s intention to make India a fully digitised or cashless economy apart, we need to ask how the drive against black money morphed into a mission to make a cashless society. That will happen once we regain our senses and have the right information. But we know that not all economists and financial experts are in agreement with the government’s claims. Sociologists and psychologists are supposed to study the impact of the shift on societal behaviour and tell the society about its long-term implication.

In short, students would expect their teachers to lead them to a process of analysing and criticising the government’s move. What is the other way of creating knowledge about this situation and creating an ethos where informed discussion becomes possible, instead of being forced to choose between the competing claims?

If the Centre is right in using the universities to change the financial habits of the people, why should the government of Bihar not ask students and teachers in that state to work as prohibition volunteers? After all both governments seek legitimacy in the language of morality.

Universities are neither cheerleaders nor footsoldiers of the government of the day. Universities are also not the implementation agency of governments. Forget the government, which in a democracy is supposed to be temporary, even the state and society do not bind the universities to them in a utilitarian relationship. Universities, though created and supported by the state and society, are meant to maintain a respectable distance from the two institutions. There are different theories of knowledge creation, but we can be sure about one thing. If the university merges its interests and being with the centre of power, it loses the ability to talk about it in a language of knowledge. The university is not a spokesperson of the government.

We also know that, from time to time, governments feel tempted to make use of the youth in the campuses to implement their policies. The cover of national interest is used for the purpose. Fight against terrorism is a national mission in many countries. But when the UK government sought to turn the faculty and students into informers and informants, it faced strong opposition. The government was forced to retreat.

What is noble and urgent and universal in the eyes of the government need to be questioned if we are to be true inheritors of the shastras, Plato, Socrates, Gandhi and Foucault. The claims of the government need to put to the severest test. Who will do it if not universities, for they alone have the necessary tools.

The government’s order does two things: It discourages, rather disallows, the faculty and student, to study and examine the state’s move, and uses an unpaid youth population to force people to accept its plan. Involvement of the universities will give the scheme a veneer of respectability.

This was coming. In the last two-and-half years, universities have been receiving circulars directly from the Centre. The UGC has been reduced to a post office that routes government orders. Universities have been ordered to observe days like Swachhata Divas, Ekta Divas, Samvidhan Divas, etc. They are asked to submit proof of implementation of the government order. These orders infantilise and trivialise the nature of the university. But unfortunately, heads of our institutions lack the courage to stand up to the government and say the faculty decides the agenda for the campus.

An innocuous sounding word like divyang coined by the prime minister has entered the administrative vocabulary of academic institutions without any debate. When power becomes the source of wisdom, and when knowledge seekers and creaters reduce themselves to the state of followers, we need to worry.

The writer teaches at Delhi University

Source: Indian Express, 10-12-2016

Students promoting digital economy to earn extra credits

Bengaluru TIMES NEWS NETWORK





Students participating in PM's movement for a cashless economy will be rewarded with extra credits from December 12.Following a directive from Union HRD minister, University Grants Commission (UGC) has sent a circular to higher educational institutions, asking them to encourage students to join the Centre's cashless campaign by educating the common man on different modes of digital payments.
As part of HRD mini stry's Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan, students will have to share their experiences on using digital platforms whi le guiding new users. The effort will be to create cashless campuses. Directors of all institutions will have to ensure that credits are given to student volunteers of Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan.
Making an appeal to students, Union minister of state for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey told TOI in Lucknow: “India has 7.5 crore students. If we are able to mobilise two crore youth to train shopkeepers and those from older generation make payments online, we will make a difference in going digital and boosting our economy .“

Source: Times of India, 7-12-2016

600 univs set to go cashless to use UGC funds

Deepika Burli

Bengaluru:





Universities across the country may now have to resort to cashless means like bank transfers, cheques and credit debit cards while making use of periodic funds from University Grants Commission (UGC).In a directive to the 600odd universities which come under it, UGC has proposed that they may make use of the current system of demand drafts only on rare occasions. The commission said the move was in order to bring in accountability , transparency and seamlessness in the process of transfer of grants. The commission said it has virtually made payments cashless and decreased the interface between stakeholders and employees of the organisation. The commission typically disburses grants through its flagship Public Financial Management System (PFMS). Each university is required to register by filling up details on the portal to ensure funds reach them from the commission as scheduled.
“The Commission had introduced disbursement of grants through the PFMS and to ensure timely disposal of fellowships and scholarships, the UGC has been vigorously following the policy of their disposal through direct benefit transfer which also uses the PFMS transfer,“ stated the circular.
“Going cashless is an excellent move and it increases accountability and transparency in the system,“ said Ninge Gowda, registrar (administration) of Bangalore University .

Source: Times of India, 7-12-2016





Regulating research

The University Grants Commission has notified its regulations regarding minimum standards and procedures for the award of M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees in the Gazette of India dated 5 July 2016. Institutions of higher learning are examining the document and trying to devise the modalities of implementation. There are several provisions in the regulations which will help researchers. For instance, women researchers will be allowed 240 days of maternity or child-care leave and transfer of their research across universities. Course work was introduced in the M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes a couple of years back and the same is expected to be streamlined with the latest regulations. This is welcome because coursework prepares candidates for conducting research.

Archiving soft copies of M.Phil and Ph.D. thesis on the internet was also started a few years back; the current regulations recommend continuation of the practice. The database thus generated will help investigators to review the dissertations. Moreover, it will help check plagiarism.

But a few features of the regulations have left the academic circuit in a quandary. Stringent measures have been recommended to improve the quality of research. M.Phil and Ph.D aspirants will have to appear for an entrance test. Half of the questions will assess the candidate’s grasp over methodology and the other half will evaluate one’s knowledge of the subject.  Those candidates who secure at least 50 per cent in the test will be called for interview, where they will be asked to discuss their research proposal. Also to be assessed is their potential to undertake the proposed research. Selected candidates would be enrolled for M.Phil. or Ph.D programmes. After enrolment, research students will have to engage in coursework and qualify.  The evaluation of the researcher’s performance in the coursework will be monitored not only by the department, but also by the institution’s research advisory committee.

The new regulations stipulate that researchers will have to present six-monthly reports on their progress to the Advisory Committee for assessment.  In a word, researchers will have to be on their toes. Before submitting the thesis, researchers will have to discuss the highlights of their investigation in a seminar attended by members of the Research Advisory Committee, other faculty members, and research students.  The suggestions of these experts are expected to be incorporated by the researcher in the thesis. Satisfactory performance by the researcher in defence of the investigation will facilitate submission of the thesis. Of course, the pre-submission seminar is nothing new, but the continuation of a rational exercise.

Besides, the researchers will have to fulfil certain other conditions before they are permitted to submit their thesis. M.Phil candidates will have to produce evidence that they had presented at least one research paper at a conference or seminar. Aspirants for Ph.D. will have to testify that they have published at least one research paper in an academic journal of repute, and have presented at least two research papers in conferences or seminars. Evaluation of the Ph.D. thesis would be done by the research supervisor and two examiners belonging to institutions other than the one to which the researcher belongs. One of the two external examiners might be from abroad. If the external examiners find the thesis satisfactory and recommend the conduct of viva-voce, the researcher would be permitted to face the viva in an open forum. This examination has to be conducted by the research supervisor and another examiner who does not belong to the same institution as the researcher. In the viva-voce, the researcher would be asked questions based on critiques of the investigation. It will be attended by members of the research advisory committee, other faculty members, research students and experts.

After meeting these challenges the researcher is awarded the M.Phil or Ph.D. degree. These regulations are desirable as the aim is to ensure diligence of researchers and improve the quality of research. But the quality of guided research does not depend wholly on the performance of researchers. The role of research supervisors is crucial. The regulations notified by the UGC seem to falter on that score.

According to the regulatory authority, a full-time regular teacher of a recognised university or academic institution can supervise M.Phil/ Ph.D research. This in effect excludes retired teachers from research guidance.  Why should a seasoned research guide, who has phenomenal knowledge and is in good health, be debarred from supervising the work of M.Phil or Ph.D. students. The UGC must reflect on this decision. Retired academics with proven track record of research and physical fitness are in a position to devote more time to research guidance than those in service. Ignoring this pool of talent would be detrimental to the cause of learning in the larger perspective. The  UGC has declared that apart from universities or institutions of higher learning, colleges with post-graduate departments and research laboratories of the central or state government could also run M.Phil and Ph.D programmes provided they have at least two teachers or scientists with Ph.D. degrees. The UGC needs to specify whether only academics engaged in post-graduate teaching and research will be entitled to guide M.Phil and Ph.D research. This loophole in the notification needs irgently to be addressed.

Moreover, the UGC has stipulated that Professors or Assistant Professors with Ph.D degree and credited with at least two research publications could serve as research supervisors. These requirements can be met very easily. The UGC must raise the bar to ensure excellence in research guidance. Otherwise, inept guides will flood the higher education segment. To enhance promotion prospects, they will be anxious to increase scores in terms of academic performance indicators. The high quality and rigorous process of research, which the UGC is aiming at, will not attain fruition if research supervisors lack expertise.  The academic careers of many researchers would be ruined if they are not supported suitably by supervisors who are themselves active in research.

Just as the UGC wants researchers to work hard, it should ensure that guides are equally committed. A mechanism to evaluate roles of the guides must be in place.

The UGC’s ambitious endeavour to nurture excellence in guided research will fail if guides do not serve as path-finders and role models they ought to be. Research supervision is both a science and an art. Instead of handing over the responsibility of guiding research to individuals who lack the wherewithal to do so, the UGC must allow them time to prepare. More publications, more paper presentations, and more projects will obviously figure prominently in the preparation. Besides, hands-on training by veteran research guides would be useful. Orientation and refresher courses should include modules pertaining to research supervision. Novices could begin by guiding M. Phil. students and later graduate to supervision of Ph.D candidates in collaboration with other guides. Only when the reasonably elevated benchmarks are attained by academics, should they be allowed to guide Ph.D. candidates independently. If the UGC realises the lopsided nature of its regulations and initiates a course-correction, can we expect research work that is marked by brilliance and scholarly rigour?

Source: The Statesman, 1-11-2016

Change in recruitment rules irks UGC officials

Akshaya Mukul

New Delhi:





A change in recruitment rules has led to resentment in the University Grants Commission (UGC), resulting in more than 15 officers submitting a representation to the secretary of the higher education regulator requesting that the rules be either amended or kept in abeyance.Officers, who plan to knock at the doors of Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar, allege that the new recruitment rules notified in August could create a chasm between direct recruits at the level of deputy secretary or joint secretary and promotees.
For instance, the new recruitment rules mandate that only a person with a first class in masters degree can be promoted to the post of deputy secretary , the aggrieved officers said.
They added that a large number of under secretaries and education officers in the UGC had a PhD but did not have first class in postgraduation.
“They cannot be promoted as deputy secretary now,“ an officer said, pointing out that the commission had prescribed 55% in postgraduation for assistant professors.
The officers said the qualification requirement for the position of joint secretary was “ironic“. It says a person should have a “doctorate in any discipline with first or second class masters degree“. An officer said, “This criteria means that someone who is not eligible for the post of deputy secretary either through direct recruitment or through promotion due to second class in masters can become eligible for the post of joint secretary .“
A questionnaire sent to the UGC early in September went unanswered.
Another problem with the new recruitment rules, officers said, was the capping of age at 45 years (relaxable up to five years) for promotion to the position of deputy secretary.
“This means several eligible officers will have to continue as education officer or under secretary until retirement just because they have crossed the age limit,“ the officer said.
Similar problems have been pointed out in the case of promotion to the post of joint secretary .

Source: Times of India, 5-10-2016

Aadhaar not required for UGC scholarships

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared that Aadhaar card is not a mandatory requirement to avail its scholarships.

 “Any student who has applied or wishing to apply for scholarship/fellowship shall not be denied benefit thereof due to non availability of Aadhaar card,” UGC deputy secretary Dr Sunita Siwach said recently in a statement.

 The applicants, however, will have to provide an alternate means of verification of identity and concerned bank account to the satisfaction of the competent authority.

The statement came months after the UGC had issued notices to all the universities, colleges and institutions directing the students to provide Aadhaar card number for availing scholarship at the time of application.

“The MHRD has instructed the UGC to ensure that from the financial year 2016-17, the Aadhaar number will be used as a mandatory identifier for disbursement of all scholarships/fellowships, which are to be disbursed directly to the account of individual beneficiaries. The universities are requested to seek the details of the beneficiaries and put all information on universities/institutions website and email a copy of the same immediately to UGC deputy secretary Dr Sunita Siwach,” UGC secretary Jaspal Sandhu had said in that directive.

The notice also stated that since all scholarships that are disbursed through UGC are not under the DBT mode, it would be switched over to DBT mode for which the requisite data would be filled and verified by the host institution.

The commission even requested that in case some the beneficiaries who do not have Aadhaar cards are required to enroll themselves immediately in the Regional Offices of Unique ldentification Authority of India (UlDAl) Government of India for obtaining the same.

Source: digitallearning, 16-9-2016

UGC amends norms to give more say to deemed univs

New Delhi TIMES NEWS NETWORK





The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made major amendments in the regulations for deemed universities, taking away the element of subjectivity and adding new features that will reduce government interference. Most of the deemed universities (88 of 123) are privately managed while only 35 are government controlled.To set up deemed university under de novo (new areas of learning), promoters will have to give a Letter of Intent. Be it private or government, a deemed university will have to be set up within three years.Earlier, deeemed status could be acquired only after setting up the institution.
At the same time, subjectivity has been taken away by specifying as to how many departments and number of teachers will be required to get the status. Also, instead of making it mandatory to only fulfil land requirement, builtup area has been specified. A deemed university will need 40% open area and 60% builtup area that give floor space of 10sq.m per student.

Source: Times of India, 25-05-2016

UGC to soon notify modified academic performance indicators





The contentious Academic Performance Indicators (API) that had the university teaching community up in arms across the country since 2010 has been modified and made flexible with onus back on teaching while caps on various sub-categories of research have been removed.Also for the first time, student feedback has been introduced. Only students with 75% or more attendance will be able to evaluate their teachers. UGC will shortly notify the modified API. “The existing API despite few amendments in the past was not favourable to teachers who only do teaching and was also resulting in poor quality research and publication in all sorts of academic journals,“ a source said.
In the new API, under the category of teachinglearning evaluation, a teacher will have to annually get 100 points at the level of assistant professor, 90 at the level of associate professor and 80 for professors. Student evaluation has been introduced and the five sub-categories of earlier API has been made into four.
Categories of co-curricular activities and research earlier evaluated together will now be evaluated individually as well as collectively depending on certain factors. Sources said in the earlier API too much subjectivity was involved in case of co-curricular activities with college principals and vice-chancellors often acting as final authority .Now it has been simplified and scores have been reduced. Also, evaluation of these two categories will not be done annually .Even new field of co-curricular activity has been introduced to inculcate value education. The new fields are sports, NSS, NCC, field trips and few others.
In case of research, sub-categories remain the same but cap of minimum score from each sub-category has been removed.For instance, in earlier API a teacher had to get 55% from research paperspublications, 20% from research projects, 10% from research guidance undergraduate dissertations and 15% from training course and conferenceseminars. Now a teacher can score from any sub-category .

Source| The Times of India (Mumbai), May 13 2016, p.17

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=UGC-to-soon-notify-modified-academic-performance-indicators-13052016015015

UGC’s funding declines 55 per cent

The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) budget allocation has been cut by almost 55 per cent, from Rs 9315.45 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 4286.94 crore in 2016-17. The UGC provides funds and maintains standards in institutions of higher education.

The UGC’s funding has declined with the setting up of a Higher Education Financing Agency and increased focus on the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Higher Education Financing Agency would be set up with an initial capital base of Rs 1,000 crore. The Financing agency will leverage funds from the market and supplement them with donations.

In the current financial year, a provision of Rs 1,300 crore has been made in the Budget for the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, up from Rs 1,155 crore. Launched in 2013, the centrally sponsored scheme aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions.

The total allocation for the department of higher education has increased to Rs 28,840 crore from Rs 25,399 crore. This amount includes provisions for various technical institutions. A sum of Rs 190 crore has been earmarked for setting up of new IITs and Rs 695 crore for IIMs.

Source: Elets News Network (ENN) Posted on March 4, 2016

UGC to rank all univs, irks watchdogs

Pavan MV

Bengaluru:





Even Private Colleges To Come Under Its Ambit

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has said it will rank all institutions across the country , including colleges for the study of engineering and medicine, in a move that has been panned as “overreach“ by many watchdogs. Private colleges and universities will also come under the ratings' ambit.Predictably , the move has annoyed other regulatory agencies, like the All India Council for Technical Education (for engineering), the Medical Council of India (medical), and the UGC's own statutory authority National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
This is the first time the UGC has set out to rank edu ational institutions.
Having come up with a National Institution Rank ng Framework (NIRF) for universities and colleges, the UGC has directed all institu ions to participate in the ranking exercise by registering themselves on the NIRF website. To rank institutions, the UGC has decided different parameters under NIRF.
It will announce the rankings in April 2016.
For one, the move has created confusion among educationists in Karnataka. Just a few months ago, they point out, the Karnataka State Higher Education Council had decided to rank and rate universities.
In its directive to universities regarding NIRF, the UGC ties regarding NIRF, the UGC said, “The best learning experience in the ideal environment is the ultimate objective of every institution. This objective becomes more highlighted when institutions are constantly adjudged on the basis of excellence in teaching and learning, excellence in research and innovations and excellence in engage ment. Institutions are also expected to provide inspiring learning and living environment on their campuses.“
“These are some parameters which are looked into by students and parents whilst making an informed choice of pursuing a programme in any institution of higher learning,“ it added.
R Chandrashekara, secretary of the Forum of Former Vice-chancellors of Karnataka State Universities, told TOI that ranking institutions at the national level will prove difficult. Since the NAAC grades universities, the NIRF is not required.State-level committees are enough to rate universities and colleges, he added.
“Does the NIRF have sufficient manpower to assess and rank all institutions in the country?“ Chandrashekara added.

Source: Times of India, 17-12-2015