“My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.”
Cary Grant
“जिंदगी का मेरा सूत्र बहुत ही सरल है। मैं सुबह जागता हूं तथा रात को सो जाता हूं। इसके बीच में मैं जितना हो सके स्वयं को व्यस्त रखता हूं।”
केरी ग्रांट
In a move aligned with global norms and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the higher education regulator in India, the University Grants Commission (UGC), is set to introduce a fresh range of college degree names. These changes aim to enhance the flexibility and alignment of degree programs with contemporary educational requirements.
Section 22 of the UGC Act has the provisions to empower the Universities Grants Commission to notify new degree nomenclatures. It is in line with this provision that the UGC is planning to introduce new names that align with the aspirations of the NEP 2020.
Traditionally, Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees have been associated with science subjects in India, while Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees have encompassed arts, humanities, and social sciences. However, considering the restructuring proposed by the NEP 2020, a committee appointed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended the introduction of Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees for all four-year undergraduate honours programs, regardless of the discipline. This change emphasizes a more comprehensive understanding of the evolving academic landscape.
The committee’s recommendations extend beyond undergraduate programs. They suggest that universities can adopt the Master of Science (MS) nomenclature for postgraduate programs, even in non-science disciplines like arts, humanities, management, and commerce. This move acknowledges the evolving nature of knowledge domains and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in today’s world.
Harvard University, known for its academic excellence, offers both BA and BS degrees in engineering sciences. The differentiation lies in the curriculum and requirements. A BA engineering student earns fewer credits and has more flexibility to explore other fields of interest, while a BS engineering student receives a more specialized and technically rigorous education. This approach recognizes the diverse aspirations and preferences of students, allowing them to tailor their education accordingly.
The committee’s recommendations also include the introduction of the ‘Hons’ designation for four-year undergraduate honours programs. For instance, degrees like BA (Hons), BCom (Hons), or BS (Hons) will signify the additional depth and research components incorporated into these programs. This step acknowledges the importance of research-oriented education and promotes a spirit of inquiry among students.
Aligned with the NEP 2020’s directive, the committee recommends discontinuing the ‘MPhil’ degree. This move aims to streamline the educational landscape and reduce redundancies in academic programs, aligning them with global practices.
Acknowledging the varying pace of learning, the committee suggests that if a student has earned all the required credits for a program before its official duration, they should be eligible for the award of the respective qualification. This recognizes individual progress and encourages lifelong learning.
A legislation enacted in Arunachal Pradesh in 2014, the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA), is currently under the scanner, with civil society organisations demanding its repeal and a petition challenging it before the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court.
What is the APUAPA?
The APUAPA was notified in 2014 “to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations.” It enables the state government or any official not below the rank of a Secretary to the State Government or a District Magistrate to make on order for detaining certain categories of people to prevent them from “acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State, or maintenance of public order or maintenance of daily supplies and services essential to the public”.
These categories of people include “any person who is bootlegger, habitual depredator of environment, habitual drug offender, property grabber, dangerous persons, unlawful persons associated with unlawful activities”
The Act defines public order as having been affected adversely as “directly or indirectly causing or is likely to cause any harm, danger or alarm or feeling of insecurity among the general public or any section thereof or a grave or widespread danger to life, property or public health.”
Within three weeks of detention, the matter is to be placed before an advisory board which will give its opinion on whether there is sufficient cause for detention of an individual. If its opinion is that there is sufficient cause, a person can be detained for up to six months under the act.
What prompted the current focus on this Act?
The Act suddenly drew attention last month when 41 people were booked and detained under it after a call was issued for a 72-hour bandh in various districts of the state from May 10 to 12. These included prominent anti-corruption activist Sol Dodum, Aam Aadmi Party’s Arunachal Pradesh convener Tana TamThe bandh call had been issued in protest against the 2022 Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission paper leak case in which 42 government employees have been arrested so far. The protest call was to demand the implementation of 13-point charter of demands, including declaring all examinations conducted by the APPSC where anomalies were found as “null and void”. Thirty people had been detained under the APUAPA on May 9 and 10 even before the bandh commenced. Eighteen of them were released on May 29, while the remaining were released last week.ar Tara, and Chairman of Pro-Dam Movement of Arunachal Pradesh Taw Paul.
Was this the first time the APUAPA was invoked?
According to lawyer Ebo Milli, while the Act has been invoked in the past, the mass detentions under it in this case drew the attention of a population among which awareness on this Act had been limited so far.
“They did use APUAPA earlier too but not on such a scale. The reason there has been a huge outcry this time is that those detained were vocal about a fair probe into the APSC fiasco. Many people became aware of the APUAPA only after the current detentions,” Milli said. What are the grounds on which it is being opposed?
Activist Gyadi Paying has filed a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Act and seeking its abolition. Among the grounds on which this is being sought is that it does not allow a detainee legal representation before the advisory board deliberating on their case, which, the petition states, is a violation of fundamental rights.
The petition also points to a clause of the Act in which if the officer making the detention order has reason to believe that the person for whom the order has been made is absconding, they may apply provisions of the CrPC attaching the person’s property. This, the petition states, amounts to “illegal encroachment beyond the jurisdiction of a district magistrate”.
The Arunachal Law Students’ Union has also demanded its repeal, calling it draconian and arbitrary.“This Act talks about violation of environmental issues, drugs smugglers, property destruction, obstruction of daily necessities, etc. which are already covered under IPC and other laws. Why does the government need extra power when these violators can be booked under given laws?” said Mill
Written by Sukrita Baruah
Source: Indian Express, 14/06/23
“It is not length of life, but depth of life, which is important.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“लम्बी आयु का महत्त्व नहीं है जितना महत्त्व इसकी गहनता है।”
राल्फ वाल्डो एमर्सन