Tirupati: MHRD steps towards transforming universities into a digital mode of instruction. Several initiations have been taken by the Central Government towards the universities. MHRD has taken up many programmes like National Digital Payment Mission and National Academic Depository.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India had asked the University Grants Commission to issue necessary advisory to all higher educational institutions that all monetary transactions of the institutions be done using digital modes of payment under the National Digital Payments Mission of MHRD.
UGC has issued a circular to all higher educational institutions to go for online payments. UGC has directed universities that all receipts and payments related to the functioning of the institutions like student fees, exam fees, vendor payments, salary payments etc should be made only through online or digital modes.
Along with this, UGC also directed the institutions to encourage Digital payments for students' services, Canteens and business establishments on the campus
Another programme National Academic Depository(NAD) is a system of creating and holding award details in electronic form and making them available for verification to employers and other Academic institutions.
NAD aims to bring in a wide range of benefits to Academic Institutions (AI), Students, Employers and Verifiers in the form of enhanced transparency, reduction in costs, better service standards and above all, mitigating reputation risk by eliminating fake and forged certificates.
The Union Cabinet has approved establishing a digital depository of academic awards to be known as National Academic Depository (NAD) on the pattern of securities depository in its meeting held on 27th October, 2016.
NAD will Operate in fully online mode, Allows lodging of Academic awards in a digital format, maintaining the integrity of access to the database and of the awards lodged in the database. Allow students to retrieve their lodged academic awards at any time.
Prof S. Vijaya Bhaskar Rao, Dean Research and Development, SV University said, "heading towards digital methods in the university is better reform, there are many benefits by using NAD like Permanent and safe record of all academic awards issued. No need for issuing duplicate academic awards, students can get it from NAD directly. There will be effective deterrence to fake and forged paper certificates. NDPM is also a great move, usage of funds will be more transparent. In future there will be more reforms in the universities."
Reforms needed in education system
Intellectuals feel that the governments should come up with major reforms in the Education sector. they feel that Indian Universities need to transform to compete with the universities in the international level.
A Senior faculty from SV University said, "Education is an important sector. Our system is lagging compared to developed countries. We have to replace the present syllabus with job oriented syllabus. Practical training is lacking among the most of the Indian universities. Even the students are feeling bored with the text book subjects. They are buffering in the internet for new concepts."
Dean Research and Development, SV University Mr S. Vijay Bhaskar Rao said, "I expect, There will be many reforms in the Education sector in the coming days. Now a days students are smarter they can find the subjects in the Internet. So, Mode of teaching need a completely change. We have make new policies to compete globally. Foreign universities gives the students a practical knowledge, We have to initiate the same process. We are conducting a seminar in SV university on Thursday about the similar subject."
SV university is organising a seminar to discuss on the subject 'Challenges in Higher Education for the Next generation learning'. The seminar is scheduled on Thursday at SV university Senate hall. SV university has invited eminent speakers to address the issue. Many universities now initiating the hands on practice for the students. universities are taking the students for industrial tours for giving them a practical knowledge.
