Chennai: Stressing the need to revamp the regulatory regime in higher education, the T.S.R. Subramanian's committee on its report on New Education Policy said, "The system of higher education is in crisis."
The committee headed by former cabinet secretary T.S.R. Subramanian tasked with the preparing a report on new education policy. The committee had submitted its report recently to the Ministry of Human Resources Development. The report is yet to be made public by the government.
In the report, the committee deplored the corruption in granting approvals and recognition to higher education institutions.
While stressing for the regulatory regime in higher education with the capacity and sensitivity to deal with different categories of institutions of different quality, it wanted the best institutions to be left alone to develop and flourish according to their potential. It also called for ruthlessly weeding out of institutions which are lying at the bottom.
“Overall process of accreditation shall be governed by a National Accreditation Board (NAB) subsuming NAAC and NBA, which will provide oversight, define methodology, undertake research on accreditation and set standards,” the report said.
Each institution shall be placed within its category in a rank of I to VII, category VII being the highest and I being the lowest. The best institutions would have autonomy in all respects, including faculty payments, fee structure, collaborations, etc. Every institution shall be evaluated at least once in five years, it suggested.
To cover the present and future needs of higher education sector, the National Higher Education Promotion and Management bill will be enacted, it recommended. The burden of affiliating universities to exercise academic and administrative oversight of affiliated colleges should be reduced, the committee said.
“No university should have more than 100 affiliated colleges and the universities which have more than 100 affiliated colleges should be split for achieving better academic oversight and management efficiency,” it said in the report.
“The report of this committee only reflects the expectation of the central government. It allows the multi-track school system to continue and more privatisation in higher education,” said P.B. Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System.
“The government of Tamil Nadu should respond only after consulting the educationists, students and teachers and parents bodies of Tamil Nadu,” he urged.
