UGC's Draft Plan For Higher Education Institutions Emphasises Private Funding & Faculty Rankings

In a bid to revolutionize higher education institutions (HEIs) across the nation, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced a groundbreaking Institutional Development Plan (IDP). Released on Wednesday, the draft guidelines of this plan encompass a multifaceted strategy that involves private-sector collaborations for funding, a revamped faculty ranking system, and the establishment of what the UGC terms "emotional infrastructure."

Building upon feedback from stakeholders, the revised IDP draft enhances the original version put forth in January of the preceding year.

According to UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh, the new draft UGC IDP guidelines have the intent to assist universities and colleges in devising strategies for achieving academic, administrative, and financial self-reliance.

In line with these guidelines, HEIs are directed to take a proactive approach to identify and prioritize diverse funding sources in order to fortify their financial infrastructure. These funding sources encompass government grants, contributions from alumni, collaborations with the private sector, and fundraising initiatives.

This comprehensive financial model aims to establish sustainable revenue streams, which include income from student tuition fees, government grants, subsidies, earnings generated from sponsored research and development projects, as well as endowments.

Moreover, the guidelines pave the way for soliciting philanthropic contributions and other sources of income such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding, royalties stemming from intellectual property (IP) or patents, and more.

Focus On "Emotional Infrastructure"

The UGC's plan also introduces a revamped faculty ranking system that seeks to reward educators for their contributions in various aspects of academia, including research, teaching, and mentoring. This approach aims to recognize and incentivize well-rounded excellence within the academic community.

Additionally, the concept of "emotional infrastructure" is highlighted in the UGC's plan. While this term might be relatively new, it encompasses the development of a supportive environment that takes into account the emotional well-being of students and staff. The UGC recognizes the vital role that emotional well-being plays in the overall educational experience and proposes the inclusion of counseling services, mental health support, and creating an inclusive campus environment.

"In a fully developed HEI, each of these sources must contribute about a similar percentage to the total revenue, depending on the size of the HEIs. Therefore, HEIs must also focus on expanding their undergraduate programmes as additional students mean more revenue," it suggested.

"For teachers, the guidelines state that through university policy, a ranking system based on research-based Academic Performance Indicators (API) scores and subsequent additional incentives can reduce faculty oversight at every stage," the guidelines read further, reported India Today.

HEIs are encouraged to foster a positive work environment that upholds ethical values and promotes transparency across both academic and administrative realms.

Moreover, the guidelines underline the significance of offering comprehensive support to students hailing from marginalized backgrounds. The introduction of "bridge courses" and socio-emotional aid endeavors to address the distinct requirements of these students.

Additionally, the guidelines place a strong emphasis on sensitizing all stakeholders—teachers, counselors, and students—to matters of gender identity. Gender inclusivity is intended to be woven into all facets of the higher education experience, including curricular frameworks.

"It is vital to maintain institutional autonomy while formulating and implementing such plans. Hence, the IDP guidelines are inherently designed to be self-regulatory," the guidelines state.

The UGC has taken meticulous steps to ensure that the guidelines uphold institutional autonomy during their execution. The draft guidelines are formulated with a self-regulatory ethos, respecting the distinct context and needs of each individual institution.

Fake Universities Listed By UGC

The Central government provided an update to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, revealing that there are currently 20 universities listed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as fake universities. Additionally, within the past three years, three more institutions have been identified as fraudulent and included in the UGC's list.

Subhas Sarkar, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, furnished these details in a written response to a query raised by a member regarding the proliferation of counterfeit universities in the last three years.

Responding to Kartikeya Sharma's inquiry, the Minister stated, "Currently 20 institutions figure in this list," as per a report in NDTV.

Drawing on information from the UGC, the Minister elucidated that three institutions labeled as "fake" had been appended to the list of sham universities by the UGC between the years 2021 and 2023. These include the Bible Open University of India in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh; the Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; and the All India Institute of Public and Physical Health Sciences (AIIPPHS), State Government University in Alipur, Delhi.

In the year 2023, the Bible Open University of India was included on the UGC's list of fake universities. The Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and AIIPPHS, State Government University, were added to the list in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

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