MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
r. SATYA PAL SINGH)
(a) & (b): The one hundred and third Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 has
enabled the State to extend various benefits, including admission in the educational
institutions, to the Economically Weaker Sections of the society who are not covered by
any of the existing schemes of reservation.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued an OM
dated 17th January, 2019 regarding reservation for Economically Weaker Sections
(EWSs) in civil posts and services in the Government of India and admission in
Educational Institutions.
Further, for the implementation thereof, the Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD) has issued an OM dated 17th January, 2019, to provide
admission to EWSs in Central Educational Institution (CEI) from the academic year
2019-20 onwards.
In order to ensure that the number of seats available for each category, for the
academic session immediately preceding the date of commencement of these
provisions, is not reduced every CEI will increase the number of seats over and above
its annual permitted strength in each branch of study or faculty.
(c): Yes, madam. The available seats for admission in the upcoming academic year
shall be increased to ensure that this quota for EWS would be over and above the
ensuing quotas for scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes
for admission in the upcoming academic year.
(d): Several major reforms have been undertaken by the Government to improve the
quality of teaching and learning in the higher education sector. As per report of the All
India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher
education in the age group 18-23 years has gone up to 25.8% with total enrolment
estimated to be 36.6 million during 2017-18, as compared to 23% with total enrolment
estimated to 32.3 million, during 2013-14. There has been a continuous increase in the
funds disbursed by the UGC to the Universities and Colleges. The funds disbursed to
Universities during the last three years i.e. 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 are
Rs.888628.43, Rs. 905882.26 and Rs. 1084058.52 respectively.
Several initiatives are undertaken to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Global Initiative for Academics Network
(GIAN), Impacting Research, Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT), Technical Education
Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP), Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National
Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT), Study Webs of Active-Learning for
Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), National Digital Library, campus connect
programme, Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), Annual
Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT), and Leadership for Academicians
Programme (LEAP) are being implemented.
Further for promotion of innovation, cognitive thinking and improving the quality of
Ph.D programmes, the Government has devised schemes in all the fields of education
viz. IMPRINT (Impacting Research Innovation and Technology) for technical research,
IMPRESS (Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences) for social sciences research,
SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic Research and Collaboration) for joint
research with Foreign Universities and STARS (Scheme for Transformational and
Advanced Research in Fundamental Sciences) for research in fundamental sciences.
The UGC has also started three schemes, namely Community College, B.Voc
Degree Programme, and Deen Dayal Upadhay KAUSHAL Kendras in Universities and
Colleges for imparting skill development based vocational courses offering
Certificate/Diploma/Advance Diploma/B.Voc M.Voc and Research level programme
with multiple exit and entry options enabling vertical mobility of the students.
Considering that autonomy is pivotal to promoting excellence in higher
education, the University Grants Commission (Categorization of Universities (only) for
grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations, 2018 and the University Grants Commission
(Conferment of Autonomous Status Upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of
Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2018 have been notified. These
Regulations will provide the much needed impetus to improve quality and promote
autonomy in higher educational institutions.
The parameters of Assessment and Accreditation have been revised by National
Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which focus more on public disclosures
than peer inspections. Further, owing to the constraints in the existing capacity for
accreditation, the University Grants Commission (Recognition and Monitoring of
Assessment and Accreditation Agencies) Regulation, 2018 has been notified to
encourage multiple government/semi-government agencies for accreditation of higher
educational institutions.
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