Question : Quality of Higher Education

(a) whether the Government has prepared many programmes to bring improvement in
higher education in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether there are some such areas in the country where colleges are affiliated to such
universities which are situated at distance of more than 200 km from those colleges
including in Uttar Pradesh etc.; and
(c) if so, whether the Government proposes to establish new universities in such far flung
areas in the country and if so, the details thereof State/UT-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(Dr. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)
(a): The Central Government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) are constantly
endeavouring to improve quality of higher education in the country. The Central
Government has launched several initiatives viz. National Institutional Ranking Framework
(NIRF), Impacting Research Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT), Uchchtar Avishkar
Yojna (UAY) and Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) in the field of education
for the qualitative development of education in the country.
The UGC undertakes maintenance of standards in teaching, research and
quality assurance in Universities, Deemed to be Universities and Colleges through framing
and notifying regulations, schemes and disbursing grants to the eligible institutions. The
UGC has notified several regulations with a view to sustain and improve the quality of
higher education and to undertake academic reforms. The regulations are available at
http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/UGC-Regulations.aspx . In order to encourage research and
development in the country, UGC is implementing schemes, awards, fellowships, chairs
and programmes under which financial assistance is provided to institutions of higher
education as well as faculty members working therein to undertake quality research
covering areas of knowledge across disciplines. Some of the initiatives taken by UGC for
improving quality of Higher Education are:
(i) Choice-based Credit System (CBCS);
(ii) Universities with Potential for Excellence;
(iii) Centre with potential for excellence in particular area;
(iv) Special Assistance Programme (SAP);
(v) Basic Science Research;
(vi) Major Research project;
(vii) B.Voc. Degree Programme;
(viii) DDU KAUSHAL KENDRAS;
(ix) Scholarship Scheme (ISHAN UDAY) for North Eastern Region;
(x) New Methodology of Grading by NAAC;
(xi) UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil / Ph.D. Degrees)
Regulations, 2016;
(xii) UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM)
Regulation, 2016.
(b) & (c): The Universities are established either under Central Act, Provincial Act or State
Act and are free to grant affiliation to colleges as per the provisions made under the
respective Acts.
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