Page 18 - EducationWorld January 2023

Education News

DELHI ticles in peer-reviewed publications
Ascendant higher ed czar or attend a prescribed number of

academic conferences before writing
their theses, and direct entry into
doctorate programmes for bright
students who complete a four-year
undergraduate research programme.
Moreover, Kumar has also liberalised
rules relating to foreign universi-
ties setting up campuses in India
and Indian universities establishing
campuses abroad.
UGC’s latest initiative is introduc-
tion of a new Curriculum and Credit
Framework for Undergraduate Pro-
grammes (CCFUP), announced on
December 12. Under the CCFUP —
the expression of the Academic Bank
of Credits — undergrad students
are allowed the option of multiple
UGC chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar: rapid reforms rollout entry and exit options at the end of
two and three years as outlined in
he glacial pace at which the cluding JNU), have been tamed. All NEP 2020 and draft National Higher
National Education Policy is quiet these days in JNU. Perhaps Education Qualifications Framework
T(NEP) 2020, formulated after as a reward, in February Jagadesh (NHEQF).
an interregnum of 34 years — during Kumar was promoted to chairman- As the announcement of CCFUP
which the world entered the digital ship of UGC. was expected by all stakeholders,
age — is being implemented has Since then, Kumar has gone into it has come as no surprise. Now
belatedly galvanised the BJP/NDA over-drive introducing a spate of universities will have to adopt it in
government at the Centre into ac- higher education reforms mandated their respective statutory bodies
tion, especially in higher education. by NEP 2020. Last March, to elimi- for implementation from the 2023
And the man chosen by the BJP nate the stress that students experi- academic year. “CCFUP is welcome
top brass to lead the roll out of NEP ence in writing multiple entrance especially for undergrad students of
2020 higher education reforms exams of colleges and universities, degree colleges who constitute the
seems to be Mamidala Jagadesh he introduced CUET (Common Uni- majority in higher education. Now,
Kumar, chairman of the University versity Entrance Test) for 45 Central students will be able to earn degrees
Grants Commission (UGC) — the universities and affiliated colleges. with single or double majors and
apex level regulatory body for all Moreover, he has readied India’s will also have the opportunity to exit
higher education institutions. first digital university announced in after two and three years, acquire
An alum of IIT-Madras and for- the Union budget 2022-23 to take off industry/business experience and
mer low-profile professor of electri- this year with Delhi U as the nodal return to academia to enrich their
cal engineering at IIT-Delhi, Jaga- varsity and establishment of a virtual higher education experience,” says
desh Kumar shot into the national Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) to Dr. Sangita Banga, an alumnus
limelight when he was appointed enable multiple entry/exit options of IIT-Delhi and IIT-Roorkee and
vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru for students with flexibility in choice pro-vice chancellor, Manav Rachna
University (JNU) in 2016 to quell of courses and institutions. University, Faridabad.
left-liberal ‘anti-nationalism’ and ‘ur- Other initiatives actioned by UGC Although some of the higher edu-
ban naxalism’ in JNU, a well-known are introduction of the position cation reforms — especially CUET —
fortress of Left ideology and politics. of ‘professor of practice’ – under have been criticised as being hasty,
To all intents and purposes, Kumar which industry experts are invited there’s widespread appreciation of
has discharged that mandate suc- into colleges/universities to provide Kumar’s activism. Paradoxically even
cessfully. JNU students — and fac- practical industry-related education as Kumar has activated and ener-
ulty — who went into hyperactivity to students; abolition of the hitherto gized UGC, NEP 2020 recommends
mode protesting BJP’s appointments mandatory requirement of Ph D its abolition and replacement with an
in higher education institutions (in- scholars to publish research ar- apex-level Higher Education Council

18 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2023