Page 59 - EducationWorld January 2023

cation is unprecedented and unique
in India. After a wide and strong two
years common foundational pro-
gramme, our students can study two
majors and two minors in disciplines
of their choice. Thus a student can
graduate with a BBA (bachelor of busi-
ness administration) degree combin-
ing widely disparate subjects such as
business, AI, music and data science.
Similarly a B.Tech student can com-
bine AI, design, music and business.
Our objective is to allow students total
freedom to study subjects that interest
them, so that they have an enjoyable
and fulfilling higher education expe-
rience. By investing learners with the
power of choice we have transferred
authority from the university to stu-
dents,” says Dr. Atish Chattopad- Amity University, Greater Noida students: pervasive bullish sentiment
hyay, founding vice chancellor of
Vijaybhoomi U. the world, continue to dominate the — the apex HECI (Higher Education
A business management gradu- Indian academy, India’s new genre Commission of India) and four ver-
ate of Aligarh Muslim University and private universities are here to stay ticals, viz, NHERC (National Higher
Indian Institute of Social Welfare & offering the exciting prospect of nur- Education Regulation Council); NAC
Management, Kolkata, Chattopad- turing the world’s largest and enthu- (National Accreditation Council);
hyay has a wealth of experience in in- siastic youth into a high productivity HEGC (Higher Education Grants
dustry (Oberoi Hotels, Bakery Chain workforce. Council), and GEC (General Educa-
Kolkata), and B-schools (ICFAI, S.P. Yet even as the bullish sentiment tion Council) to ensure “light but
Jain, MICA, IMT, Ghaziabad and is pervasive in India’s 42,000 junior tight” regulation of higher education
IFIM/JAGSOM). and undergrad colleges and 1,072 uni- institutions countrywide.
Q UITE CLEARLY, THE pro- the rapid success of the country’s new promises substantial institutional
On the other hand, NEP 2020
versities and sundry HEIs buoyed by
millennium private universities which
liferation of new genre
autonomy by phasing out the col-
private universities in
conversion of undergrad colleges into
the new millennium has have emerged as globally competitive leges affiliation system and gradual
institutions of higher learning, it’s
catalysed a sea change in India’s edu- pertinent to bear in mind that at the autonomous universities with degrees
cation landscape dominated by less heart of NEP 2020 which is being ac- awarding power. Simultaneously, the
than 100 Central universities, IITs, claimed as the magna carta — charter charter makes the right noises about
IIMs providing acceptable quality of liberty — of higher education, there awarding high-performance private
education to a small minority of privi- is a dangerous contradiction. and public universities and HEIs wide
leged students, and 460 state govern- Although proclaimed in trendy, latitude in signing foreign collabora-
ment universities routinely certifying liberal lingo, NEP 2020 mandates tion and student and faculty exchange
millions of under-prepared, and large- establishment of four government- programmes, and determining admis-
ly unemployable graduates. promoted supervisory organisations sion and tuition and other fees.
Suddenly the higher education Therefore the question arises: if
scene has come alive with a spate of It’s pertinent to bear in provision of education is indeed de-
shiny new and well-equipped liberal volved upon educators, what purpose
arts, science and technology and busi- mind that at the heart will the elaborate supervisory super-
ness management HEIs offering glob- of NEP 2020, acclaimed structure serve? The answer to this
ally benchmarked degree and post- question will determine whether the
grad study programmes and research as the magna carta of promising sea change in higher edu-
facilities. Although disparaged by Left higher education, there’s a cation catalysed by India’s new genre
ideologues and academics who despite dangerous contradiction private universities will prove to be
the collapse of communism around real or illusory.

JANUARY 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 59