Odisha HRD

Call for nomination: Biju Patnaik award for scientific excellence: ad in Samaja

July 28th, 2009

Statewise count of Deemed Universities

Following is from a report in PIB based on a Rajya Sabha response.

            As on 16^th July, 2009, One hundred twenty-nine institutions have been declared by the Central Government, under section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act 1956, as institutions ‘Deemed-to-be-Universities’.  The State wise details are given below: 

             Institutions ‘Deemed to be Universities’ are only teaching institutions, and they are not permitted to affiliate any college or institution.

            Institutions ‘deemed-to-be-universities’ have expanded the base of higher education in the country and are offering education and research facilities in various disciplines such as Medical Education, Physical Education, Fisheries Education, Languages, Social Sciences, Population Sciences, Dairy Research, Forest Research, Armament Technology, Maritime Education, Yoga, Music and Information Technology, etc

            This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari, in a written reply to a question, in the Rajya Sabha today.

July 28th, 2009

Four more PIO/NRI universities planned – Ministry of Overseas Indian Affair asks for EOIs

The first NRI/PIO University is being established in Bangalore. There are plans for four more NRI universities. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affair has asked for Expression of Interests.

In Orissa tathya.in reports that the Orissa government is interested in such a university.

Continue Reading 1 comment July 28th, 2009

National Universities will be exemplars for other universities including central universities

Following is from a recent PIB report about a Rajya Sabha reply.

RAJYA  SABHA

             The Government is considering a proposal to set up 14 Universities aiming at world class standards at the following locations:-

Sl. No.	Location
1.	Amritsar (Punjab)
2.	Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh)
3.	Jaipur (Rajasthan)
4.	Gandhinagar (Gujarat)
5.	Patna (Bihar)
6.	Guwahati (Assam)
7.	Kolkata (West Bengal)
8.	Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
9.	Kochi (Kerala)
10.	Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
11.	Mysore (Karnataka)
12.	Pune (Maharashtra)
13.	Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
14.	Bhubhaneshwar (Orissa)

Universities aiming at world class standards would act as exemplars for other universities including Central Universities, in benchmarking standards of teaching and research to those prevailing in the best universities in the world.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari, in a written reply to a question, in the Rajya Sabha today.

There are some reports about a "brain gain" policy that is being considered for the National Universities. Following is an excerpt from a report in webindia123.

The brain drain from the country will be checked by a ‘Brain Gain’ policy, the Government told the Rajya Sabha today.

The steps mooted under the policy would attract talent from all over the world into the country’s 14 national universities aiming for world class standards as well as for Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management and National Institutes of Technology, Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purundeswari told the House in a written reply.

Following are excerpts from a report in Times of India by Akshaya Mukul.

In a move that could result in the exodus of Indian scholars and teachers from foreign universities back to the country, HRD ministry’s new Brain Gain policy promises unheard of academic freedom, negotiable salaries, massive research funds, right environment, freedom from regulation and bureaucratic control and a good quality of life.

… The ministry’s Brain Gain policy — aimed at attracting Indian talent for 14 proposed national universities to be developed as ‘global centres of innovation’ — is likely to be made public in the coming days.

Recognizing that funding is essential to support research environment, Brain Gain policy promises a Research Endowment Fund of at least Rs 200 crore per national university per year. The university will also have the freedom to source funding from non-government sources subject to their not being dubious organizations.

Grants will be provided to individual researchers on the basis of their proposal, which will be evaluated by ‘academic research peer group’ consisting of eminent academics. Researchers will be free to procure aids and equipment, appoint research associates and assistants and decide on their salary. The amount spent by the university or its academics on research or teaching will not be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. In this regard, the ministry has proposed amendment to CAG Act, 1971.

Accountability will be ensured by reviews by the academic research peer group for research work and teaching peer group for course work and teaching. National universities will have the freedom to establish chairs of studies with funding through non-government endowments to be occupied by eminent professors. Chair professors will receive pay, if any, both from the endowment as well as university.

On the academic front, national universities will be kept out of the purview of regulatory oversight as well as regulations on maintenance of standards or minimum qualification requirements for appointment to academic posts. As for academic freedom, researchers will be free to publish results. They will also have freedom to patent the results of research jointly with university without getting government approval, except in cases of research in strategic areas.

July 28th, 2009