Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

EDUCATION

In addition, high-level research laboratories are maintained by the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Industries and others connected with development. The Atomic Energy Commission of India has a large network of establishments all over India. So has the Ministry of Electronics and the Ministry of Space. All these are geared to application of scientific knowledge rather than creation of new knowledge. The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at Bombay i s a different kind of institution. It does more fundamental research than applied. However, a large number of its professors are recognised as guides for Ph.D. students. Similarly there are other institutes of advanced study in a number of places. In the scientific sphere, though the universities are also doing significant work, funding for the same is not well matched. Hence the National Policy on Education -1986 has strongly reiterated the need to strengthen and diversify scientific research in the universities. CO-ORDINATING BODIES For the university sector, it was necessary to have a number of co- ordinating bodies at various levels. The latest of them is the Association of Indian Universities established in 1925. Almost all the universities and Deemed Universities and Institutes of national importance have representation on the A.I.U. The A.I.U. functions through a secretariat located at AIU House, 16, Kotla Marg, New Delhi-110002. On the recommendation of the AIU, two important Co-ordinating Bodies in the university sector were established. (i) The Indian Medical Council was created in 1934 with statutory bodies to regulate admissions, courses of study, examinations and all matters having bearing on medical education in the country. (ii) The University Grants Commission was established in 1956 with statutory powers to determine and co-ordinate standards in higher and professional education. The University Grants Commission is required to regulate academic standards for which the Central Government provides grants to be routed through the University Grants Commission. Like the Indian Medical Council, there are other co-ordinating bodies — All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), Bar Council of India, the Dental Council of India, the Pharmacy Council of India, the Nursing Council of India and the National Council of Teacher Education which was created under a recent Act - - which are statutory bodies to regulate academic standards in their respective fields. At the apex policy-making level, the Central Advisory Board of Education has been in existence for almost half a century. Ministers of Education of all the States and the Union Territories are all members of this Board (CABE). Its meetings are presided over by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development. The CABE meets once in two or three years. But after the NPE (1986), it has been meeting more frequently. TYPES OF UNIVERSITIES The largest number belongs to the Affiliating and Teaching type. Each of them has a number of Departments dealing with post-graduate education and research. But one of its main tasks is to deal with affiliation of a large number of undergraduate colleges of which a small number may be conducting post-graduate classes also. The second is the unitary type like Benares, Aligarh, Allahabad, Annamalai, Baroda, Patna, Lucknow etc. No colleges are affiliated to

them. All teaching and research are done in the university itself. They hold their own examinations and award degrees. The third is the Agricultural University. The first one to be established in this category was the G. B. Pant Agricultural University (1960). There are now 26 such universities of which two are in Karnataka (Bangalore and Dharwad). The Agricultural Universities have played a significant role in bringing about the Green Revolution in India in respect of self-sufficiency of food. The fourth category is the Technical University. The oldest of this type is Roorkee. The Thompson Engineering College established in 1847 was raised to the status of a Technical University in 1949. Jawaharlal Technical University, Hyderabad and Anna University in Madras come under this category. Karnataka has no Technical University. With the largest network of Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics and ITIs., and Technical establishments, Karnataka richly deserves to have a Technical University. The fifth type is a Medical University. Now there is only one i.e. the Andhra Pradesh University of Health Sciences. Karnataka with a large number of Medical Colleges of all types as well as colleges of Pharmacy needs to have one to regulate standards in Medical education. Recently Tamil Nadu has set up one (The M.G.R. Medical University, Madras). There is also a category of universities known as Central University. Its management is controlled by the Union Government and funded by it. There are 12 Central Universities in India now. INTERNAL MANAGEMENT The internal management of the university follows the old British pattern usually. The Governor is the Chancellor who on the recommendations of a Committee or Government appoints a Vice- Chancellor who is the Executive Head of the University dealing with both academic and administrative matters. He functions through the Syndicate which is an Executive Council. The Senate which is a large body of 100 to 200 members is like Parliament to approve all actions. All academic proposals come up to it from the Boards of Studies through the respective Faculties and then the Academic Council. There are a few non-academic elected members on the Academic Council and the Syndicate. Deans of Faculties have an important role to play. The whole set-up has become outmoded and needs a change. GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL Since more than 90% of funding comes from the Government (States and Centre), control lies in their hands. This has led to a number of problems due to delay in the release of funds and also due to inadequate finances for improvements and research. The problem is more acutely felt in the case of affiliating universities in which State Government interference is experienced in affiliation and other aspects. Due to vast increase in the number of universities (now it is 211), the University Grants Commission is finding it difficult to manage. Decentralisation is a necessity. There are proposals to create State Councils of Higher Education. Andhra Pradesh has already one such body. MANAGEMENT OF COLLEGES Colleges broadly fall under two categories (1) Government and (2) Private. Each of them comprises (A) Colleges of General Education (Arts, Science, Commerce), and (B) Professional Colleges (Engineering, Medical, Law, Education).