Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) and higher educational institutions to find “innovative methods” to fill vacant teaching positions “urgently”.
Speaking at a function organised to celebrate diamond jubilee of the UGC, Singh urged the commission, heads of various institutions, the Human Resource Development Ministry and other stakeholders to find out ways to improve the quality of education in universities and colleges.
“As a country, we can be reasonably proud of the achievements of the alumni of our leading institutes of higher education. They have done exceptionally well in a diverse range of areas all over the world. However, they do not figure among the best in the world and quality in general remains a huge concern in the higher education sector,” he said.
The prime minister suggested that the universities should emphasise more on research and “more specifically” on enhancing the number and quality of doctoral programs.
“We must therefore ensure that inter-disciplinary research takes firm roots in the culture of our universities.
“A substantive research initiative should also be designed to specifically address issues of critical national importance like climate change and disaster management,” he suggested.
Singh reiterated the need to strengthen the university–industry interface to boost research and development.
“This would be of immense benefit both to the university system and Indian industry at large. Today, our universities depend largely on research grants for undertaking research. Greater support from industry will not only lead to better research outcomes but also enable industry to utilize these outcomes for meaningful practical application,” he said.
Singh, who headed the commission as an academician in 1991, acknowledged its contributions, but said: “The best is yet to come.”
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