State varsity syllabi to go international

The Centre will soon start a mega exercise to upgrade curriculum of State universities to international standards in engineering subjects, sciences, mathematics and social sciences.

Noted academicians from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, University of California, University of Washington and University of Georgia Tech are being roped in for the exercise.

“It will be a joint initiative of the government of India in collaboration with these universities of international repute. The upgrading of curriculum and pedagogical skills will be carried out under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA),” Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani told reporters here on Wednesday.

The central government will bear the entire cost of the exercise, Irani added.
“Ten states will be chosen for the upgradation and internationalisation of curriculum of their universities based on their performance. The experts coming to India from the top universities of the world may take about a year to complete the exercise,” an official said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry also approved modifications in  2010 regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to encourage Indian universities to offer undergraduate and post graduate degree programmes under a twinning arrangement with foreign universities.

The 2010 regulations have been revised to promote foreign collaborations with Indian institutions. The UGC did not receive even a single application from the institutions for academic collaboration with foreign universities because of certain flaws in the regulations framed in 2010, Irani said.

“We have made suitable changes hoping that it will promote collaboration between Indian and foreign institutions. The programmes to be offered under the twinning arrangements will cost much lower compared to those offered abroad,” she added.
Under the revised regulations, an Indian institution can now look for a suitable foreign partner to offer degree programmes under twinning arrangement.

“Only those Indian universities which have Grade ‘A’ certification will be allowed to introduce degree programmes in collaboration with foreign universities which graded high in their country of origin,” the minister said .

Institutions which have already collaborated with foreign universities and are offering programmes, will be given one year window to get approval of the UGC, the minister added.

Irani said students admitted to undergraduate programmes will get an opportunity to study at partner institution’s campus abroad for at least two semesters. “Action will be taken against institutions misleading students through false advertisements about their foreign collaborations. The UGC will write to the state government concerned for necessary legal action against them,” the minister said.