We’re trying to reduce burden on students, build flexible learning system: UGC chairman

The former JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar takes over as chairperson of the University Grants Commission, the higher education regulatory body, just as several major changes as part of the Nation Education Policy 2020 are set to be rolled out. He speaks to DH’s Amrita Madhukalya on these changes. Excerpts:

There are some sweeping changes in the offing just as you have taken charge at the UGC, like the new CUET and the four-year graduate programmes. What is the objective of these changes in a post-Covid world?

The reforms we are trying to bring in through NEP 2020 are based on five pillars – access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability. Among the major concerns as educators, we are trying to make our students better learners, provide high-quality higher education, and make it flexible. Right now, universities decide the courses and students follow them. But students have different financial and cognitive abilities, with different needs and aspirations.

As part of NEP, we have focused on some things. For instance, providing an opportunity to students to access a wide variety of courses outside their university. We have permitted students to do up to 40% of their credit requirements from other institutes. To this end, we are coming up with the Modified Online Education Regulations within a month. Institutes in the top 100 NIRF rankings or with a NAAC grading above 3.25 will be able to provide these degrees. Unlike in physical universities, where there is a cut-off and entrance exams, students will have to just pass Class 12 to apply for online degrees. This will help students from rural areas or those from a weak academic background.

Additionally, universities without the means to host intellectual resources can collaborate with an EdTech company. This will increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER); we aim to increase GER from 28% to 50% in the next 10-12 years.

The CUET, which will start from next month, will change the way the UG admissions are done. Do you think the era of cut-off marks is over?

The idea behind CUET is to reduce the burden on parents and students. Right now, the board exam marks or entrance exams decide a student’s admission; we wanted to relieve the students from the stress of cut-off marks and of writing multiple entrance exams. Sometimes they travel to different cities and appear for exams on the same day. We also wanted to bring parity between different universities.

Unfortunately, in our education system, we are forcing students to focus on marks, not learning. Sky-rocketing cut-offs are sending a wrong message to them. Having said that, colleges can still fix a qualifying mark for students to be eligible. In competitive exams like JEE, a million students apply for 18,000-odd seats. That’s why there’s a huge coaching industry around it. But in the university system, even among the 45 central universities, we have a couple of lakhs of seats where about 10 lakh students are competing. The competition is not as dire. My belief is that the coaching industry will not be of any significance, and CUET will provide wider options.

With the four-year UG programme, are you looking for a model that is globally recognised?

We’ve uploaded the framework for the new programme and are awaiting feedback from stakeholders. It is an important curriculum framework, linked to the multiple exit scheme. In the first three semesters, there will be a common set of courses, so that the student can move between universities. We have built in safety mechanisms for students dropping out – if they drop out after a year, they get a certificate; if they drop out after two years, they get a diploma. The students should get skill-training before they drop out so that they can seek jobs; they can always come back to finish college.

Another objective is to encourage research. After the fourth year, if a student wants to pursue research, or take up an internship with the industry, they will be allowed to. In IIT Delhi, several of my UG students who did their final year projects with me, joined PhD programmes after BTech. They have done well for themselves. The UGC will drive these reforms.

Can you tell us about the proposed Higher Education Commission of India and its functions?

HECI is one of the biggest reforms in education. It will have four verticals – the first is a regulatory function, and UGC and AICTE will be merged into the National Higher Education Regulatory Council.

The next is the National Accreditation Council. Right now, we have the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), but the new NAC will certify other organisations which will, in turn, accredit our higher education institutes. We have 40,000 colleges and close to 1,050 universities. NAAC will not be able to do all the assessment and accreditation. So, we will encourage each state to have their own Council, and NAC will certify those Councils to carry out the process.

The third vertical is the National Research Council, which is a funding agency to improve and strengthen the research ecosystems in universities.

The fourth vertical is the General Standards Council, which will look at the standards of education, by conducting workshops, seminars and by suggesting policy reforms to improve the standards. These four verticals will work together, and the Ministry of Education, UGC and AICTE are working together on the draft legislation.

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