A list of questionable eminence

A list of questionable eminence

Article:

1. Pulapre Balakrishan, senior fellow of IIM, expressed his views on government’s list of Institutes of Eminence (IoEs).

Important Analysis:

2. The government has chosen a total of six institutions – three pubic and three private for the IOE status.

3. The public institutions are- the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) Delhi and Mumbai.

4. The private institutions are –the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, the Jio Institute; and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

5. The list was critised for excluding universities like JNU.

6. Finding a place in the list would have following advantages:

a. It would help an educational institution avoid clutches of dreaded regulators.

b.Greater autonomy

c. Enhanced financial support.

7. Regulators like UGC are meant to ensure socially desirable outcomes but opposite seem to have happened.

8. The UGC as a regulator failed and criticized on the following ground:

a. Producing low-level knowledge

b. Leading to a large number of publicity funded universities.

c.The UGC is preoccupied with disbursing funds.

d.Unable to concentrate on mentoring the institutes, focusing on research to be undertaken etc.

9. Due to failure of UGC, the government has decided to set up Higher Education Commission of India as a successor to UGC.

10. The Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grant Commission Act) Bill, 2018 (HECI) was drafted by the Centre to form HECI.

11. The HECI will perform the following functions:

a. Reform in education

b. Quality education

c. Reduce red tape and lethargy.

d. Providing autonomy

12. This has raised the following issues:

a. Possibility of biasness.

b. The government may use its discretion to reward institutions. This is a hazard to a democracy.