Centre may scrap UGC, proposes new regulator

Centre may scrap UGC, proposes new regulator

News:

1. The Centre places draft Bill for a Higher Education Commission of India in public domain for suggestions.

Important facts:

2. The draft Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Act, 2018 placed in the public domain.
3. Purpose of introducing draft bill are given below:

• Major reforms in higher education.
• Aimed at replacing the University Grant Commission (UGC) for eliciting suggestions from educationists.
• Once UGC is replaced, the technical education regulator AICTE and the teacher’s education regulator NCTE will also be reformed on similar lines.

4. Key components of draft Bill are given below:

• Separates the academic and funding aspects of higher education.
• It takes away funding powers from the proposed regulator and gives it powers to ensure academic quality and even close down bogus institutions.
• However, there is no plan to merge all higher education regulators, as was proposed through a planned agency called HEERA.
• HECI will be in charge of ensuring academic quality in universities and colleges.
• The Ministry of Human Resource Development will be responsible for funding universities and colleges.
• The Regulator will have powers to enforce compliance to the academic quality standards.
• The regulators are also authorized to have the power to order closure of sub-standard and bogus institutions.
• Non-compliance could result in fines or even a jail sentence.
• Presently UGC had no such powers. It can only release a list of bogus institutions and not recognise their degrees.

5. Functions of HECI:

• Improving academic standards with specific focus on learning outcomes.
• Evaluation of academic performance by institutions.
• Mentoring of institutions, training of teachers, promote use of educational technology, etc.
• It will develop norms for setting standards for opening and closure of institutions.
• Provide for greater flexibility and autonomy to institutions.
• Lay standards for appointments to critical leadership positions at the institutional level irrespective of university started under any law (including state list)