Resurrecting the tradition of world class
education in India
Dr.M.Ponnavaikko
Vice-Chancellor
SRM University
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Aim of Higher Education
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Purpose of Higher Education should be to develop an
individual as a useful Human Resource with the
following traits:
Knowledge through relevant Curriculum,
Skill for empowerment,
Ethical Values to function as a Human being,
As a whole to develop a Human Resource, useful to
oneself and to the community.
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World class Education - Definition
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Although the term “World Class Education” has been
used widely in conversations about academic
institutions, there has been little attempt to define the
term carefully.
Woe d not have an operational definition for the term
“world class education”,
As per web definition : World class education is
“Non-competitive system based on national standards
and benchmarks that match international standards that
students must embrace as a common set.
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World Class University
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Great universities have three major roles:
1. Excellence in education of their students;
2. Research, development and dissemination
of knowledge; and
3. Activities contributing to the cultural,
scientific, and civic life of society.
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Excellence in education
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By excellence in education, we refer to
the resources and organization of undergraduate,
graduate, and professional instruction and educational
opportunities for students.
Clearly, this goal requires outstanding faculty, high
quality teaching and other instructional activities, and
availability of good libraries, laboratories, and other
pertinent facilities as well as
highly prepared and motivated students who serve to
educate through their peer influence.
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Research &development
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Research, development, and dissemination of
knowledge refer to the
embryonic identification, growth, and extension of
concepts and ideas as well as
Their transformation into applications, goods, and
services that enhance understanding and welfare.
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Cultural, Scientific, and Civic life
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Activities contributing to the cultural, scientific, and
civic life of society are many and varied,
but include conferences, publications, artistic events
and forums as well as
provision of services that engage and contribute to the
larger community including the regional, national, and
international communities.
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Benchmarks
Typical benchmarks referred to are
 publications to and citations of faculty as well as
 the devotion of the university to research activities.
Other foci include
 Academic freedom, facilities, funding, diversity of faculty,
students, and fields of study
 Including internalization of students, staff and curriculum.
 Competition for faculty and students as well as
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selection of the most talented students, teaching quality, and
connection to society
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Purpose of Education in different
civilization
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During the primitive cultures the term education meant
enculturation, which is the process of cultural
transmission.
Thus, the purpose of primitive education was to guide
children to become good members of their tribe or
band, giving emphasis upon training for citizenship.
During the first civilization phase (3000–1500 BC), the
writing and formal education system was made
indispensable.
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Mesopotamian education
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Mesopotamia developed education with respect to its
purpose and training. Formal education was practical
and aimed to train scribes and script.
It was extended from basic reading, writing, and
religion to higher learning in law, medicine, and
astrology.
Generally, youth of the upper classes were prepared to
become scribes, who ranged from copyists to librarians
and teachers. The schools for priests were said to be as
numerous as temples. This indicates the thoroughness
and the supremacy of priestly education.
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Mesopotamian education
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The centre of intellectual activity and training was the
library, which was usually housed in a temple under
the supervision of influential priests.
Methods of teaching and learning were memorization,
oral repetition, copying models, and individual
instruction.
The period of education was long and rigorous, and
discipline was harsh.
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Ancient Indian Education
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India is one of the most ancient civilizations in the
world.
The Indo-European-speaking people entered India in
the 2nd millennium BC and established large-scale
settlements and founded powerful kingdoms.
In the course of time, a group of intellectuals, the
Brahmans, became priests and men of learning.
During the first period, the child received elementary
education at home.
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Ancient Indian Education
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The beginning of secondary education and formal
schooling was marked by a ritual known as the
upanayana
The boy would leave his father’s house and enter his
preceptor’s ashrama, a home situated amid sylvan
surroundings.
The acarya would treat him as his own child, give him
free education, and not charge anything for his
boarding and lodging.
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Ancient Indian Education
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The study at this stage consisted of the recitation of the
Vedic mantras and the auxiliary sciences—phonetics,
the rules for the performance of the sacrifices,
grammar, astronomy, prosody, and etymology.
The period of studentship normally extended to 12
years. For those who wanted to continue their studies,
there was no age limit.
This is how the Guru-Sishya system of education
started in India.
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Birth of University Education
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The 500 years from the 4th century AD to the close of
the 8th, under the Guptas and Harsha and their
successors, is a remarkable period in Indian history.
It was the age of the universities of Nalanda and
Valabhi and of the rise of Indian sciences,
mathematics, and astronomy.
The university at Nalanda housed a population of
several thousand teachers and students.
Because of its fame, Nalanda attracted students from
abroad, but the admission test was so strict that only
two or three out of 10 attained admission.
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Nalanda University
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More than 1,500 teachers discussed more than 100
different dissertations every day.
These covered the Vedas, logic, grammar, Buddhist
and Hindu philosophy , astronomy, and medicine.
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Gurukul Education
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Nearly every village had its schoolmaster, who was
supported from local contributions.
The Hindu schools of learning, known as pathasalas
were conducted by Brahman acaryas at their residence.
Each imparted instruction in an advanced branch of
learning and had a student enrollment of not more than
30.
Larger or smaller establishments, specially endowed
by rajas and other donors for the promotion of
learning, also grew in number.
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Influence of Indian Education outside
India
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Indian education during the ancient period had a great
influence on the culture of Sri Lanka and Central and
Southeast Asia.
A number of Indian scholars lived there, and many
Chinese pilgrims remained there instead of going to
India.
Indian pandits (scholars) were also invited to China
and Tibet, and many Chinese and Tibetan monks
studied in Buddhist viharas in India.
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Indian Education
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The Gurukul Education continued in India until the
Industrial Civilization was dawn.
During the Industrial civilization the formal Class
room type of education was started.
Later to meet the large demand of trained manpower
Distance Education system was introduced.
During the period of British rule Universities like
Calcutta, Bombay and Madras Universities were
started based on British pattern.
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Indian Education
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Even after independence our system of
education, including curriculum and syllabi are
based on the western universities.
The local needs are not addressed.
During early 1980s Education was privatized in
India.
Many privately funded universities like SRM
Universities are doing well.
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Higher Education for Empoerment
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India is not a poor country,
But, a country with poor people.
India ranks11th in GDP (1,235,975 million USD)
India ranks fourth in PPP (3,526,124 million USD)
But, India ranks 142nd with a per capita GDP of 1032.
India ranks 129th with a per capita PPP of US$2,900
one-third of the poor people, living bellow poverty line
in the world, reside in India.
70% of the Population live in Rural India.
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Does Higher Education Help in Reducing
the Poverty level ? (1)
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Indian Universities Produce Graduates for the
developed World.
Rural India is Agro based with a cultivable area of
1,269,219 km²
India has a total water surface area of 314,400 km² and
receives an average annual rainfall of 1,100 mm.
It also has the world's largest cattle population: 193
million
India is the largest producer in the world of milk
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Does Higher Education Help in Reducing
the Poverty level ? (2)
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It is the second largest producer of wheat, rice, sugar,
cotton, silk, pe.anuts and inland fish
It is the third largest producer of tobacco.
India is the largest fruit producer, accounting for 10%
of the world fruit production.
India is the second largest producer of silk.
Medicinal Plants grow in the Tribal areas
All of the above happen in Rural and Tribal India.
What is the Industrial concentration in Rural India?
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Does Higher Education Help in Reducing
the Poverty level ? (3)
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Does the Curricula of Indian Universities address the
exploitation of these Rural and Tribal Resources?
Are there skill development components in the
curriculum ?
Are there Higher Education Institutions in the Rural
areas?
Whether the Universities have specially designed
academic programs to empower the Rural mass for
establishing their own house hold industries using the
local Resources and Raw materials?
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Issues of Higher Education
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Inadequate Institutions to provide access to 144.287
million persons in the age group of 18-23 years during
2011-12 for higher education.
Uneven Distribution of Institutions among the Urban
and Rural areas.
Diminishing rate of funding on higher education by the
Government year by year in the Govt. Institutions.
High cost of Higher Education that limits the poor to
access Higher Education,.
Inadequate Facilities and Facilities in the Institutions
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Poor qualities of Teaching and Learning Process
Issues of Higher Education (1)
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It is an irony in India that the bureaucracy restricts the
modernization and expansion of higher education by
private players intended to impart quality education.
At the same time a large number of institutions without
having adequate infrastructure and offering substandard education are not only surviving but also
flourishing.
Not more than 15 percent of graduates of general
education and 25-30 percent of Technical Education
are fit for employment.
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Issues of Higher Education (2)
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Lack of Skill based curricula in Higher
Education.
Lack of entrepreneurship based curricula in
Higher Education.
Lack of Human Values in Higher Education
curricula.
Lack of Personality Development aspects in
Higher Education curricula.
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Policy Issues of Higher Education (3)
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On the Government’s Educational Policy Framework:
(i) Is the policy Framework catering to the diversity
of the Indian Education Sector ?
(ii) Is the Education Policy Framework conducive to
investment in the Sector ?
(iii) Do the Education Policies encourage autonomy
along with accountability ?
(iv) Does the policy Framework encourage PPP
model in education initiatives ?
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Quality Issues in Higher Education
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Inadequate infrastructural facilities.
Not up to date laboratory equipments and facilities.
Inadequate and Inappropriate Teachers.
Inadequacy in fixing the minimum requirement criteria
for the appointment of Teachers in the Higher
Education Institutions.
Inadequate use of latest Technology and Pedagogies in
the Teaching and Learning Process.
Lack of Training Schemes for the Teachers.
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Scientific Research for Economic
Development
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Scientific Research in the Universities should be
appropriate to the local conditions.
Research should provide tools and methods for
transforming the Natural Resources of the country into
products , useful to the community.
India being an Agro based country, with a large area
for cultivation, spread over Rural India, University
Research should concentrate in developing appropriate
Technology for enriching the Rural economy.
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Problems and Issues of Research in the
Universities (1)
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Purpose of most of the Ph.D. Research in the
Universities and colleges is to obtain Ph.D. degree for
getting a teaching job. Hence it is commercialized.
To promote Research activities among the teaching
faculties in the Universities, it is propagated as to
“Publish or Perish.”
Because of that, the Researchers Publish, get their
degree, but do not produce products.
Such research do not benefit the community and thus,
they “Publish and Perish.”
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Problems and Issues of Research in the
Universities (2)
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Many of the Privately funded Universities offer Ph.D.
Research programs with out having qualified Guides.
They appoint Professors of State or Central
Universities/ IITs as Guides for their full time
candidates.
In this process a Professor in a State University
becomes a Guide to many Private Universities, in the
name of External Guide, with no limit on the number
of Research scholars to guide.
The irony is that they say that it is permitted by UGC.
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Solutions
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To achieve greater Access, justified Equity and
Excellent Quality in Higher Education, the
Academic Institutions should Encourage Good
Institutions with controlled freedom.
In the case of such institutions, run without
having adequate infrastructure and offering substandard education, the Govt. should partner
with the management, financially on a true PPP
model, and exercise control to regulate A E Q.
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Solutions
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A Faculty Training Board should be set up for training
those who prefer to become teaching Faculties.
The Minimum qualification for the appointment of
Faculties in the Universities and colleges, (A pass in
NET/SLET Examination) now in vogue in UGC, do
not check for the ability to teach.
Candidates trained in the Faculty Training Board only
should be appointed as teaching Faculties.
Skill based components should be included in all the
Under Graduate Curricula.
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Solutions
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University Research should be made product oriented.
Even Fundamental research should aim for an ultimate
Product development in the subsequent Research
efforts.
A full time faculty in one Teaching institution should
not be permitted as a guide to a scholar registered as a
full time candidate in another teaching institution.
The total number of Research scholars registered under
a guide, including the part time candidates, should not
exceed the limit fixed by UGC.
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The End
Thank You
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