VALEDICTORY ADDRESS AT CONFERENCE ON
THE NATIOBNAL KNOELDGE COMMISSION
REPORT ON HIGHER EDUCATION- S L RAO;
SEPTEMBER 20 2007
1. Sam Pitroda-Don’t crib about the problems; find solutions.
2. Comprehensive; Five key areas: Access, Concepts, Creation,
application and Services. Wide range of subjects coveredcomprehensive reform of higher education, overhaul of public
libraries, creation of Knowledge Portals, transforming vocational
education, reengineering of government processes and making Egovernance citizen friendly.
3. My focus is on what I think are key issues; governance, regulation,
linkage between research and teaching; performance evaluation,
funding and incentives.
4. Governance-the report does not look at the governance at central and
state levels. Splitting of education into primary secondary, higher,
professional, etc must go. Have junior Ministers to focus but keep in
one Ministry. Also, should we be considering making higher
education into a central subject under the Constitution?
5. At local levels, the involvement of local communities to appoint
teachers, with some flexibility in remuneration, evaluate performance
with the help of parents, participation of parents, is desirable.
6. At the level of the Institution, Report rightly emphasizes transparency.
Information dissemination.
7. Regulatory structure is to be overhauled with IRAHE (Independent
Regulatory Authority for Higher Education); presently higher
education is over regulate but under governed; proposed to give four
out of five functions of UGC to specialist bodies under IRAHE:
a) Entry-i.e., license to grant degrees; this will be on criteria of academic
credibility and financial viability (example of over 1400 recognized B
schools of which perhaps 100 are of acceptable standards. Apply the
same criteria for public and private institutions. Being a government
institution does not confer holiness.
b) Accreditation should be about quality benchmarking and not a
monopoly o a government body; IRAHE will license agencies for the
job;
c) Disbursement of public funds will remain wit UGC;
d) Access-Fees or affirmative action to be embodied in Legislation;
e) License to practice profession: to be wit professional bodies where
relevant; e.g., MCI for medical, BCI for legal; AICTE to be abolished;
these professional bodies will conduct nationwide examinations, set
standards.
8. IRAHE will have 6 Members including chairman, appointed by P.M.;
plus part time members and standing committees.
9. Regulator must have strong monitoring and penalizing powers.
10.Research: Report does not focus sufficiently n divorce between
research and teaching in both natural and social sciences; and suggest
solutions.
11.Result is that we have declining number and quality of PhD’s; and
these produce even more mediocre Phd’s; the quality o higher
education has declined precipitously. This must be reversed. I suggest
that these independent research institutions must be ea` ch attached
to teaching institutions, and researchers must also teach.
12. We need accountability among faculty and those who run institutions;
Need for work norms, performance evaluation including by students,
incentives for performance such as office space, research facilities and
grants, travel. Report asks for incentives for performance, salary
differentials between the best and the worst teachers to the extent of
laid down differentials. I would add the need to provide teachers with
pensions and help in post retirement housing so that old age ‘blues’
are avoided. Need also for refresher training for teachers.
13. Access:
a) Only 7% of 18-24 age group enters higher education; much lower
among Muslims and scheduled tribes. Report targets 15% by 2015need 1500 universities, autonomous and community colleges
b) Inclusiveness demands outreach programmes at start of higher
education to those who need it.
c) Curricula to be revised every 3 years.
d) Rote learning versus self learning and creativity; need to reorient
teachers. Heavy classroom load must reduce.
e) Walls between subject disciplines must be broken. Presently little
opportunity for interaction between disciplines.
14.From 0.7% of GDP for higher education, raise to 1.5%. Other
additional sources:
a) Using Land and other assets;
b) Rationalizing fees so that they cover at least 20% of total university
expenditures, to be adjusted every two years for inflation;
c) Philanthropic contributions have declined from 12% in 1950’s to less
than 3% in 1990’s;
d) Encourage sound management and investment of funds-example of
Keynes and King’s College, Cambridge; and Harvard or Columbia.
e) Others: Licenses to use discoveries, User Chargers, Alumni
contributions.
f) Go after private investment as has happened in Medicine,
Engineering, and Management.
g) Public Private partnerships
h) International Students at higher fees.