India: 14 new ‘World Class University’ blueprint ready

[Harold Schiffman]

One test, top faculty, extra perks: 14 'World Class University' blueprint ready

Anubhuti Vishnoi
Posted online: Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 0259 hrs IST
New Delhi, August 20

An all-India common entrance examination, a student-count not
exceeding 12,000, the best of faculty with incentives over and above
regular pay, a curriculum revised every three years, a semester
system, private sector funding, vice-chancellors with at least
decade-long teaching experience, collaboration with universities and
institutes in India and abroad, academic creativity free from red
tapism — all this and more will go into the making of 14 World Class
Universities (WCUs) very shortly. And these sweeping changes are also
likely to be applied to all existing universities and 16 Central
universities that have recently been approved by the Cabinet. What
will change, however, is the nomenclature for the 14 WCUs. Officials
say these are now likely to be christened National Universities and
the related legislation will be called the National Universities Act.

The basic blueprint for the WCUs has been formulated by the University
Grants Commission (UGC) and the first round of discussions, held in
New Delhi today, involved academicians, experts, officials from the
Human Resource Development Ministry, UGC and Planning Commission.
"There was a very interactive discussion on the WCUs and a major
viewpoint emerged. Participants felt there should be a similar
legislation for all Central universities, including the 16 which just
got Cabinet approval, and all existing universities. The view was that
there should be no hierarchy or disparity in standards amongst
universities and the reforms and changes suggested for WCUs should be
applied to all universities," an official who attended the meeting
told The Indian Express.

"There were strong reservations against the term 'world class' and it
was decided they will be called National Universities instead," the
official said.
While more discussions will follow, sources said that the UGC and HRD
Ministry hope to be ready with a legislation in time for the
Parliament session. The reforms and innovative practices suggested for
autonomy of the 14 WCUs seemed to have elicited quite a response with
academicians and some VCs demanding that the proposed legislation
should apply to all universities. This has been noted by the UGC and
the HRD Ministry.
The WCUs are envisaged as unitary universities, like JNU, without any
affiliation and multi-facility based, offering subjects ranging from
natural sciences, social sciences and humanities to engineering,
technology and medicine among others.

Promised autonomy in matters of admission of students and standards
for selection, introduction and revision of contextual and innovative
curricula, opening of new campuses and new programmes, intake of
students, examinations and evaluation systems, faculty recruitment and
national and international collaborations, the WCUs are planned as
model institutes that will stand apart from existing universities.
That getting the best of faculty is high on the agenda for these new
universities is apparent as the concept paper suggest that individuals
with high quality research/training experience could be invited to
join the faculty even if they have not applied for the job — as is
also done in JNU. The universities, the paper says, should also be
allowed to develop own hiring policies and pay higher emoluments and
non-salary incentives over and above regular pay scales. The blueprint
also recommends that private sector funding be permitted as long as it
does not compromise academic integrity and autonomy of the university.
While the UGC's earlier draft on WCUs did not quite impress the Prime
Minister's Office — it is keenly following the ambitious project — the
new concept paper is said to have been found to be more "forward
looking". The legislation will also be so worded that it does not lead
to rigid bureaucratic controls that stifle quality and creativity and
spell out only "what to do" instead of "how to do".

Why these will be different

• Unitary varsities with all-India entrance exam, not more than 12,000 students
• Fees governed by UGC
• PG, research programmes, select 4-year undergraduate courses
• Curriculum revised every 3 years, semester system
• High monetary incentives to draw quality faculty
• VC with 10-year teaching experience as professor, fixed 5-year term
• Private funding for Chairs, fellowships, scholarships, infrastructure
• Collaboration with national/international varsities/institutes

(Forwarded from Indian Express)

[And what language will be the medium of instruction? (hs)]

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