According to the latest circular released by the University Grants Commission (UGC), India’s higher education institutes aspiring to earn the ‘deemed to be university’ tag should have been in existence for at least 20 years. In a move to ‘ensure quality education’, the UGC has made changes in the eligibility criteria to obtain the ‘deemed-to-be’ universities tag. Besides 20 years of existence, the institute should have at least 3.26 CGPA for three consecutive cycles (for technical institutes two-third of eligible technical programmes) accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).
According to the new circular, the institute should be ranked among the 50 in a specific category or among the top 100 in overall ranking of the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF). Additionally, the teacher-student ratio should not be less than 1:20 with a faculty strength of not less than 100 teachers and a minimum of 2,000 students on its rolls under the regular mode. The institute should also have at least five postgraduate departments in existence for at least three years with a research programme.
To attain the status, institutes will now have to submit a detailed project report (DPR) containing 15 years’ strategic vision plans and five-year rolling implementation plan.
Under the new rules, once the status is granted, the UGC will monitor the academic outcomes of the institutes on annual basis. The outcome of graduate students should not be lesser than 50 per cent and the teacher-student ration should not drop below 1:20. After attaining the status, institutes will have to participate in NIRF ranking, provide a choice-based credit system (CBCS) to students, according to the UGC.
It would also be mandatory for institutes to create a selection committee which will make sure that the recommendations are followed. Under the new rules, the institutes which perform well under ‘deemed-to-be’ tag would be allowed to set up off-shore centres as well.
Source: The Indian Express
Posted in National
