National Knowledge Commission 19th January, 2009 New Delhi Government of India

Higher Education Recommendations focus on Expansion, Excellence and Inclusion in the Higher Education System Expand capacity by establishing new universities and lowering entry barriers for setting up the same - Attain a gross enrolment ratio of at least 15 per cent by 2015 Establish 50 National Universities as exemplars offering a variety of disciplines and admitting students on an all India basis Prepare proposal for a Central University, if not in the State Establish colleges in backward districts Create models for community colleges that provide credit and non credit courses leading to two year associate degrees. These would include general education programmes as well as employment oriented programmes. In Higher Education, NKC has focused on the three crucial aspects of expansion, excellence and inclusion. Both access to and quality of higher education are critical. We propose to Expand capacity by establishing new universities and lowering entry barriers for setting up the same National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Higher Education Restructure the system of affiliated undergraduate colleges Establish an Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education (IRAHE) with the authority to accord degree granting powers to higher education institutions Multiple accreditation agencies must be licensed by the IRAHE to assess quality Promote enhanced quality and accountability through stringent information disclosure norms, up gradation of infrastructure, salary differentials etc Set up a State Board of Undergraduate Education as an affiliating body for new colleges/institutions National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Higher Education Improve quality in existing colleges through: Governance reforms Mechanism for frequent curricula revisions Greater reliance on internal assessment Shift to a course credit system Encouraging research Up gradation of infrastructure Salary differentials to attract and retain talented faculty Peer evaluation of faculty National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Higher Education Diversify sources of financing, encouraging private participation as well as philanthropic contributions Revitalize polytechnics through industry linkage and teacher development Facilitate convergence of Open and Distance Education system with conventional Universities, promote research and increase access for learners with special needs Ensure access for all deserving students through well funded scholarships and affirmative action that takes into account multi dimensionality of deprivation National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Open and Distance Education & Open Education Resources To promote Distance Education create a national ICT infrastructure Develop web based common open resources Establish a credit bank and provide a national testing service Regulation to be performed by a sub committee under the proposed IRAHE Leverage global open educational resources in a comprehensive manner and encourage open access for all educational material National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Professional Education Constitute Committees to review each professional education stream Governance reforms: Introduce autonomy in local colleges of professional education Establish independent and multiple accreditation agencies for all professional institutions Promote quality through curriculum revision according to new developments and evaluation reforms to focus on critical thinking and problem solving and research Promote research by creating vibrant Ph.D. programmes and making universities the hub of research Faculty Development: Open training centres to train and update faculty with latest developments in their profession Reform in Professional Education is crucial in building a knowledge society. NKC proposes reform in governance, accreditation mechanisms and curriculum revisions to promote quality. There is also an urgent need for faculty development and expansion of seats in nursing, paramedics and pharmacy streams. Public health systems also require an overhaul for instance the working conditions for Accredited Social Health Activists need to be revamped and Issues of access also have to be addressed. National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Professional Education Expand seats in nursing, paramedics and pharmacy streams A three tiered structure consisting of a one year diploma course, a three year B.Sc course and a three year Master’s course may be introduced in Public Health. Introduce medical informatics as a course in medical colleges Introduce courses for non-traditional management streams eg. agri business, rural banking, public utilities etc. Create mechanisms for integrating science and engineering education Encourage industry-academia interaction to enhance employability National Knowledge Commission Government of India

www.knowledgecommission.gov.in Thank You This brings us to the end of the presentation. Thank you. National Knowledge Commission Government of India