| Monday, March 31, 2008
UGC road map for improving higher education
SRM University honours Kasturirangan and Kumar Mangalam
Birla
HONOURed: T.R.Pachamuthu, Chancellor, SRM University, (third
from right), presenting the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature
to Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla group (fourth
from right), during the third convocation of SRM University
at Kattankulathur on Sunday. K.Kasturirangan, Rajya Sabha
MP (second from left), who received an honorary degree of
Doctor of Science, Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairman, University Grants
Commission, are in the picture
TAMBARAM: The University Grants Commission has worked out a
broad road map for increasing enrolment and improving quality
of higher education in colleges and universities, its Chairman
Sukhadeo Thorat said on Sunday.
Addressing the third convocation of the SRM University,
Kattankukathur, he said Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER is the indicator
of access to higher education) in India was now 10 per cent,
which was very low compared to the world average of 23 per cent.
Though GER in India had gone up from less than one per cent
in 1950 to its present mark, it had to be increased further.
Speaking on “Higher Education in India, strategy and action
plan for development under new initiatives in the Eleventh Plan,”
Professor Thorat said international experience had shown that
GER of about 25 per cent was a necessity for sustainable economic
development.
The Eleventh Plan had set a target of 15 per cent GER by 2012.
Access, inclusiveness, quality and relevant education were the
prime focus of the Eleventh Plan, he said.
Three imbalances
Elaborating on some of the proposed strategies, he said
the Eleventh Plan had recognised three imbalances–inter-regional,
inter-social and gender–and it was proposed to address
these imbalances. Supporting colleges and universities and opening
of new ones with matching contribution from the States in 350
districts having GER lower than the national average was an
important component, he said.
“As most districts with low GER happen to be in rural,
hilly, remote, tribal and border areas and small towns, we propose
additional support to universities and colleges in these regions,”
the UGC Chairman said, adding that institutions with a high
concentration of SC, ST, OBC and Muslim would get enhanced support.
At the convocation, K. Kasturirangan, Rajya Sabha MP and Director,
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, was conferred
the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Kasturirangan, former chief of
the Indian Space Research Organisation, said advancements in
space science and research had immensely benefited the overall
development of the country.
India was a world leader in development of space science and
research and in the future, could be a part of the global community
on planetary exploration.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, was conferred
honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature.
He said conferring of the honorary doctorate on him was an acknowledgement
to the teamwork of one lakh people working for Birla group in
20 countries across the world. Stating that education was the
most important factor to take India forward, he said the country
was having a “dream run.
Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla feared that shortage of educated youth
might pose certain problems to the current development the nation
was witnessing. “India’s economic growth depends
of the efficacy of the education system,” he said.
Others who spoke included T.R. Pachamuthu, P. Sathyarayanan
and P. Ravi, chancellor, vice-chancellor and pro chancellor
respectively.
Courtesy: The Hindu
|
