Educationists and activists have termed the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s (MHRD) decision to establish world-class institutions a ‘hare-brained’ idea at worst and wishful thinking at best. The introductory note on the 30-page Draft Guidelines and Regulations for establishment of World Class Institutions states that India should rise again as a leader in the field. It sought comments, views and suggestions by October 28.
The objective, the note stated, was “to provide an enabling regulatory architecture to 10 public and 10 private higher educational institutions to emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions.”
The document has 19 points that institutions should comply with to be declared as world-class institutions.
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The institutions must ensure a faculty-student ratio of not less than 1:10 after three years of declaration as world-class universities.
The Tamil Nadu branch of the State Platform for Common School System said the government had not given enough time for all stakeholders to read the document and comment on it. The document has neither been popularised through government-run media nor has it been issued in all regional languages, it noted.
Universities became popular and attracted students because of the environment they provided, P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, said, adding that the term “World-Class Institute is market terminology and has nothing to do with education or acquisition of knowledge.”
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His organisation demanded the immediate withdrawal of the draft and the government’s offer of market access in higher education given to the WTO-GATS.
Educationist and former Anna University vice-chancellor M. Anandakrishnan, said: “I don’t think any of the criteria (listed in the draft policy document) will help reach world-class status. An institution cannot become world-class simply by the pumping in of funds.”
He said the government was only making a political statement.
“None of the deemed universities have the slightest chance of ever reaching the status by the provisions (listed in the document). There is a fundamental flaw as institutions are lacking in the teacher-student ratio,” he said.
“In contrast, universities ranked as the best in the world are completely autonomous in all aspects of administrative and governance, whereas most of the deemed universities in the country are family-controlled. I don’t want people to be taken for a ride. I felt very disappointed,” Prof. Anandakrishnan said.