S. Bisalaiah, economist and former Vice-Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, has stressed the need to upgrade the quality of education and to promote excellence in higher education in India.
Inauguration the 37th foundation day celebrations of Gulbarga University here on Saturday, he said that the Indian higher education system was at a crossroads and was not prepared to meet the norms of excellence. Institutions should work towards quality enhancement through innovative reforms and bring in radical changes to ensure access to global frontiers, Mr. Bisalaiah said.
Though there was tremendous quantitative expansion of higher educational institutions in the last 60 years, the quality was deteriorating.
He said that it was commonly observed that on an average, Indian educational institutions fail to compete with world class institutions. As per ranking agencies, Indian institutions did not figure on the list of 200 world class institutions.
“Universities have to focus more on decentralisation. Autonomy of colleges, of even departments within universities, will have to be promoted while ensuring accountability. These institutions will have to synergise to make our education system innovative and competitive,” Mr. Bisalaiah said.
He said that faculty should be retooled in many directions by rebooting teaching and learning skills. Foreign educational institutions should be allowed to enter into collaborations with Indian institutions, which would help enhance capabilities in the areas of curricular and pedagogical practices, Mr. Bisalaiah said.
The nation’s higher education system would soon begin its downward slide if the government and institutions failed to adapt the steps required to make the higher education system globally competitive.
Around 50 retired employees were felicitated. Gulbarga University Vice-Chancellor S.R. Niranjana and registrar Dayanand Agsar were present.
