VALEDICTORY ADDRESS AT CONFERENCE ON THE NATIOBNAL KNOELDGE COMMISSION REPORT ON HIGHER EDUCATION- S L RAO; SEPTEMBER 20 2007

  1. SamPitroda-Don’t crib about the problems; find solutions.
  2. Comprehensive; Five key areas: Access, Concepts, Creation, application and Services. Wide range of subjects covered-comprehensive reform of higher education, overhaul of public libraries, creation of Knowledge Portals, transforming vocational education, reengineering of government processes and making E-governance citizen friendly.
  3. My focus is on what I think are key issues; governance, regulation, linkage between research and teaching; performance evaluation, funding andincentives.
  4. Governance-the report does not look at the governance at central and state levels. Splitting of education into primary secondary, higher, professional, etc must go. Have junior Ministers to focus but keep in one Ministry. Also, should we be considering making higher education into a central subject under the Constitution?
  5. At local levels, the involvement of local communities to appoint teachers, with some flexibility in remuneration, evaluate performance with the help of parents, participation of parents, is desirable.
  6. At the level of the Institution, Report rightly emphasizes transparency.Information dissemination.
  7. Regulatory structure is to be overhauled with IRAHE (Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education); presently higher education is over regulate but under governed; proposed to give four out of five functions of UGC to specialist bodies under IRAHE:

a)Entry-i.e., license to grant degrees; this will be on criteria of academic credibility and financial viability (example of over 1400 recognized B schools of which perhaps 100 are of acceptable standards. Apply the same criteria for public and private institutions. Being a government institution does not confer holiness.

b)Accreditation should be about quality benchmarking and not a monopoly o a government body; IRAHE will license agencies for the job;

c)Disbursement of public funds will remain wit UGC;

d)Access-Fees or affirmative action to be embodied in Legislation;

e)License to practice profession: to be wit professional bodies where relevant; e.g., MCI for medical, BCI for legal; AICTE to be abolished; these professional bodies will conduct nationwide examinations, set standards.

  1. IRAHE will have 6 Members including chairman, appointed by P.M.; plus part time members and standing committees.
  2. Regulator must have strong monitoring and penalizing powers.
  3. Research: Report does not focus sufficiently n divorce between research and teaching in both natural and social sciences; and suggest solutions.
  4. Result is that we have declining number and quality of PhD’s; and these produce even more mediocre Phd’s; the quality o higher education has declined precipitously. This must be reversed. I suggest that these independent research institutions must be ea` ch attached to teaching institutions, and researchers must also teach.
  5. We need accountability among faculty and those who run institutions; Need for work norms, performance evaluation including by students, incentives for performance such as office space, research facilities and grants, travel. Report asks for incentives for performance, salary differentials between the best and the worst teachers to the extent of laid down differentials. I would add the need to provide teachers with pensions and help in post retirement housing so that old age ‘blues’ are avoided. Need also for refresher training for teachers.
  6. Access:

a)Only 7% of 18-24 age group enters higher education; much lower among Muslims and scheduled tribes. Report targets 15% by 2015- need 1500 universities, autonomous and community colleges

b)Inclusiveness demands outreach programmes at start of higher education to those who need it.

c)Curricula to be revised every 3 years.

d)Rote learning versus self learning and creativity; need to reorient teachers. Heavy classroom load must reduce.

e)Walls between subject disciplines must be broken. Presently little opportunity for interaction between disciplines.

  1. From 0.7% of GDP for higher education, raise to 1.5%. Other additional sources:

a)Using Land and other assets;

b)Rationalizing fees so that they cover at least 20% of total university expenditures, to be adjusted every two years for inflation;

c)Philanthropic contributions have declined from 12% in 1950’s to less than 3% in 1990’s;

d)Encourage sound management and investment of funds-example of Keynes and King’s College, Cambridge; and Harvard or Columbia.

e)Others: Licenses to use discoveries, User Chargers, Alumni contributions.

f)Go after private investment as has happened in Medicine, Engineering, and Management.

g)Public Private partnerships

h)International Students at higher fees.