Dr Khurshid A. Tariq
The New Education Policy 2020 is envisioned with novel initiatives to transform the higher education sector of the country to match the global knowledge standards and at the same time preserving the rich tradition of multidisciplinary approach of imparting education vested in India’s own educational setup. In this direction, some recently announced major transforming initiatives by UGC in conformity with the NEP 2020 are introduction of de-affiliation system, so that by 2030 the desired college/s achieve academic autonomy, and clustering of colleges for sharing of students, infrastructure, and resources for attainment of multidisciplinary setup. This is expected to be fulfilled by transformation of single stream higher educational institutions (SSHEI’s) into multidisciplinary higher educational institutions (MDHEI’s) in the country by 2040. In this regard the UGC has recently published guidelines for “transforming higher education institutions into multidisciplinary institutions” and “clustering of colleges”.The aim is to have only three types of HEIs in the country.
Ten ways to achieve clustering of colleges
Transforming existing SSHEIs (universities and colleges) into Large Multidisciplinary Universities (LMU’s) which would function either as research intensive (RIUs) or teaching intensive (TIUs) and Degree Awarding Multidisciplinary Autonomous Institutions. Every type of these institutions has to be structurally and functionally a multidisciplinary cluster.
Transforming existing affiliated type degree colleges (ATDC’s) into multidisciplinary degree awarding autonomous colleges. Therefore, a transition from affiliation system to autonomous system is expected to boost the individual as well as institutional autonomy in the coming time. This is further expected to transform the domain specific standalone HEI’s with the abolition of rigid boundaries and adoption of academic mobility. This will be finally visible through transformingexisting affiliated colleges into Degree Awarding Alone/Single Autonomous Large Multidisciplinary Institutions (SAMDI).
Another aspect of this transformation phenomenon will be transforming existing affiliated colleges into Cluster of Colleges (CC’s) through cooperation, collaboration and MoU with nearby institutions and finally into an Autonomous Degree Granting Cluster of College (ADGCC). This will involve a three phased transformation featured as A. initial affiliation phase for all member colleges, B. After some initial years, the affiliating university may affiliate the cluster of colleges as a single affiliate unit (affiliated transformation phase) and finally C. Graded autonomy phase to emerge as ADGCC.
The eligible institutions for such a cluster of colleges shall be single stream and multidisciplinary institutions with poor student enrolment, lack of employment-oriented courses, lack of innovative multidisciplinary courses (MDC’s) and lack of financial resources (LFR’s). Interestingly, in the case of private colleges forming a cluster, the trust/society/company which runs the college must be charitable and non-profit body.
The uniform Board of Directors, Academic Council, Finance Committee, Curriculum Development Committee to govern the academic, financial and administrative matters of member colleges in a cluster will be the new bodies to be established in such a cluster of colleges irrespective of it being privately managed or by Govt.
It is further clarified that the physical proximity of the participating institutions (in a cluster) should be such that they can share physical and human resources and ensure easier student and faculty mobility.
At the same time a provision has been kept that a college may also chose to become a constituent part of a University if it fails or is not able or eligible to be part of the would be formed cluster or if the affiliating University decides so of its own. Finally, such a constituent college or colleges shall broaden the academic standards of a university towards multidisciplinary studies and degree granting.
However, this is not possible unless and until the strengthening of Institutional infrastructure and addition of new departments/subjects of a multidisciplinary and an autonomous HEI is carried out as per the needs and specifications of such an institution. In this regard, UGC has also setup the guidelines for establishments of new departments/subjects and more specifically has stressed on the setup of education department in each HEI (universities and colleges lacking such a department so far) to teach curriculum design, pedagogy, communication, academic writing, etc. as well as creation of facilities for capacity building of faculty in multidisciplinary academic programmes through both online and offline initiatives.
Merger/Integration of SSHEIs with other MDHEIs under the same management or different managements to enhance their programmes for awarding discipline specific degrees (DSD’s). They can also add more programmes/subjects and move towards awarding collaborative dual-major programmes/degrees (CDMD’s) e.g., BA-BEd, BA-LLB, BA-BSc, etc. through MoU.
Collaboration between two institutions for the award of dual degree (first degree at the host institution) and (second degree at the partnering institution) through MoU and with the approval of the affiliating university, regulatory bodies, Govt’s, etc.
Conclusion
The guidelines as summarised above emphasize that large multidisciplinary HEIs are to be established in every or near each district by 2030 & by 2035 all affiliated colleges are to become Degree Awarding Multidisciplinary Autonomous Institutionswith the removal of rigid.multidisciplinary boundaries in all HEIs. Therefore, each student as well as the faculty and the institution have to be compulsorily now multidisciplinary in acquiring knowledge, imparting knowledge and in actions.
Pertinently, the dispersed creation or burgeoning of degree colleges in J&K/or for that matter in the whole country in the recent past although has resulted in the increase the number as well as near the door facility to pursue higher education for the aspiring youth, but due to lack of the requisite infrastructure has not so far been useful to achieve the basic targets of student enrolments and imparting of quality education featured with skills and innovation.
Therefore, these guidelines provide the ample opportunity to integrate all nearby colleges (preferably within a radius of few kilo meters enabling mobility of staff, teachers and students) into cluster of colleges (at least one or two in each district) initially and later into autonomous cluster college so as to enable the efficient use of facilities and resources and achieving the targets of autonomy, multidisciplinary education, integration of professional and vocational education with academics and integration of research, innovation and technology for quality education and empowerment as envisioned in NEP 2020.These guidelines also open the doors of creation and establishment of new subjects, departments and institutions besides academic collaborations to curate courses and programmes.
Above all, it is our collective responsibility now to spread awareness, familiarize students and conduct orientation programmes among the student community aspiring and enrolled in higher education because they can now move between the colleges, earning one course/programme/degree in one college and other in another college. Therefore, we as teachers need to sensitise ourselves and gear up for the new multidisciplinary and cluster system to strengthen the holistic and multidisciplinary dimensions of NEP 2020.
The writer teaches Zoology in Post Graduate Department of Zoology at Islamia College of Science and Commerce (UGC autonomous), Srinagar.
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