The Hindu : UGC brushes aside charges

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

UGC brushes aside charges

WITH JUST a day to go for the bandh called by the Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Association in all Central Universities against the proposed Model Act and Common Entrance examinations for engineering, architecture and pharmacy, the University Grants Commission has dismissed allegations being made against it by various teachers' organisations as "baseless".

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the UGC Secretary, Ved Prakash, maintained that the concept paper was for facilitation of innovation in higher education and that the idea behind it was to come up with either a single Act that could meet the different and specific requirements of all universities or separate acts that could cater to the Central, State and those Deemed to be Universities.

Pointing out that the concept paper is aimed at formulating a Model Act, as recommended by various educational committees - right from the Kothari Committee in 1964 - Prof. Prakash said the UGC committee would interact with teachers' associations and other members of the academic sections before coming out with the final paper.

Incidentally the UGC has now extended the initial deadline of December 15 to February 15 for receiving the comments and submission of the questionnaire that has been sent to various universities.

"A number of changes have come about globally in the higher education segment. The current Act does not provide for the assimilation of all the necessary changes," said Prof. Prakash.

Brushing aside the six dangers of the Model Act projected by teachers' associations, Prof. Prakash said the concept paper was not made behind closed doors or in secrecy but formed after deliberate discussions with members of the academia. "The concept paper has been made available on the website and we have invited views of teachers and parents. So there is no secrecy," he said.

Reacting to accusations that the UGC was trying to commercialise higher education, the UGC Secretary noted that compared to the Ninth Plan which had allotted Rs. 28,750 crores, the Tenth Plan had given Rs. 43,825 crores, almost double that amount.

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MEANWHILE, WEDNESDAY saw Delhi University take part in the joint dharna called by the Delhi University Teachers' Association, along with the Karamchari Union and the Researchers' Association. And while the North Campus saw teachers protest against what they call commercialisation of higher education, Thursday will see FEDCUTA carry on with its nationwide bandh in Central Universities.

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THE INTERNATIONAL Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology will be organising a SPIC-MACAY musical concert on Thursday. Giving a vocal performance at the event will be Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur, accompanied by Ustad Imrat Khan on the sitar, at the Centre at 5-30 p.m.

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AFTER REVAMPING its course curriculum for company secretaries, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India will now offer an IT programme along with NIIT. Titled "Understanding Information Technology in the Corporate Environment", the course has been specially designed and customised for company secretaries, keeping in mind their course curriculum.

This task-oriented special programme will train students and existing members of ICSI on high-end personal computing skills. A special module on IT laws and Security, E-Commerce, Digital Signatures and Privacy Protection is included in the program where learners will have the flexibility to choose and practice from a range of specially designed task alternatives as part of the curriculum.

Lakshmi Balakrishnan

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