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Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Semester system plan for varsities

Special Correspondent

HRD Ministry examining switch-over

Plan panel came out with the suggestion
Semester allows
for continuous
assessment

NEW DELHI: With the Planning Commission advocating a switch-over to the semester system by all Central Universities in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has decided to go in for consultations to examine if such a change is possible without too many hiccups.

The Ministry would convene a series of regional conferences with all stake-holders. This would be followed by a meeting of the Vice-Chancellors of all Universities, after which the issue would be put before the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE).

The Commission made the suggestion for the semester system instead of annual examinations in its agenda note for the proposed meeting on higher education. It has also recommended this system for the new universities being planned under the current plan period. One argument in favour of the semester system is that it allows for continuous assessment.

Meanwhile, indications from the HRD Ministry are that the proposed National Commission for Higher Education is unlikely to see the light of day as alliance partners in the Government — Nationalist Congress Party president and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, and Pattali Makkal Katchi leader and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss — are opposed to it.

A National Commission for Higher Education had been suggested to streamline the functioning of institutions such as the University Grants Commission, the All-India Council for Technical Education, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Medical Council of India, and ensure that they do not work at cross-purposes.

It had the support of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD. In its 172nd Report on University and Higher Education, the Standing Committee said a national level body of higher education should be established to advise the government on policy matters, coordinate the activities of the various professional bodies, encourage interface among different areas, and allocate resources in terms of national needs and manpower planning.

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