When external political actors enter a university to intimidate students or disrupt the academic calendar, the administrative “teeth” suddenly go blunt. This raises a fundamental question: Is campus security merely a matter of logistics, or is it a matter of selective administrative will? The sanctity of an academic institution is predicated on a fragile ecosystem […]
How External Politics Is Undermining India’s Universities Read More »
Empty seats and falling percentiles are evidence that the Indian medical student is now choosing “competence” over being part of a “degree-seeking crowd.” This is a final warning for the system. If we allow medical colleges to remain merely “degree-distributing factories,” the future crisis will not be a shortage of seats, but a shortage of
India’s Medical Education Crisis: Empty Seats, Falling Standards Read More »
Lord Macaulay’s education system was a colonial legacy designed to serve imperial rule and create a cultureless elite. While it opened doors to modern knowledge, it displaced Indian languages and culture at a high cost. India’s education system reflects a transition from colonial administrative needs to contemporary nation-building goals. The comparison between Lord Macaulay’s educational
Macaulay to NEP 2020: How India’s Education System Changed Read More »
Despite the academic value attached to the PhD degree, an alarming parallel market has emerged that threatens its credibility. Globally, this market has evolved into an unethical industry involving Ghostwriting and Paper Mills. Joint reports from researchers and media outlets clearly indicate that theses and research papers are being bought and sold, a practice that
PhD Thesis Ghostwriting in India: A Crisis of Academic Ethics Read More »
Legally, these Foreign University campuses in India don’t need to implement reservations, leading to the creation of a parallel higher education system in India that is distinct from the Indian model of social inclusion. The entry of Foreign Universities into India is a multifaceted phenomenon, driven by shifts in the global education landscape and by
Foreign Universities in India: Opportunities and Risks Read More »
The Age of AI offers numerous Challenges and Opportunities for Senior Employees in an era where success depends largely on innovation.
The Age of AI: Challenges and Opportunities for Senior Employees Read More »
In higher education after the National Education Policy 2020 came, there are discussions about Quality vs Resources in universities.
From Policy to Practice: NEP 2020’s Implementation Remains Unimpressive Read More »
The Gambling Gene has a complex relationship with environmental factors like upbringing, social influences, and gambling opportunities.
The Complex Web of Gambling Addiction: Genetics, Environment, and Recovery Read More »
Understanding Leadership Styles and Challenges in Higher Education Governance The Vice-Chancellor is the head of a university and plays a crucial role in shaping its future. As the university is a center of education, the main function of the Vice-Chancellor is to promote education. The Vice-Chancellor works to improve the quality of the university’s courses
The Multifaceted Role of Vice Chancellors in Indian Universities Read More »
The existing challenges paint a complex picture of India’s higher education ecosystem. Addressing them requires a multi-pronged approach, including increased funding, focus on equity and inclusion, curriculum reforms, investment in research and technology, and effective governance reforms. The concept of higher education as an ecosystem is a relatively new one. But in present times, it
Mapping The Higher Education Ecosystem Of India Read More »
The retirement age of Indian college and university teachers should be uniformly set at 65 to ensure equal opportunities and rights. Knowledge, skills, and experience are vital prerequisites for educators, these only develop over time. Though the increase in retirement age may pose hiring challenges, the resulting longer tenure of experienced educators would greatly enhance the quality of education, fostering more effective teaching and higher quality of research. Having a uniform retirement age would also address the potential decline of experienced teachers by 2027.
Uniform Retirement Age of Teachers: A Panacea for Higher Education Read More »
Politics and politicization of education started since independence when the new Government began to formulate education policies.
Education: Politics and Politicization Read More »
National Exit Test (NExT) planned by National Medical Commission is going to be a major milestone in the reform of medical education in India.
National Exit Test (NExT) – A Significant Step To Reform Medical Education In India Read More »
Funding, Capacity, Governance, and Culture are the key Challenges in Implementing NEP 2020 in Higher Education,
Implementation of NEP 2020 in Higher Education: Challenges & Way Forward Read More »
Why it’s Challenging to implement the comprehensive NEP 2020 (National Education Policy 2020) in Academic Institutions in India?
Why is it Challenging to implement NEP 2020 in Academic Institutions? Read More »
Although the new UGC regulations for research appear to change the face of higher education in India and encourage institutions to compete with world-class universities across the globe, their implementation is bound to be shoddy without proper reflection and spade work. A critical rethinking on the part of the policymakers is the need of the day for improving the quality of PhDs in the country. Simple cosmetic changes and juggling around with existing structures cannot bring any positive reform in the quality of higher education, especially research in the country.
Academia Wary of New UGC Regulations for PhD Read More »
There are nearly 1.2 lakh single-teacher schools in the country of which an overwhelming 89% are in rural areas. More than 30% of schools had no toilets and over 60% had no playground. The selection of the top positions of the institution has emerged as a great challenge. A research scholar who gets a UGC fellowship does not want to complete his Ph.D. work in time but tries to extend it since after his/her Ph.D. if he/she gets an appointment in a private institution, he /she will get less salary. The conditions of teachers in self-finance institutions are very pathetic. Mushrooming of coaching centres and dummy schools across all cities has misled students into believing that they can perform better in entrance exams if they go for coaching at such centres and by skipping classes in regular schools.
The new trend of popularizing coaching institutions, over-dependence on digital technology, and reduced financial support to institutions of higher learning shall prove to be the death knell of our long cherished formal education. Are we giving free/subsidized education and scholarships to regular students just to enroll in the institution and join coaching classes? The ground reality is that in universities and colleges, we are teaching with the minimum number of teachers without students. The greatest threat to formal education is the recent trend of robbing universities of their academic autonomy. Policymakers have been acting as feudal lords to impose and further their agenda through higher education institutions. One of the turning points for the survival of formal education and universities could be to generate active value-based research.
Heading Towards Extinction of Formal Education? Read More »
Recently, on 3rd March 2022, Hon’ble Supreme Court has held that a state cannot legislate the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor contrary to the provisions of the UGC Regulations. Therefore, if any state does not follow the apex court judgment, the appointments shall be unconstitutional. It is very unfortunate when the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor gets challenged after the selection, and the honourable courts turn down the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor on the basis of either not following the rules and regulations of the Act or the selected Vice-Chancellor not possessing the minimum qualifications as per the rules made by the UGC. If a Vice-Chancellor is removed by the Hon’ble High Court, a serious question arises in the mind – who should be held responsible for such a fault?
Fixing Responsibility for Wrong Appointment of a Vice-Chancellor Read More »
For a person in academia as a teacher, a Ph.D. is essential as it expands our knowledge base and keeps the learning loop continue unhindered. Ph. D. is not just a degree. While doing Ph. D. one learns how to address problems, how to behave with colleagues and how to remain calm in odd situations. Making Ph.D. mandatory for the post of Assistant Professor will only reinforce the fact that teaching is not an easy job and only dedicated candidates must enter the field. However, we should first check the mushrooming of fake Ph.D. degrees for quality assurance.
Should Ph. D. be Mandatory for Assistant Professors in the University? Read More »
Donkey milk is very useful in beauty products and cancer treatment. It is also considered an ideal substitute for human milk. Recognizing the benefits of donkey milk, India is soon going to get a donkey milk dairy, being developed by the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Hisar, Haryana!
Donkey Milk: The New Panacea – Anti-Cancer Potion, Substitutes Human Milk Read More »
The changes proposed by the government through NEP are being acclaimed. But the more important question is its implementation. Only time will tell whether we took the right decisions at the right moment.
New Education Policy 2020 – Implementation Challenges in Higher Education Read More »
For efficient good governance of higher education institutes, the selection of candidates to the top positions of the institution is a great challenge.
Scrutinizing the appointment of Vice-Chancellors Read More »
