Pamphlet for dialogue on Higher Education:
I.
Accessibility
under threat:
1.
NTA
and CUET: The centralized Common
University Entrance Test (CUET) proposed and conducted by National Testing
Agency for admission to HEIs will definitely affect the accessibility. It is an
additional burden on students to study regular course on one hand and prepare for entrance exam on the other
hand. Those who are affordable for coaching would capture the better courses
and better institutions and even who are affordable to pay may get desired
courses in desired private institutions by mere attending CUET.
2.
MOOC:
NEP proposes to increase the present GER (26%) to
50% by 2040. It does not allow new stand alone and affiliating HEIs.Instead it
proposes increased enrolment in existing institutions and promotes Massive Open
Online Courses (MOOC).This will prevent the student community to study in
institution based higher education
institutions.
3.
Merger
of HEIs:NEP -proposes larger
Multidisciplinary Higher Education and Research
Institutes (MERUs) with a minimum of 3000 students and to a maximum of
25000. It proposes merger of standalone
institutes into cluster institutes.This will lead to closure of colleges which are decentralized in rural
sides by various states to increase GER.This will defeat the very purpose of
increasing GER in Higher Education.
II.
Quality
under threat:
1.
Holistic
Multidisciplinary Education: For quality education NEP proposes a
multidisciplinary education with a range
of disciplines including
sciences, social sciences,
arts, humanities, languages, as well as professional, technical, and vocational subjects. It proposes four year degree
course and dual degree courses with multiple entry/exit options with exits in I year with certificate, II year with
Diploma, third year with degree and IV
the year with Honours Degree. Multiple entry
and exit will degrade the quality of education. It
will lead to dropouts of first generation students.
2.
Blended mode of
teaching and learning: It is proposed to
have a blended method of learning with regular institutional learning and on
line mode of learning with a proportion of 60:40. The hybrid mode of learning
will definitely affect the quality of education.
3.
Academic Bank of
Credit (ABC): NEP proposes credit
based higher education from institution as well as from outside on line courses
with a proportion of 60:40. For promoting on line courses Dept of Eucation
has established educational portals such
as SWAYAM and to provide internet connectivity at panchayat level .For which
they have established a collaborative arrangement called MEITY with Ministry of Electronics and IT. The
proposal of multidisciplinary approach will push the students to join on line
courses sometimes may be irrelevant and to spend money for this on line
courses. Quality assessment by ABC will display a greater disparity between
rural and urban.
4.
Autonomy to HEIs: NEP proposes
all HEIs should become autonomous multidisciplinary institutions with
multidisciplinary courses by 2035. They can
develop their own courses and can issue degrees. The quality of degree
will be in question from institution to institution.
5.
Vocationalisation
and Skill Development: The proposal of
vocationisation and skill based education for employment sake will definitely
meet with failure. They could not compete with fully qualified professional and
technical graduates. The introduction of vocationalisation will either produce
skilled labourer and with out the depth and quality of higher education.
III.
Constitutional
obligations under threat: NEP speaks high
of Constitutional values, such as intellectual curiosity, scientific temper,
creativity, spirit of service
etc. On the other hand it operates diametrically opposite by promoting Indian
Traditional knowledge (ITK) based courses such as Vastu Sastra, Astrology,
Vedic Mathematics in academic and technical courses and researches.
IV.
Conclusion:
Over all recommendations of NEP indirectly promote privatisation, commercialisation and indianisation of Hr.education which will no
way helpful for increased GER, quality higher education and creation of knowledgeable society for the 21st
century.
