NIRF & NAAC To Determine University Autonomy Status

HRD Minister, Prakash Javadekar recently announced that NIRF(National Institutional Ranking Framework) & NAAC(National Assessment and Accreditation Council) would now decide the autonomy status for universities across the country. According to him, institutions with good ranking will have 100% autonomy while average institutes will have 50% autonomy. Institutions performing badly would have only 10% autonomy in their working.

With an aim to have good research-driven and innovation-oriented universities, the government is working on establishing 20 world-class universities - 10 each in public and private sector (with full autonomy).

According to the HRD Minister, the government is revisiting the policy to develop a relevant framework to bring about autonomy in the sector. Infact, MPs of various states have recommended to encourage research and innovation at the university level to add value to the system.

Following these suggestions, a national level Hackathon has been launched to challenge students from tech institutes across India to offer innovative solutions to some of the deterring problems faced by the country. The government also has plans to create a conducive research environment in the country to put an end to the 'brain drain' situation.

Some of the various programmes initiated by the government to enhance the quality of higher education and give a boost to the sector includes:

• Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY)
• IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT)
• Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)
• Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN)
• Global Research Interaction Network (GRIN) - soon to be implemented  

The government is also contemplating of reintroducing Class X board examination for CBSE schools from 2017-18.