Terming it “essential to inclusive development”, a parliamentary panel has called for “comprehensive awareness campaigns and infrastructural development” in the country’s remote areas and urban slums to improve access to education in marginalised communities in line with the National Education Policy (NEP).
It has also recommended assessment of the technological infrastructure in higher education institutions, besides “proper involvement” of the student community, for a smoother implementation of the NEP, three years after the wide-ranging framework was announced.
The report of the panel on education, chaired by BJP MP Vivek Thakur, was tabled in Lok Sabha on the last day of the Special Session of Parliament Thursday.
Suggesting a series of measures to ensure the benefits of the NEP reach the marginalised communities, it recommended “training of teachers who work in these communities; scholarship and financial support; community engagement, besides collaboration and partnership with NGOs and civil society organisations”.
“The committee is of the view that the successful implementation of initiatives to enhance access to education for marginalised communities is not only a moral imperative but also essential for inclusive and sustainable development,” it said.
Taking note of the necessity of a technological infrastructure for the materialisation of the provisions in NEP, the committee recommended the setting up of a “monitoring group” to assess the readiness of the higher education sphere.
“The Department should set up a monitoring group, drawing experts from all stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current technological infrastructure in higher education institutions across the country, identify gaps… and suggest solutions to bridge any issue relating to technological gaps, investment in digital infrastructure, faculty training and development, learning resources, tech integration, etc,” the report said.
It further recommended “adoption of modern cloud-based technologies” to create a more “efficient, transparent, and student-centric ecosystem” in higher education institutions.
The committee also recommended “proper involvement” of the student community for the successful implementation of the NEP in its “early stages.”
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“Proper involvement of the student community, incorporation of their feedback and suggestions towards the changes proposed in NEP will help institutions in orienting students faster and in a more effective way which will be helpful in creating institutional mechanisms to handle student’s queries on issues such as Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), Multiple Entry and Exit system (MEME),” the report said.
For the execution of the MEME system, the panel recommended the development of “comprehensive guidelines and a well-defined framework” including specific eligibility criteria and credit transfer mechanisms, besides wider consultation with the educational institutions and other stakeholders.
Other salient recommendations by the committee include a suggestion to the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to diversify its sources of funding, and consider reducing the rates of interest; expediting the process of engagement of “Professor of Practice” as envisaged in the NEP; and budgetary and infrastructure support to set up R&D cells in different higher educational institutions.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
First published on: 26-09-2023 at 01:48 IST
