A high-power committee headed by former Cabinet Secretary S.R. Subramanian, tasked with drawing a blueprint for a new national education policy, has recommended that the law that set up the higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC) be allowed to lapse.
The committee’s report, submitted recently to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, says the UGC has been unable to effectively implement its regulations aimed at ensuring the quality of higher education in the country over the years.
The panel has instead suggested an alternative arrangement for a pruned UGC.
An expert Committee recently has examined thoroughly the past, present and future role of UGC; the report is under examination by the Ministry.
“It is understood that the report had concluded that the UGC does not have the adequate number of personnel, of requisite quality, to be an effective regulatory force in the higher education sector,” says the TSR Subramanian Commission report, referring to the recent Hari Gautam committee report.
Subramaian Panel also suggests an alternative arrangement of a pruned UGC. The UGC could be revamped, made considerably leaner and thinner, and could be the nodal point for administration of the proposed National Higher Education Fellowship Programme, without any other promotional or regulatory function.