ANALYSIS
Multiplicity of regulatory bodies has indeed been a major issue in reforming the regulatory framework in higher education and the idea of a single regulator, once fructified, shall be a relief for the higher educational institutions.
It was over a decade ago that the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) recommended the establishment of an Independent Regulatory Authority in Higher Education (IRAHE), to replace all the existing regulatory bodies in higher education, including the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The Yashpal Committee constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, ostensibly to counter or at least moderate this recommendation, too, reached the conclusion that the country needs a single regulator like the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER), which should subsume UGC and AICTE.
The idea was revived again with the Budget 2017 speech, announcing that the UGC shall be reformed and with PMO and NITI Aayog now pitching for a Higher Education and Empowerment Authority (HEERA), it seems that higher education shall soon see a new regulator replacing the existing ones, not all of them but at least those that are under the purview of MHRD i.e. UGC, AICTE, the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) and the Distance Education Council (DEC) presently operating as the Distance Education Bureau (DEB) under UGC.
Multiplicity of regulatory bodies has indeed been a major issue in reforming the regulatory framework in higher education and the idea of a single regulator, once fructified, shall be a relief for the higher educational institutions. But the real challenge shall be to give this new body a structure, organisation, system and procedure to make it more effective than the existing ones. This calls for a comprehensive understanding of the role that an effective regulator is expected to play and a thorough analysis of the causes of the perceived failure of the existing regulatory bodies. The presumption that the existing regulators suffer from design defect to cope with the contemporary and future challenges in higher education is only a part of the story; organisations may also fail due to the people they comprised and also because of the processes through which they operate.
Unless designed thoughtfully and carefully, there is now every likelihood that the new regulatory body may come to suffer from the same deficiencies, which mar the older ones and the history of higher education in the country is full of such examples. UGC, which was almost the sole regulator in higher education since its establishment in 1956, was found lacking in providing direction to the rapid changes in higher education, particularly in the areas of technical and professional higher education, open and distance mode of learning and teacher education. The discovery led to the establishment of new generation regulators like AICTE, NCTE and DEC. The experience, however, tells us that these newer bodies did not prove to be any better, if not worse.
India is too diverse and too large in its geography and demography and is unique in its socio-cultural and political context and what has worked in one country will not work at all in our context for the simple reason that what works in an individualistic society is not likely to work in a pluralistic society because such societies have their own compulsions. This effectively means that the scope of learning from other economies is only limited and the country shall have to experiment and evolve its own ideas and framework. The idea that organisations suffer on the count of people of which they are made of and that the new institution shall bring in better people, too, are fraught with limitations. Even in the new set up, people shall have to be drawn from the same national common pool and that there is every possibility that the newer institution shall soon be saddled with more or less the same kind of people.
Thus the effectiveness of the new regulatory body shall significantly depend on its ability to simplify regulations and do away with unnecessary conditions and impediments in the entry and operation of higher educational institutions. In view of the mounting evidence to the fact that the quality of higher education is invariably inversely proportional to the intensity of regulation, it must empower universities and higher educational institutions to take their own decisions — academic, administrative and financial, albeit with a sense of responsibility, transparency and accountability. In fact, the ultimate objective of the regulation should be to build institutional capacity and effectiveness to attain and maintain highest academic standards and quality.
Conventionally, a few regulators have also been involved in the financing of higher educational institutions, because it was seen as an instrument of effecting public policy. With the rapid rise of the private sector in higher education, this tool has become quite blunted, though the need for public funding to higher education shall continue to remain relevant and thereby making it imperative for the new regulator to evolve and implement a norm-based funding. Further, the new regulatory body must realise that higher education being in the concurrent list, the state government plays a critical role in the development of higher education and that they must be actively involved in the evolution of the new regulatory framework.
The author is the Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities. Views expressed are personal.
Russia plans to boost birth rate with 'Ministry of Sex', here's how
Jharkhand HC issues notice to MS Dhoni in business deal case, asks him to...
IND vs SA, 3rd T20I Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs South Africa match
Meet IAS officer, aka 'Collector Bro', who cracked UPSC exam in 2007, now suspended due to...
Here’s why Chunky Panday wouldn’t stay in Shah Rukh Khan’s house in London
Yash's Toxic in trouble? FIR filed against producers of KGF star's upcoming actioner for illegal...
Meet Dr Priti Challa, Kangana Ranaut film director Krish Jagarlamudi's second wife, she leads...
Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli ties the knot with mystery girl in Delhi temple, first wedding pics out
‘Sometimes I wish I was more tough, more thick-skinned,’ says Aishwarya Rai in viral video
KL Rahul sweats hard in Perth nets ahead of BGT series, WATCH video here
Shahid Kapoor, wife Mira Kapoor rent out their Rs 580000000 luxury Mumbai apartment for Rs...
South Korean actor Song Jae-rim dies at 39 in Seoul apartment
Viral video: Thar SUV gets stuck on railway track after man tries to shoot reel, watch here
Elon Musk's new X post claims Putin must not be blamed for Russia-Ukraine war, instead names…
Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives fame Shalini Passi reveals 'Mom used chilli powder in my...'
My experiences with dating apps
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals how company got its name, says 'we wanted…'
Key Differences Between the Indian Stock Market and Global Indices
Stock prices vs company valuation: Is your stock worth it?
Navjot Singh Sidhu is back on Kapil Sharma's show after five years, but there's a twist
Mukesh Ambani set to invest Rs 65000 crore in THIS Indian state, it will be Reliance's biggest...
Mohammed Shami to return to competitive cricket; star pacer set to play for…
Makoons World School brings a new approach to K-12 education across India
Pakistan Cricket looking to take BIG step on Champions Trophy issue, planning to...
Did Isha Ambani lend Neetu Kapoor her Navratna necklace? Reddit users react
J-K: Gunfight underway between security forces and terrorists in Bandipora
Viral video shows women as 'live mannequins' in mall, sparks fury; WATCH
As Vistara bids goodbye, Air India-Vistara's first flight takes off from Mumbai to...
GATE 2025 Schedule: Exams to begin from February 1; Check full timetable here
CBSE announces BIG changes in Class 10,12 board exams 2025, know details here
Veteran Bengali actor Manoj Mitra dies at 86
Isha Ambani graces Diwali party as she walks with her twins, husband, WATCH
Donald Trump plans to pick Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State: Report
Vadodara IOCL refinery fire: Death toll rises to 2; probe underway
Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police arrest accused from Chhattisgarh's Raipur
Delhi reports record high chikungunya, malaria cases in 5 years
Japan's Nara deer's polite bow to Indian woman leaves netizens in awe, WATCH
Meet MS Dhoni’s sister Jayanti Gupta who works as teacher, is married CSK star's...
Pakistani TikTok star Minhal Malik's popularity soars in India, sees unprecedented 100-time surge
Seo Hyun Jin dramatically apologises to BTS ARMY, says 'I know a lot of...'
Amid threats of violent protests, Brampton Triveni temple cancels event
Mike Waltz, India caucus head, named Donald Trump's National Security Advisor
Mukesh Khanna returns as Shaktimaan, 90s kids dance with joy
This Indian man owns a train, he's not Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, has net worth of...
SSC CHSL Exam 2024 admit cards to be released today at ssc.gov.in; get direct link here
‘He will play his last game in…’: CSK CEO provides massive update on MS Dhoni’s IPL future