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Financial Support
Tenth Plan
Guidelines

 

Financial Support

X Plan Guidelines on the Scheme of EPOCH Making Social Thinkers of India: Buddha, Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar

Objective | Proposals | Operational Features | Disbursement | Submission of Proposals | Advisory Committee | Review and Evaluation | Annexures

1. Objectives

India has produced great thinkers and social leaders who, by their revolutionary and pathbreaking thoughts and actions, have left a lasting impact on not only India, but on the world as a whole. They have developed indigenous ideas and have provided cultural and ethical identity to India. There is a great need to acquaint the teachers and students with their thinking and their work and to involve them in studies, research and field work based extension service programmes of constructive work.

The Indian University system owes its duty to the nation to conduct studies, research and extension programmes, which are pertinent and apply to their ideas in the reconstruction of human society on moral, ethical and spiritual foundations for a non-violent society.

In accordance with his rational approach to life,Buddha emphasised on the age old concepts of non-violence and social justice and tried to apply these concepts for the formation of an equalitarian society. Gandhi gave a social dimension to the concept of non-violence and demonstrated, both through his life and work, how it can be used as an instrument for fighting injustice at all levels. Nehru a great deal to the application of non-violence for resolving conflicts at the national, and more so at the international level, as well as modernisation of society with emphasis on science and rationality. Ambedkar stressed on the empowerment of the oppressed as a means of their release from exploitation and injustice, which are social forms of violence against the oppressed.

The ideas of all these four thinkers have a framework of interrelated ideas which are mutually supportive to each other and yield profound insights into the conditions of the individual, his/her personal being, in socio-economic and political life.

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2. Proposals

The UGC extends financial assistance under this scheme to the university system for pursuing studies related to the thoughts and programmes of these leaders. The assistance to the universities is on the basis of selection among the applications for the establishment and the work of the Centres of Buddhist, Gandhian, Nehru and Ambedkar studies with the above mentioned objectives. The programme of Buddhist Studies is funded wherever there is facility for learning the 'PALI' and/or SANSKRIT LANGUAGE. Where there is no such facility, it can be attached to another appropriate department such as History, Philosophy, Sociology and Ancient Indian Culture. In the examination of the proposal, the prior work of the department in the respective areas will be taken into consideration. Proposals with innovative ideas will be given considerable weight age. Colleges which have already made a significant contribution in these areas could also be considered.

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3. Operational Features

A university, wishing to set up one of these Centres, has to apply to the UGC with a project proposal. There is a Standing Committee of Experts in the UGC for such programmes and accepted proposals are supported by the UGC for a Plan period. The infrastructure such as building, furniture and supporting staff, which are essential for running the Study Centre, will be provided by the University. Any recurring liability shall be taken over by the State Government or the University. Therefore, such an undertaking should be given by the University at the time of application. No liability will accrue to the UGC after 31 March,2007, no matter when the Programme was established in the University during the X Plan period.

While there may be a case for having Master's or M.Phil degree course in regard to such studies, it has to be considered by the University within other developmental assistance sanctioned by the UGC to the University under the Five Year Plan. Master's level and M.Phil courses are not to be covered by the assistance under these schemes. The assistance is available to set up a Centre in the area of any one of these Studies in the University and for conducting Programmes on the following lines.

  1. Set up a Library and Reading room for teachers and students of the university and for scholars and other readers outside the university, so that an increasing number of persons become acquainted with the thoughts of these leaders.

  2. Conduct a full-time or part-time course of about 3 to 6 months, or of similar duration, for a group of teachers/students of the university, functionaries of non-government organizations, corporate executives and government officers, focusing on particular aspects of thinking and work of these social thinkers.

  3. Provide teaching support to other university departments by introducing or assisting in existing courses/papers on such studies indicated in different subjects off the department.

  4. Organize seminars/lecture series on some identified topics on such studies. The proposal for holding a seminar must be referred to the UGC for the comments of the convener of the Standing Committee Lecture series may be organized in the Centre or in any other suitable place and printed material of these lectures may be placed in the library for the use of the teachers, students and other interested persons even from outside the university.

  5. Conduct research/studies in the thoughts and programmes of the above mentioned thinkers.

  6. Conduct field work and action programmes on the basis of constructive programme enunciated by Gandhi, and action programmes related to the thoughts of the respective thinkers.

  7. Understand and disseminate the concepts relating to Buddha, Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar and the philosophies enunciated by them, related to social justice and equity, conflict resolution, non-violence and non-violent protest-movement, empowerment of women, rural development and related topics.

  8. Prepare modules of courses for short duration in the universities, established in the name of the respective thinkers, for the orientation of students, teachers and non-teaching staff.

    It will be advantageous to study the ideas of these personalities as interrelated studies. Besides these centres, centres for comparative studies may also be established for the study of specific areas of a thinker such as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Dr.Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel etc.

UGC Assistance

The following UGC assistance is provided for each of these studies for research and extension programmes :

1.Non Recurring
 
i)Books and Journals- Rs. 1,50,000/-
ii)Equipment e.g
audio-visual aids, computer etc.
(once at the time of the establishment of the Centre)		-Rs. 2,00,000/-
 Total- Rs. 3.50,000/-
 
2.Recurring
i)Expenditure on honorarium ,
stipends, visiting faculty (on short duration)		-Rs.2,50,000/- p.a.
ii)Seminars/Workshops/Courses/
lectures series 		-Rs.1,00,000/- p.a.
iii)Programme Cost
(including field action, preparation of research
proposals, TA/DA etc.)		-Rs.1,00,000/- p.a.
iv)Contingency -Rs.20,000/- p.a.
 Total-Rs.4,70,000/-
 Grand Total-Rs.8,20,000/-

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4. Disbursement

The UGC assistance will be disbursed to the university as in other schemes. The disbursement can be claimed from the UGC for all non-recurring items in one installment as soon as the university is able to provide adequate space to the Centre. For recurring items, "on account" grant of 50% of the annual recurring grant will be given and further reimbursement would be done on furnishing the progress report. The final 10% will be released when the audited accounts and Utilization Certificates for the year have been submitted.

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5. Submission of Proposal

For the current year, the proposals may be submitted by 31.7.2004 and in the succeeding years, the proposal will be submitted once a year, by January 31st in the prescribed format. The UGC will communicate the decision by the end of the year for implementation from either April or the beginning of the next academic year as communicated by the University. Proposals from the colleges, which have already made a significant contribution in these areas, will also be considered. The Commission could consider only one proposal from one institution in a plan period.

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6. Advisory Committee

Each Centre is required to have an Advisory Committee with the vice-Chancellor in the Chair or his/her nominee and with the following membership :

  1. Two/Three Professors nominated by the Vice-Chancellor.

  2. Two outside Experts in consultation with the Centre.

  3. One expert to be nominated by UGC.

The Advisory Committee should meet at least once a year to review the work of the Centre and to recommend appropriate programmes to the Centre for implementation within the resources available. It should review the accounts and the report of the Centre.

The Advisory Committee would also review the contribution of the experts invited on short-term basis.

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7. Review and Evaluation

The proceedings of the Advisory Committee, along with the action taken on their recommendations, have to be furnished to the UGC annually, as also the annual report and accounts. The UGC Standing Committee will hold annual meetings with the Heads of the centres to review the progress and plan for future action. In addition, the UGC Standing committee will evaluate the performance of the Centres, through an on-the-spot visit, once in a plan period. The UGC assistance can be terminated if the functioning of the Centre is found to be unsatisfactory.

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8. Annexures

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Complete Guideline (364 KB)