Financial Support

1. Introduction

The Indian higher education system has, in recent times, become fully aware of the need for quality. Hence, institutions will have to adapt to modern methods of teaching and learning, developing learner-friendly teaching materials, changing their evaluation methods and striving for excellence, to sustain themselves in this competitive world.

Quality and excellence do not happen by accident. Organized and focussed efforts are needed to achieve global standards in post-graduate teaching and research programmes. Universities are also expected to have a strategy to ensure that the positive outcome of these innovations in teaching percolate to the undergraduate level.

The UGC initiated this approach in five universities (Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hyderabad University, Madras University, Pune University and Jadavpur University) in the IX Plan period. It would like to identify a few more universities and support them during the X Plan to improve their academic infrastructure and research facilities. These universities would achieve better standards in teaching and would focus on research in selected thrust areas.

1. To strengthen the academic and physical infrastructure for achieving excellence in teaching, research and outreach programmes.
   
   

2. To promote flexible and effective governance.
   
   

3. To enhance the quality of the learning process and teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate level with the help of a flexible credit based modular system, and a whole range of innovations currently accepted across the world
   
   

4. To promote academic programmes relevant to the social and economic needs of the nation.
   
   

5. To improve undergraduate education in colleges by the interfacing of the PG programme.
   
   

6. To promote networking with other Centres/departments and laboratories in the country.
   
   

7. To achieve excellence in education, training and research to face the challenge of globalization.
   
   

In brief, these innovations would constitute the bedrock of the new approach and improved mode of internal governance, the establishment of more and more autonomous colleges and a different system of examinations, marking a gradual but planned transformation.

1. Accreditation by NAAC.
   
   

2. Should have had at least 25% of the existing postgraduate departments been identified by the UGC under SAP/COSIST programme / National facility/Innovative programmes.

3. Proven evidence of successful academic, administrative and financial reforms during the last decade.

4. Substantial research and development activity initiated through projects from external funding during the last decade.

5. Potential for evolving an effective academic and management system that can serve, in general, as a model for reorganizing the university system in the country.

1. The upper limit of financial assistance for the scheme is Thirty Crore rupees for a period of five years.

2. The details of funding and its use would be finalized by the monitoring committee which would have the following membership:

   1. One member of the Standing Committee

   2. One other Expert

   3. UGC Vice-Chairman or his nominee
      
      

3. Tenure : The tenure of the scheme shall extend to the entire duration of the X Plan period (2002-07). There will be no extension beyond this period.

1. Individual departments have been helped by the UGC with a number of wide ranging development schemes. So have been some of the colleges. It is time to go beyond that kind of assistance. Each university with all its components is to be treated as a unit. Everything connected with the campus – and colleges wherever they exist – is to be improved in terms of funding, range of activities, ratio between investment and output and the quality of performance. It is envisaged that only those universities which have potential for excellence may look forward to such financial assistance of the programme.

2. Selection Process :

   1. The Standing Committee shall assess the proposals received from various universities based on the competence and academic credentials of the universities.

   2. The short listed universities will be invited for presentation of their proposals before the Standing Committee.

   3. The Standing Committee would recommend suitable names to the Commission for assistance.