Odisha HRD

State of Delhi has many new university plans; first state to prepare a blueprint in response to NKC

Following is an excerpt from a report in TOI.

… The Delhi government is now working on starting a second wave of universities to cater to the burgeoning demand for bachelors education.

… In its blueprint, the city government has submitted to set up a university system for the capital, which also envisages to create multiple universities/campuses united by a common system of management and governance. New universities such as UST, University of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, National Law School University, University College of Medical Sciences, IIIT and Dr B R Ambedkar University would be brought under this system.

The blueprint submits that the proposal to set up a University of Undergraduate Education has been referred to the UGC and is under consideration. According to the report, though Delhi has five universities, these are inadequate. It further says such a university would increase students’ access to undergraduate education in Delhi. Moreover, the new university would draw the initiative of self-financed institution to set up a number of colleges in academic areas that have considerable market demand.

Similarly, the government claims that the setting up of UST would fill the gap in international quality science and technical education at undergraduate, postgraduate and research levels.

With an intention to promote pharma education, the government has also started work on setting up of University of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. The report mentions setting up of Medication Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University under this new university that would be engaged in developing new drugs that are specific to India.

Moreover, to promote self-financing institutions and to accommodate them on one campus the Knowledge City would be developed on PPP model. In this case, department of higher education would provide the buildings on lease and infrastructure facilities to private colleges.

The report also maintains that the government has proposed to launch a Delhi Skills Mission to make a concerted and time-bound effort for skill development.

1 comment June 20th, 2009

NKC member and JNU Professor Amitabh Mattoo mentions the idea of creation of five knowledge cities in India

Following is an excerpt from his article in Telegraph.

Finally, of course, the HRD ministry must think in terms of a few grand projects which can become models to be emulated in the years to come. The possibility of creating five knowledge cities in different parts of the country in the next five years must be seriously examined. While those would need a private-public partnership, and even the creation of a special purpose vehicle, the HRD ministry could invite state governments to become partners and provide real incentives. Education and skill development, as the prime minister has repeatedly said, can be India’s global opportunity. The time has come now to translate that opportunity into reality, within the term of this government.

The author, a former vice-chancellor and member of the National Knowledge Commission, is professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Orissa should lobby hard for Bhubaneswar to be one of those cities.  The pages http://iitbbsr.orissalinks.com/bbsr.htm and http://iitbbsr.orissalinks.com/future.htm have the arguments that the Orissa government can use.

1 comment June 20th, 2009