What the UGC Must Do to Transform Higher Education in India
Jyothi S | 17 February 2025 | The Indian Express
With the ongoing public debates surrounding the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) new initiatives aimed at overhauling the higher education system in India, a crucial question arises: Should we adhere to the Western model that originally shaped our universities, develop a framework rooted in our own historical learning methods, or create a hybrid model that blends the best of both to meet local and global needs?
As we know, Western models of higher education primarily emphasise research that contributes to societal knowledge. This approach fosters collaboration between socially-driven agencies and university departments, working together to find solutions, drive innovation, and generate new knowledge. In contrast, Indian universities, given the vast number of students aiming for degrees primarily as a pathway to secure employment, often place research on the back burner. Although the UGC has introduced several regulations to streamline PhD programmes, cultivating a strong research culture remains a relatively new endeavor for us….