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The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday held an inter-regulatory authority meeting to review the effective and timely implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Heads of the 13 key regulatory bodies across the higher education spectrum participated in the meeting, demonstrating a collective commitment to realising the vision of NEP 2020. National Medical Council (NMC), National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), Veterinary Council of India (VCI), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Dental Council of India (DCI), Council of Architecture (COA), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Indian Nursing Council (INC), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), Ministry of Ayush, National Board of Accreditation (NBA), National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) are the regulatory authorities that attended the meeting. Chairman UGC, emphasised that institutions should be evolved to become Centres of Excellence and all Regulatory Authorities/ Councils must act as facilitators. Discussing various aspects of online and distance learning, he stressed on effective use of technology in teaching. He also stressed the need to introduce a module on the Indian Knowledge System in all disciplines of the institutions. While concluding his remarks, he requested all the regulatory bodies to adopt NEP recommendations to make graduates of Higher Education globally competent and future-ready. According to the UGC press release, the Regulatory Authorities will issue an advisory to the higher educational institutions under their domain to apply to UGC for recognition under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956 within a defined timeline. "To address the issues related to Deemed-to-be Universities and Private Universities, a monitoring committee having representation of relevant regulators, as suggested by the Parliamentary Committee, will be constituted by the UGC," it added. The Regulatory Authorities will encourage the participation of faculty members in Faculty Capacity Building Programmes being organised by Malviya Mission Centres. Meanwhile, the weightage will be given to the universities/institutions having facilities for the person with a disability(s) as per the RCI Guidelines in NAAC accreditation criteria. "All the Regulators will review faculty selection/promotion guidelines and align them with the UGC Regulations to avoid inconsistencies," it stated. Moreover, the Regulatory Authorities will write to the industrial organisations associated with them thereby requesting to nominate Industry Professionals to register on the Professor of Practice portal of the UGC. The Regulatory Authority will also issue an advisory to the institutions under their domain to provide information on the UGC UTSAH Portal detailing the initiatives being taken under NEP 2020. The heads of the regulatory bodies also discussed the recent AISHE Report of 2021-22 which reflects the growth in enrolments in terms of GER in higher education. This should be supported by online and hybrid modes of learning. Leveraging the synergy of all regulators around the evolving online education space was also emphasised. The UGC and the other regulatory bodies are committed to working collaboratively and in synergy to translate the vision of NEP 2020 into reality. This inter-regulatory meeting marks a significant step towards making the Indian higher education system more inclusive, qualitative, and accessible for all. The meeting was concluded with a collective urge to move beyond the traditional academic paradigms and include experiential and holistic learning. (ANI)
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