UGC Act governs open universities, says high court

The judgment of Sikkim High Court delivered on June 26, 2015, has made it clear that UGC regulations will prevail upon state legislatures in the matters of higher education. Here’s the complete lowdown on the case:

SMU’s Argument

Sikkim Manipal University filed a writ petition in the Sikkim high court pleading that its application dated July 10, 2012, to Ignou-DEC for the continuation of recognition granted to distance education programme (DEP) was kept pending and Ignou-DEC ordered it to cease fresh admissions pending decision.

SMU argued that it started DEP in different parts of the country in 2001 with the permission of the UGC. UGC, in 2005, asked SMU to take permission from DEC, which, in August 2007,  not only granted retrospective recognition to its programmes, but also gave provisional recognition for 2007-08, which was later extended for the academic year 2008-09. On October 15, 2009, DEC’s chairman granted regular recognition from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

On March 10, 2010, DEC decided to allow universities to offer courses beyond the boundary of their own state if that particular university’s act permitted so. However, it reversed its position on June 8, 2012. “This was violative of the petitioner-university’s right to admit students on an all-India basis mandated by the state act, argued SMU.

On December 2012, when DEC’s regulatory role was vested with UGC, it invoked Regulation 2003 and asked the private universities to restrict its DEP to its own state. SMU objected  to the application of 2003 regulations of several grounds. The University also objected to the transfer of power from DEC to UGC by an executive order.  

UGC’s Argument

UGC argued that it was vested with the power to recommend to any university the measures necessary for improvement of university education. It also submitted that from SMU’s prospectus, it was clear that it was offering unapproved programmes. UGC alleged that while granting regular recognition from 2009-10 to 2011-12, it was clearly said that SMU was permitted to offer programmes only within the state. However, the university violated it. UGC argued that in view of the specific policy directive of the government of India, unless all deficiencies were first rectified, there were restrictions on UGC to  grant permission.

HC’s ruling

The Sikkim high court held that “the UGC Act under which the UGC has been created has supervening influence over all other legislations on the subject of education for maintenance of minimum standards in the country.” The court asked SMU to approach UGC for recognition of its DEP.

Admissions open for BEd through correspondence at Panjab University

CHANDIGARH: Admissions are open for the BEd correspondence course from University School of Open Leaning (USOL) at Panjab University (PU). The admissions to BEd through Open Distance Learning (ODL) will be open till August 16 on website www.usolbed.pu.ac.in.

BEd in ODL mode is a professional programme of secondary teacher training aiming at preparing in-service teachers in secondary stage of education. Eligibility criteria for BEd in ODL mode has been changed this year. Candidates who entered in teaching profession on the basis of diploma/certificate in primary/elementary teacher training and are intending to improve their competence by obtaining a degree in secondary teacher training programme can take admission in BEd (ODL) programme provided they have graduation/post graduation degree in humanities/science/social science/commerce with minimum 50% marks or degree in engineering/technology with specialization in science and mathematics with minimum 55% marks.

Candidates who have completed NCTE recognized teacher training programme through face-to-face mode and not in teaching profession are also eligible for admission in BEd ODL programme provided they possess graduation/post graduation degree in humanities/science/social science/commerce with minimum 50% marks or degree in engineering/technology with specialization in science and mathematics with minimum 55% marks. In case of students belonging to scheduled castes/tribes/backward class, the requirement of 50% marks will be reduced by 5% provided they have obtained minimum pass marks prescribed by the regulations.

Profile of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Born on October 15, 1931, at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, specialized in aeronautical engineering from Madras Institute of Technology. Dr Kalam made significant contribution as project director to develop India's first indigenous satellite launch vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite in the near earth orbit in July 1980 and made India an exclusive member of Space Club. 

He was responsible for the evolution of Isro's launch vehicle programme, particularly the PSLV configuration. 

After working for two decades in Isro and mastering launch vehicle technologies, Dr Kalam took up the responsibility of developing indigenous guided missiles at Defence Research and Development Organisation as the chief executive of integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP). 

He was responsible for the development and operationalization of Agni and Prithvi missiles and for building indigenous capability in critical technologies through networking of multiple institutions. 

He was the scientific adviser to defence minister and secretary, department of Defence Research & Development from July 1992 to December 1999. 

During this period he led to the weaponisation of strategic missile systems and the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in collaboration with department of atomic energy, which made India a nuclear weapon State. He also gave thrust to self-reliance in defence systems by progressing multiple development tasks and mission projects such as light combat aircraft. 

As chairman of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) and as an eminent scientist, he led the country with the help of 500 experts to arrive at Technology Vision 2020 giving a road map for transforming India from the present developing status to a developed nation. Dr Kalam has served as the principal scientific advisor to the government of India, in the rank of Cabinet minister, from November 1999 to November 2001 and was responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for many development applications. Dr Kalam was also the chairman, ex-officio, of the scientific advisory committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and piloted India Millennium Mission 2020. 

Dr Kalam took up academic pursuit as professor, technology & societal transformation at Anna University, Chennai from November 2001 and was involved in teaching and research tasks. Above all he took up a mission to ignite the young minds for national development by meeting high school students across the country. 

In his literary pursuit four of Dr Kalam's books - "Wings of Fire", "India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium", "My journey" and "Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India" have become household names in India and among the Indian nationals abroad. These books have been translated in many Indian languages. 

Dr Kalam was one of the most distinguished scientists of India with the unique honour of receiving honorary doctorates from 30 universities and institutions. He was awarded the coveted civilian awards - Padma Bhushan (1981) and Padma Vibhushan (1990) and the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997). He was a recipient of several other awards and fellow of many professional institutions. 

Dr Kalam became the 11th President of India on July 25, 2002. 

His focus was on transforming India into a developed nation by 2020.

APJ Abdul Kalam: An embodiment of the new India story

APJ Abdul Kalam: An embodiment of the new India story

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was a President like no other. The floppy silvery mop curling on his forehead, the twinkling eyes and the ever smiling visage seemed to radiate boundless infectious energy and positivity. Kalam embodied the new India story, born into a poor Muslim family in Tamil Nadu, he rose by sheer force of education to become a missile scientist, the "missile man of India" becoming chief scientific adviser to the Prime Minister, then secretary of the DRDO, and then President of India.

On Monday, the "People's President" went as suddenly as he came centre stage to become a national icon. Kalam collapsed while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong at around 6.30pm. He was rushed to Bethany Hospital in Nongrim hills but the doctors couldn't save him. Necessary arrangement were being made to fly in his body to Delhi on Tuesday morning.

10+2/ graduation through distance learning? Not eligible to study law

In an effort to “raise the bar” the Bar Council of India (BCI) has informed the Supreme Court , that it won't allow students who've completed higher education through distance learning (open universities)- to take admissions in law courses. BCI further stated that it would consider a candidate having worked with a lawyer and conversant with the profession also as “irrelevant”. Simply stated, if a candidate has obtained any of the degrees (10+2, graduation or post-graduation) through open universities that are otherwise recognized by the UGC, he would be denied admission to law studies by the BCI.

The BCI reasoned out this decision on the assertion that a formal education of 15 years (10+2+3) cannot be equated to a non formal scheme of 3 years of distance education imparted under an open university. The BCI in its affidavit filed through advocate Ardhendumauli Kumar Prasad, is supported by the provisions of the Bar Council of India Rules, 2008 that discriminates the regular and non-regular students.  The affidavit which was in response to a PIL filed by K Shravan Kumar challenging the validity of Rule5, will come to a hearing on Monday. Kumar alleged this as a violation to his fundamental rights to equality and education being a means to earn his livelihood.

IGNOU convocation on 8 Aug

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will organise its 28th convocation on 8 August at its campus in Maidan Garhi,where Phd.and M.Phil scholars will be awarded degrees.

However, the Masters and Bachelor programme students will be awarded their degrees at their respective Regional Centres. The Varsity official said, “The total number of students to be awarded Degrees and Diplomas are 1,90,299, who have passed the examination in December 2013 and June 2014.”

Distance Education Programme — Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (DEP-SSA)

The Distance Education Programme (DEP) is a major intervention under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, created, by the MHRD, Government of India, on 1st July 2003, to implement the distance education activities under SSA in the country. Indira Gandhi National Open University is the nodal agency responsible for implementing the distance education component throughout the country. This national level project aims at providing need-based and local specific training to teachers and other elementary education functionaries associated with SSA and RTE, by employing the open distance learning mode.

The DEP-SSA focuses on the quality dimension of teacher training which is crucial for achieving quality education in the country. reinforce knowledge, motivation, commitment and professionalism amongst the teachers at the elementary education level. Through DEP-SSA, teacher training is imparted without dislocating the functionaries from their place of work and is paced as per their convenience.

DEP-SSA strives continuously and in a sustained manner to help states to achieve the goals of SSA. It is functioning effectively in the states to achieve the gigantic task of sensitizing the local functionaries such as, master trainers, coordinators of block resource centres and cluster resource centres, faculty of DIETs and SCERT. efforts of capacity building at elementary education level, through multimedia inputs which include print, audio, video, multimedia and teleconferencing, thereby facilitating work place and multiple media based training and content generation. It is a State-driven initiative, thereby plan and organize activities in close coordination with grassroot level functionaries, like Panchayati Raj institutions, school management committees, village and urban slum level, education committees, PTAs and MTAs, for effective management of elementary schools.

Open distance learning system has tremendous potential to reach out to large numbers in a short span of time and the interventions have impacted the SSA activities significantly in the country.

This is evident from the achievements of DEP-SSA in terms of professional development of teachers, classroom transactions, community mobilization, girls’ education, etc. The DEP-SSA operates in a mission mode and has thus far trained millions of teachers, teacher educators, para teachers and other functionaries.

For further information, kindly visit our website : www.depssa.org

Prime Minister Modi wants aptitude tests for all students

Aptitude Test for All : PM

An aptitude test should be conducted for all students across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while reviewing the flagship programme for universalisation of elementary education.
 
He also sought greater synergy between the government’s Digital India initiative and related programmes of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
 
All schools should plan their own targets to be achieved by 2022, the country’s 75th year of independence, Modi said while reviewing the progress of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at a meeting on Monday.
 
He asked officials to explore the possibility of a “twinning arrangement” between a class of a school in an urban area and a class of a school in a rural area. Best teaching practices should be identified and a repository created for wider dissemination, he said.
 

College teachers to protest for relaxation from mandatory NET

College Teachers to Protest for Relaxation

Thousands of college teachers from all over India will demonstrate outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) office on Monday demanding relaxation in eligibility norms for those who did their PhD before 2009 without qualifying for the national eligibility test (NET) or state level eligibility test (SLET). 

The teachers, who have met HRD minister Smriti Irani and UGC officials, have said that without relaxation, nearly 10 lakh teachers all over the country will lose their jobs. Though Irani has promised to look into the grievance, UGC officials said it would be difficult to relax the criteria now. "Supreme Court has upheld our regulation," an official said. 

The threat of job loss emanates from the Supreme Court order of March this year that upheld UGC's 2009 regulation on minimum qualifications required for teaching jobs in colleges and universities. 

Jamia Millia expands distance edu wing, doubles no. of centres

To meet the huge demand, Jamia Millia Islamia has nearly doubled the number of study centres under its distance education wing from this academic session, for which admission begins Monday. 

"We had got over one lakh applications for the 6,500 seats offered through regular mode. Seeing the huge demand, we decided to increase the number of study centres by nearly a double," vice chancellor Talat Ahmed said. 

"In this regard, the number of study centres has been increased from 38 to 62 from the academic session 2015-16 to cater to the needs of students living in different parts of the country," he added. 

The vice chancellor said the central university is also considering increasing the number of courses offered in its Centre of Distance and Open Learning from the next academic session. 

Smriti Irani's ambiguous reply to House on MPhil, PhD via correspondence

HRD minister Smriti Irani gave a ambiguous reply in Lok Sabha to a question on allowing Ph.D and M.Phil through correspondence. 

Irani said UGC has informed that as per their regulation of 2009 M.Phil and Ph.D programmes "shall not be conducted through distance education mode in the country." 

This is contrary to the facts. Only last month, HRD ministry asked UGC to furnish status of regulation of 2011 that allowed open universities to conduct M.Phil/Ph.D programmes. Since UGC had not notified the regulation of 2011, it could not be put in operation. Indira Gandhi National Open University had been demanding that UGC should notify it at the earliest. 

IGNOU had already amended its ordinance allowing M.Phil/Ph.D through distance mode. But when IGNOU sought visitor's approval for its amendment, HRD ministry could not forward it since UGC had not notified the changes in regulations. 
Smriti Irani's ambiguous reply to House on MPhil, PhD via correspondence

Kerala institute to train masons to become engineers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Kerala institute built at a cost of Rs.100 crore will train masons to become engineers, a minister said on Wednesday. 

Indian Institute for Infrastructure and Construction will train masons to upgrade their skills and get a certification of the Britain-based City and Guilds - a global leader in skills development - Labour Minister Shibu Baby John told IANS. 

The campus is coming up a nine-acre plot near Kollam and the institute building is pread across two lakh square ft. The institute will open in January next year. 

People can help stem the rot in higher education

PATNA: Academics on Wednesday expressed concern over the degeneration of higher education system and demanded people's intervention to set things right. 

Addressing a function organized at Patna University's geology auditorium during the release of a book 'Bihar ka sisakata shiksha tantra (Sobbing education system of Bihar)', written by state's former higher education director Nageshwar Prasad Sharma, they regretted that the state, once acclaimed throughout the world for its well-managed education system, is in the news for all the wrong reasons. 

Delhi girl tops CA final exam

MUMBAI: After shining in the civil services exam this year, women maintained their topper streak in the final chartered accountancy (CA) exam too. On Thursday , Delhi girl Shailee Chaudhary (25) stood first in the country with 75.75%, a position she shared with Rahul Aggarwal (22) from Secunderabad.

UGC asks varsities to display all info on website

ALLAHABAD: Amidst the ongoing admission season, University Grants Commission (UGC) has instructed vice-chancellors to upload all vital information related to admission process, fee structure and accreditation ranking on the official websites of their universities. 

The directive is aimed at ensuring greater transparency in institutions of higher education and help students in taking informed decision while seeking admission to various courses and pursuing research. The universities have been asked to submit compliance report by the end of the month. 

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI)

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) was recently awarded a grant of Rs 3.5 crore by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to start medical lab technology and medical electrophysiology courses at its Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The grant was awarded under the DDU-KAUSHAL (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centres for Knowledge Acquisition and Up gradation of Skilled Human Abilities and Livelihood) scheme.

In all, 100 centres are going to be set up across the country with Jamia being the only Delhi university to receive the award.The JMI centre will offer skill-oriented certificates, diplomas and postgraduate diplomas. "The programmes are likely to start in the academic year 2016-17 and will be designed with multiple exit points for students," said Mukesh Ranjan, PRO of the university.

CIT/BCA/MCA Hall Ticket for Practical Examination, July 2015, RC Delhi-1

Dear Learner,

Please Download the Practical Exam Hall Ticket for July 2015 from the following link :

Hall Ticket

Hall Ticket

Best Wishes

Naveen Raj Bhatia 

Karnataka State Open University de-recognized by UGC

Blaming the Karnataka State Open University for offering programmes through distance learning more by “blatantly flouting the norms”, the UGC has de-recognized the university in Mysore.

According to a public notice issues by UGC it has been mentioned that the KSOU was in collaboration with many private institutions, entities and coaching centres which were spread across all over the country and in abroad. They offered programmes through distance learning mode which were clear flouting of norms, guidelines and directives set by UGC and erstwhile Distance Education Council (DEC) of Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

The notice further said that the programmes that were in offer by KSOU, Mysore had no recognition by UGC beyond 2012-13. The show cause notice to the university was issued way back on June 10, 2011 and after hearing their response through the officials UGC decided to take up recognition during 2012-13. But the university further continued to offer programmes through distance learning mode which was clear violation of the UGC polity on territorial jurisdiction. It has also been offering professional/technical programmes without taking approval from the concerned authorities and bodies and violated the UGC norms. Further, the university had started offering online programmes that were not recognized by UGC and branded them as an exclusive method of distance education in the country.

Amongst the Open Universities and open leaning institutions in the country, the Karnataka State Open University was ranked on top of the charts after its establishment in June 1996. But situations deterred gradually, forcing UGC to pull out recognition over their faulty methods of offering courses to students.

IGNOU asked to restart e-Gyankosh programme

New Delhi: The HRD Ministry has asked IGNOU to restart the online education programme e-GyanKosh, which was stopped in 2013 allegedly by Vice Chancellor M Aslam who is now facing a probe into administrative irregularities and closing down of certain programmes.

Asking the varsity to "reactive" the eGyanKosh repository, joint secretary in the Ministry SP Goyal has suggested that it may be integrated with the SAKSHAT programme for seamless access of content with national digital library and the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS).

When discontinued, the e-GyanKosh platform was receiving on an average 1000 visits per day from across the world and by November 2013 had received 20 lakh hits. It had more than 3 lakhs active registered users, having free access to the content.

In August, 2011, IGNOU's board of management resolved to convert e-Gyankosh into an open educational resource which would have gone a long way towards having a virtual University in the country.

However, instead of moving in this direction, e-Gyankosh was closed allegedly by Aslam in November 2013 on the pretext of having a new Intellectual Property Rights policy, sources in the varsity said.

They said the closure of e-GyanKosh is also a part of the inquiry instituted against Aslam.

The shutdown not only led to a waste of Rs 20 crore but also deprived the facility to lakhs of students particularly those in the remote regions of the country, the foreign students of IGNOU and the members of the Indian Armed Forces who are pursuing IGNOU programmes, they said.

Aslam went on leave in November last year after the Ministry set up a committee under Gujarat University VC Syed Bari to review the functioning of IGNOU and look into the allegations against Aslam.