23rd convocation of Bharathiar University
A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Controller, Research and Development, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace (right), receiving the honorary doctorate from Governor Surjit Singh Barnala at the 23rd convocation of Bharathiar University in Coimbatore on Friday. Vice-Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam (left) is in the picture. “Unless we ensure highest standards of teaching in our universities, our degrees will not command recognition and respect either in our country or abroad. The average standard of our degrees still remain on the low side,” Bhalchandra Mungekar, Member, Union Planning Commission, said here on Friday.Delivering the 23rd convocation address of the Bharathiar University, he lamented that though the country was rightly proud of international standing of IITs and IIMs, a handful of such world-class institutions were not sufficient to usher in an emerging knowledge society.“The University Education Commission long back had felt the uneasy sense of the inadequacy of the higher education system, particularly in terms of quality and standards. Concerted efforts have to be made for improving quality by removing gaps in physical infrastructure and academic standards,” Mr. Mungekar said.
He also called for increased enrolments in institutions to make the 11th Plan GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) target of 15 per cent from 11 per cent by 2011-12 a reality. This, required an additional enrolment of 8.7 lakh students in universities and 61.3 lakh in colleges. The Plan also envisaged ‘Expansion, Equity and Excellence’ as the watch words of higher education.Another area of serious concern was the affordability factor. “There are indications that the Central expenditure on higher education has declined in real terms. The funding pattern is skewed in favour of a handful of central universities. In the State sector, the bulk of the expenditure goes towards administration purposes. Out of the 14,000 colleges coming under the purview of the University Grants Commission, only 5,273 are eligible to receive development grants, thereby leaving as many as 9,130 without any assistance.”
The university fee structure needed to be revisited. Additional requirement of funding should be made available through students’ loan programmes without collaterals and with the loan guarantee by the National Students’ Loan Guarantee Authority, proposed to be set up. In addition to the universities and colleges updating their curriculum and syllabi, students too have to constantly upgrade their skills and knowledge, Mr. Mungekar concluded.Governor Surjit Singh Barnala conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) on A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Controller, Research and Development, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace. The Governor was given a Guard of Honour by cadets of the 4 (TN) Bn NCC Coimbatore.
