UGC to stress on equitable higher education

Kolhapur, Dec 8 (UNI) The 11th Plan of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has laid emphasis on inclusive and equitable higher education.

The Plan calls for conscious efforts to ensure that higher education does not suffer from disparities across regions, genders, or social groups, UGC chairman Sukhadev Thorat said while addressing the 44th convocation of the Shivaji University here today.

Three imbalances, namely inter-regional, inter-social group, and gender-based, have been identified and the 11th Plan proposes to do away with these imbalances, Prof Thorat elaborated.

Under the Plan, it is proposed to support universities and colleges located in districts having lower education ratio, he said, adding new colleges are also proposed to be opened in districts that have lower enrollment levels.

Additional support is also proposed to be provided to colleges and universities in rural, hilly, remote, tribal and border areas and shall towns, and also to universities and colleges that have higher concentration of SC, ST, OBC, and Muslim students.

Further, the UGC proposes to raise the enrollment ratio from the present ten per cent to 15, concentrating especially on regions and groups with lower enrollment ratio. Improving the quality of higher education and promoting excellence and relevant education, and introducing academic and administrative reforms in universities and colleges, are the other objectives.

Infosys foundation chairperson Sudha Murty and freedom fighter Nagnathanna Naikwadi were conferred Doctor of Letters (D Litt) degrees by the hands of Prof Thorat at the convocation function.

As many as 29,779 students were awarded various degrees and diplomas on the occasion including 157 Ph Ds and 91 M Phils.

UNI