UGC brings under its ambit regulators of all higher educational institutions

Higher education regulators urged to align with UGC regulations, promote consistency in faculty appointment and promotion.

Higher education regulators across all disciplines have been urged to align with the University Grants Commission’s regulations, be it in faculty appointment or promotion. This would avoid inconsistencies, said UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar.  

The UGC held a meeting with the 13 regulatory bodies of higher education in the country, representing medicine, nursing, engineering, pharmacy, architecture, dentistry, veterinary, agriculture and the National Accreditation and Assessment Council and National Institutional Ranking Framework. 

Mr. Kumar, who chaired the meeting on Wednesday, said the guidelines for faculty selection and promotion should be consistent with those issued by the Commission.   

The regulatory authorities have been advised to write to industrial organisations associated with them to nominate industry professionals and register on the Commission’s Professor of Practice portal. Mr. Kumar said use of technology to effectively push teaching-learning online was discussed and introduction of a module on Indian knowledge system in all disciplines was suggested. 

The regulatory authorities have been instructed to issue an advisory to 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. It has also been decided to constitute a monitoring committee with representation of relevant regulators to address issues related to deemed and private universities.  

In a push to make higher education accessible and inclusive, the institutions that offer facilities as prescribed by the Rehabilitation Council of India guidelines will receive weightage in the National Accreditation and Assessment Council’s accreditation criteria, Mr. Kumar said.