Universities are the institutions of higher learning for students after they complete their school studies and are desirous of studying in-depth subjects of their interest. The scope of study of subjects in the form of the syllabus during the academic years by the faculty is decided by the universities. The amount of learning by the students is assessed by conducting examinations soon after completing teaching the prescribed syllabus and is indicated in the form of a percentage of marks/grades/credits etc. obtained by them. A certificate to that effect is issued by the universities and is universally termed ‘University Degree’.
The importance of education in enlightenment and maturity of mind and also to increase an individual’s personality cannot be denied. At the same time the desire of students who specialize in different fields of education to secure decent paid jobs cannot be ignored, but what is often desired need not always be possible to fulfill. However, how far the award of such degrees on a mass scale every year by about one thousand Indian universities is useful to majority of the students seeking jobs relevant to their degrees? Or to the Government in utilizing the knowledge acquired by them in the nation building activities? Or even to entrepreneurs without proper training and experience? At present, due to acute shortage of jobs, the frustrated millions of degree holders in diverse fields of specializations are waiting desperately to grab any job, relevant or irrelevant to their degrees and their status. Ignoring this fact, the aim of the government to increase the enrolment percentage from 27% to 50% in institutions of higher education perhaps needs a review. The need of the hour is to get settled the degree holders in suitable jobs to enable them to lead a dignified life.
Realizing the gravity of the situation and the urgency to solve the unending problem of unemployment, to a possible extent, and also simultaneously upgrading the quality of higher education and its relevance to jobs, prospective steps are being taken as mentioned in the New Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020). The introduction of an elaborate revised independent vocational degree course is considered to be one of the solutions. A similar scheme was introduced in the early 90s of 1990 in the undergraduate (U.G.) courses, offering one of the three optional subjects as vocational, was not favored by students due to several shortcomings in it. They included shortage of well experienced trained faculty, insufficient time allotted for in depth study of the subject, lack of proper facilities for practical training and disinterest of prospective employers for providing required necessary training. The scheme is still continuing with the addition of the B.VOC. degree course, introduced in 2013 with an assurance to continue. The feedback of 12th five-year plan (2012-2017) estimated that less than 5% in the age group of 19-24 years received formal vocational education. Now the introduction of a full-fledged vocational degree course in a re-oriented form involving selected future prospective employers in the proposed incubation centers, to be established in the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) is expected to enhance enrolment. The recent announcement by the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman to introduce a new category of educational institution termed Distinct Institution appears to be quite encouraging. Institutions that offer to include and impart vocational education, along with a few other unique disciplines may be permitted to use the title Distinct Institution.
The credit for proposing properly planned re-orientation in higher education in two decades reform program with emphasis on professional, technical and vocational education goes to Dr. D.S. Kothari, as head of the education commission in 1986. This led to an awakening in the educational centers which started offering suitable courses of study to enable the learners to secure jobs in the expanding industries, technical establishments and also in research organizations among many others. Simultaneously there was a mushroom growth of universities-central, state, private, technical, and deemed to be, with multiple colleges affiliated to them. The age-old concept of a university with research-based multiple faculties slowly vanished giving way to single faculty/ course/ subject wise universities. The proposal in NEP 2020 to replace the present nomenclature like Deemed to be university, Affiliating university, Affiliating technical university, Unitary university by UNIVERSITY only appears to be a good move to recognize the world wide concept of university as a multidisciplinary institution of higher education that offers Under Graduate (U.G.), Post Graduate (P.G), and Ph.D. Programs and engage in high quality teaching and research. Such a step clubbed with suitable guidelines for strict implementation is expected to control the growth of substandard universities and deteriorating standard in higher education related to national and international requirement. Similarly another move proposed to be taken in the long term program is to elevate degree colleges to degree awarding universities redesignating them as Higher Education Institutions (HEI), to be governed by highly qualified independent boards with academic and administrative autonomy, backed by adequate public financial support and stability.
Students completing even their post graduate studies through high quality teaching and research from such institutions are expected to be in demand by reputed employers. To quote the example of the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, which was without the tag of University till recently has been and is the priority choice of top ranking students for higher studies. The certificates of study and learning by students, not only through classroom teaching but through research projects, practical fieldwork, etc., involving reputed industries, research institutions, and highly qualified experienced academicians, and likewise, issued by HEI is expected to be recognized worldwide as their students acquired high quality standard education. Those students who do not aim for any specific technical job have the freedom to choose interdisciplinary/unrelated subjects of their choice from different faculties in their own interest to gain more knowledge of the subjects. This will help them in facing competitive tests and interviews conducted by Central/State Governments for appointments in different non-technical services. It is relevant to mention here about the unhealthy trend among the graduates who failed to get suitable jobs, to continue higher studies and obtain additional post graduate degrees looking for greener pastures. Let them not forget that what is desired need not always be possible to achieve. It is generally observed that most of the highly qualified persons facing adverse situations of their life are forced to settle down in jobs which required not even graduation. Students should realize that higher education is very costly, costs the exchequer heavily.
The burning problem of unemployment related to higher education in our country today, under the politically surcharged atmosphere and economically weak situation, needs priority attention by all concerned. Many proposals mentioned in NEP 2020 may be worth trying in the long run with the cooperation of all States since education is a concurrent subject. Good quality standard higher education in the fields of national needs to be given priority with sufficient budget allotment for infrastructure development and required facilities, proper practical training to students and involving eminent prospective employers in curriculum preparation and training. Recent guidelines given by UGC for sustainable University–Industry collaboration in Indian universities are expected to expose students to real-life situations making them globally competent. This move will enable universities and industries to form Research and Development (RD) clusters and make students job ready through internships. Skilled human resource, with experimental learning through industry-related courses, is a need of the Nation today. Moreover, the significance of significant development in signified modern tools like computing devices, among others, for self-learning and technological innovations may be considered as positive steps to achieve the goal. The problem about medium of instructions in educational institutions of higher learning is likely to persists, as many States refused to follow the National policy about it. The recent statement of UGC Chairman to allow students to answer questions in the examinations in their mother tongue / regional languages has stretched the problem further. Higher Education, in general, and science, technology and professional courses in particular , through English language is advantageous as we have yet to learn a lot in it from many advanced nations of the world. Hence, we cannot toy with the idea of replacing English with National or regional languages in HEI. Similarly, the fast growing Indian population appears to have a direct bearing on the unemployment problem; it needs an amicable and suitable solution on priority basis.
Considering diverse important factors to gain high quality higher education and its relevance in seeking decent jobs by university degree holders appears to be a time-consuming problem to be solved. Different proposals mentioned in NEP-2020 and referred here are being implemented by the central Government to hold the unemployment problem from further deterioration and taking an ugly shape. However, there is no uniformity in accepting the recommendations of NEP 2020 in toto by all the States. Ultimately the students themselves have to decide how to settle down with dignity in life taking advantage of diverse options, availability of required facilities, assistance, guidance, financial support, etc. extended by appropriate Government authorities from time to time in the institutions of higher learning. The establishment of degree awarding HEI is a new development. Maintaining the academic atmosphere in such institutions, including hostels, and concentrating on innovative research based studies, getting the work published in National and International journals of repute, to make not only their alma mater but India proud, will be the duty of its students. The aim should be to make degrees of Indian universities highly valued to secure decent job offers automatically both from National and International employers of repute.
(Dr. Dhrubash Karan Mathur is a retired Professor, Osmania University and former Principal, Nizam College, Hyderabad. Mobile: 9246363950)
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