HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA India has one of the largest 'Higher Education System' in the wo.ld.

Main players in the higher education system in the country are: University Grants Commission (UGC) is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards, release of grants. Professional Councils are responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of professional institutions and providing grants to undergraduate programmes and various awards. The statutory professional councils are: All Inclia Council for Technical Education (AIeTE), Distance Education Council (DEC), Indian Council for Agriculture Research (lCAR), Bar Council of [odis (BCI), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Rehabilitation Council of India (ReI), Medical Council of India (MCr), Pharmacy Cotmcil of India (Pcn, In!!!an Nursing Council o NC), Dentist Council of India (DCl), Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH), Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) Central Government is responsible for major policy relating to higher education in the country. It provide grants to the uae and establishes central universities in the country. The Central Government is also responsible for declaration of Educational Institutions as 'Deemed to be University' on the recommendation of the UGC. Presently there are sixteen (16) Central Universities in the country. In pursuance of the Mizoram Accord, another Central University in the State .of Mizoram is planned. There are 37 Institutions which have been declared as Deemed to be Universities by the Govt. of [nelia as per Section of the UGe Act, 1956. State Governments are responsi ble for establishment of State Univer s ities and colleges, and provide plan grants for their develo,PpIent and non-plan grants for their maintenance. The coordination and cooperation between the Union and the States is brought about in the field of education through t.he Central

Advisory Board of Education (CABE). Special Constitutional responsibility of the Central Government: Education is on the 'Concurrent list' subject to Entry 66 in the Union List of the Constitution. Thip gives exdusive Legislative Power to the Central Govt. for co-ordination and determination of standards in Institutions of higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions. ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK DEGREE STRUCTURE There are three principle levels of qualifications within the higher education system in the country. These are: Bachelor' Undergraduate level Master's f Post-graduate level Doctoral f Pre-doctoral level Diploma courses are also available at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. At the undergraduate level, it varies between one to three years in length, postgraduate diplomas are normally awarded after one year's study. Bachelor's degree in arts, commerce and sciences is three years of education (after 12 years of school education). In some places there are honours and special courses available. These are not necessarily longer in duration but indicate greater depth of study. Bachelor degree in professional field of study in agriculture, dentistry, engineering, pharmacy, technology and veterinary medicine generaUy take four years, while arch.itectw'e and medicine. it takes five and five and a half years respectively. There are other bachelor degrees in education, journalism and librarian-ship that are second degrees. Bachelor's degree in law can either be taken as an integrated degree lasting five years or three-year course as a second degree. Master's degree is normally of two-year I duration. It could be coursework based without t hesis or research a lone. Admission to p08tgradua~ programmes in engineering and technology is done on the basis of Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering or Combined

Medical Test respectively. A pre-doctoral programme - Master of Philosophy (M.Phil ) is taken after c;ompletion of the Master's Degree. This can either be completely research based or can include course work as well Ph.D. is awarded two year after the M.Phil. or three years after the Master's degree. Students are expected to write a substantial thesis based on original research, generally takes longer. NEW INITIATIVES, VOCATIONALIZATION AT THE FlRSfDEGREE LEVEL In conformity with the National Policy on Education, 1986, a tiCheme to provide career orientation to education at the first degree level was l aunch~d in 1994-95. Under the scheme. a university I college could introduce one to three vocational courses in 35 identified subjects. Autonomous Colleges: 138 collegea have been functioning as autonomous colleges in eight states in the country. National Eligibility Test (NET) is being conducted by the UGC since 1989 for eligibility for lect ureship. Around 50000 students appear for the test every year. Pass percentage is around 5%. Eight State Level Tests have been accredited 8S par with NET. System of Governance of Hig her Education Institutions: The Universities are of various kinds: with a single faculty, or multi-faculties; teaching or affiliating, or teaching cum aff.tliating, single campus or multiple campus. Most of the Universities are affiliating universities. which prescribe to the affiliat.ed colleges the course of study, hold examinations and award degrees, while undergraduate and to some extent post, the colleges affiliated to them impart graduate instruction. Many of the university along with their affiliated colleges have grown rapidly to the extent of becoming uamanageable. Therefore, as per National Policy on Eaucation, 1986, a scheme of autonomous colleges was promoted. In the

autonomous colleges, whereas the degree continues to be awarded by the University, the name of the college is also included. The colleges develop and propose new courses of study to the university for approval. They are also fully responsible for con duct of examination. There are at present 126 autonomous colleges in the country. Focus of Ninth Plan: Thrust areas are: measures for quality improvement and modernization of syllabi. renewal of infrastructure, extra-budgetary resource mobilization and greater attention to issues in governance. Issues of access and relevance would receive attention. Conferment of grater autonomy to deserving colleges and professional upgradation of teachers through Academic Staff Colleges would be given priority. Emphasis is being placed on consolidation and optimal utilization of the existing infrastructure through institutjonal networking. restructuring expansion. so as to only meet the demand of the unserved areas with a focus on women and under privileged seCtiOIUl. The Open University system, which has been growing in popularity and size. is striving to diversify courses and offerings and gain wider acceptability by upgrading its quality. It would focus more sharply on the educational needs of women and rural society, as well as professional training of in-service employees. CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES * President of India is the Visitorofall Central Universities. * PresidentNisitor nominates some members to the Executive Committee/Board of ManagementlCourtiSelection Committees of the University as per the pl'ovisions made in the relevant University Act. * Ministry provides secretariat service for appointment of Vice-ChancellorfExecutlve Committee NomineeslCourtNomineeslSelectJon Committee Nominees etc. by the President. Indira Gandhi National Open University

(IGNOU) Established in 1985 for introduction and promotion of Open University and distance education system. Major objectives include widening of access to higher education. IGNOU programmes telecast on Doordarshan Network six days a week. Its jurisdiction is through out the oountry.lt can set up Study Centres outside the country .This was allowed vide amendment of the IGNOU Act in 1997. Distance Education Council (DEC) under IGNOU has the responsibility for coordination and maintenance of standards in open and distance education system in the country. University Of Hyderabad, Established in 1974 for post-graduate teaching and research, 20 Km from the City of Hyderabad on the Old Hyderabad - Bombay road. It has a City campus 'The Golden Threshold' - the residence ofthe late Sarojini Naidu. The University has Eight Schools of Studies and a Centre for Distance Education offering postgraduate diploma in five disciplines. University or Delhi, Established in February 1922 as a unitary and residential university. It has 14 faculties, 82 teach.ing departments and 78 colleges spread over national Capital Territory of Delhi. A new State University - [ndraprashtha Vishwavidhlaya bas come up in Delhi as an affiliating University. Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Visbwavidyalaya, Wardha Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya Act (at Wardha) was passed by the Parliament in December, 1996. Univ~I' .. i.LY came into existence with effect from 29th December 1997. It has international cbaracter. Four schools proposed under this University. For the time being the University is operating from its temporary office at Delhi. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow Established 8S a State University in 1994 at Lucknow, it was notified as a Central University on 10th January 1996. It aims to provide instructional and research facilities in

new and frontier areas of learning. Has three schools and three centres. (School of Ambedkar Studies, School for Information Science and Technology and School fo :, Environmental studies and Centre for Rural Technology, Centre for Vocational Studies and Centre for Human Rights.) Pondicherry University Established in 1985 8S a teaching-cum affiliating university. It has jurisdiction over the Union Territory of Pondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It also has a Community College. Affiliated institutions of which 13 are located in Pondicherry, 3 in Karaikal, 2 in Mahe. 1 in Yanam and 3 in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Visva Bharati, Santiniketan It is an unitary teaching and residential University. Founded by Guru Rabindranath Tagore. Incorporated as a Central University by t.he Visva Bharati Act, 1951 . Itsjurisdiction is restricted to the area known as Santiniketan in the District of Birbhum, West Bengal. It imparts education from the Primary School level to Post-Graduate and Doctorate levels. It has 12 institutes - 8 at Santiniketan, 3 at Sriniketan and 1 at Kolkata. Rural Segment of the University (Sriniketan) created CAREER (Centre for Advanced Rural Education, Extenuation and Research) and CSV (Centre for Science in Villages). For creating facilities in the housing technology Nirman Bhawan (Building Centre) was established under the sponsorship of HUDCO. Millia lslamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi Functioned 8S a Deemed University since 1962. Acquired ytatus of a Central University in December, 1988 by an Act. of Parliament Imparts education from Nursery stage to p~st: graduate & Doctorate levels. It has six Faculties and Eight Centres Rnd Five Schools. AJ, Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre (AJKMCRC) providefJ training at Post graduate level in Mass Communication,

producing educational material on different educational aspects/subjects for the UGC, INSAT Programme. Aligarb Muslim University, Aligarh Established in 1920 8S a fully residential Central University. It maintains four Hospitals, six Colleges (including Medical, Dental and Engineering Colleges), two Polytechnics and eight Schools. Offers six diploma courses exClusively for women. 18562 students (including school strength) were in rolls. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Came into existence in 1916 as a teaching and residential University. It consists of three Institutions Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Technology and Institute of Agricultural Sciences. It has faculties with 121 academic departments and 4 interdisciplinary schools. It maintains a constituent Mahila Mahavidyalaya and three School level institutions. lOOOBedded Modern Ayurvedic Medicine Hospital. Jawahar La! Nehru University, New Delhi It came into existence in 1969. It is primarily concerned with Postgraduate Education and Research. It has 7 schools consisting of 24 Centres of Studies and a separate Centre for BioTechnology. Maulana Azad National Urdu University The University Act was passed by the Parliament in 1997 and it came into existence on 9th January, 1998. Its Administrative Office has been set up at Hyderabad. It has Regional Officers at Delhi, Patna and Bangalore. lt'saim is to promote and develop Urdu language and to impart vocational and technical education in Urdu medium through conventional and distance education system. ASSAM UNIVERSITY, Dorgakona, Assam Established as a teachingcumaffiliating University on 21.1.1994. Though the act was passed in 1989. It has Jurisdiction over the districts ofCachar, Karimganj, Karhi, anglong and Hailakandi in the State of Assam. Nagaland University, Kohima

Established as a teaching-cum affiliating University on 6.9.1994. Though the act was passed in 1989. Its Headquarters is at Lumami, Nagaland. It. has jurisdiction over the whole of the State of Nagaland. It has 39 colleges affiliated. It has campuses in Kohima, Lumami and Medsiphema (School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development SASRD), 25 Departments and 4 Schools of Studies. Tezpur University, Nappam, Assam A nonaffiliating unitary Central University set up in 1994 under an Act of Parliament, Tezpur University Act, 1993. It's aims is to offer employment-oriented and inter disciplinary courses, mostly at post-graduate level. It has 11 Departments under 4 schools of studies and 6 centres of Studies. North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong Established in 1973 at Shillong by an Act of Parliament. North Eastern Hill University Act, 1973. It has a Campus at Aizwal and a centre in Tura. Its jurisdiction is over the States of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. Its Headquarters at Shillong. Post graduate Departments and four Centres of Studies under its six schools of studies and an under-graduate college. It has 58 Under graduate Colleges and 8 professional course colleges and North-Eastern Regional Institute olScienee and Technology (NERJST) affiliared. It has a Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation Selitre (RSIC). UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION (UGC) Objective: The government established University Grants Commission (UGC) by an Act of Parliament in 1956. It discharges the Constitutional mandate of coordination" determination, and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in the ' field of University and Higher Education. UOC serves 8S a vita l link between the Union and State Governments and the institutions of higher learning. It monitors developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disburses grants to the univers ities and

colleges: advises Cent.ral and State Governments on the measures necessary for the improvement of university ed ucation; and fram es regulations such as those on the minimum standards of instruction. Composition Commission comprises of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and ten other members appointed by the Central Government. 'The Chairperson is selected from among persons who are not officers of the Central Government or any State Government. Of the ten members, two are from amongst the officers of the Central Government to represent it. Not less than four. selected from among persons who are, at the time they are selected, shall be a teacher in the Universities. Others are selected from among eminent educationists, academics and experts in various fields. Chairperson is appointed for a term of 5 years or until the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. ViceChairperson is appointed for a term of 3 years or until the age of 65 yesrs, whichever is earlier. The other members are appointed for a term of 3 years. The Chairperson. Vice Chairperson and members can be appointed for a maximum of two terms. Funding UGC has no funds ofits own. It receives both Plan and NonPlan grants from the Central Government to carry out the responsibilities assigned to it by law. It allocates and disburses full maintenance and development grants to all Central Universities, Colleges affiliated to Delhi and Banaras Hindu Universities and some of the institutions accorded the sta tus of 'Deemed to be Universities'. State Universlties, Colleges and other institutions of higher education, receive support only from the Plan grant for development schemes. Besides, it provides financial assistance to Universities and co lle ges under various schemesl programmes for promoting relevance, quality and excellence as also promoting the role of social change by the Universities.

Regional Offices Si." Regional Offices Name of Regional Office States Southem Regional Office: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu. NorthemRegional Office: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana. Uttar Pradesh. Central Regional Office: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan. Eastern Regional Office :.West Bengal, Biha!', Orissa, Sikkim. North Eastern Regio/wl Office: Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland. Western Regional Office : Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra. Inter University Centres (lUes) Under Section 12 (ccc) of the UGC Act, the Commission has established the follOwing Inter - University Centres to provide common facilities, se rvi ce and programmes to Universities since heavy investment in infrastructure and inputs have made it beyond the reach of individual .Universities to obtain these facilities: Nuclear Science Centre. New Delhi: Accelerator oriented research ruc for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune: State-oftheart instrumentation for research in astronomy IUC for DAE facilities, Indore: Use of facilities of Department of Atomic Energy Information ond Library Network (INFLIBNET), Ahmedabad: Networking of libraries through electronic medis Consortium for Educational Communication (CEe), New Delhi : To dissemi nate Countrywide programme through television 216 National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NACC), Bangalore: To assess and accredit public & Private institutions of higher learning National Facilities UGC has also set up the following Centres as National facilities in selected Universities:Western Regional Instrumentation Centre,

Bombay: Design and development of indigenous equipment and training to staff in instrumentation. Regional Instrumentation Centre, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore: Design and development of indigenous equipment and training to staff in instrumentation. Chennai : Research and dissemination of knowledge and oorganization of training programme in crystal growth. M.S.T. Radar Centre SriVenkateswara Tirupati: Studies in atmospheric Dynamics to enable teachers to use MSTfRadar facility. Eastern Centre for Radio Astr'ophysics, Calcutta University: Research in Astrophysics Japal - Rangapur observatory, Osmania University. Hyderabad: Science Research Observatory Centre for Science Education & Communication, New Delhi: Popularization of Science INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM Institution Types & Credentials Types of higher education institutions: University Institute of Technology College Open University School leaving adult higher education Credentials: Higher Secondary School Certificate Secondary School Certificate Diploma Bachelor's Degree Postgraduate Diploma Master's Degree Master of Philosophy Post-Master Degree Doctorate Doctor of Laws Doctor of Literature Doctor of Science Structure of education system Pre-higher education: Duration of compulsory education:

Age of entry: 6 Age of exit: 14 Structure of school system: Primary Type of school providing this education: Lower Primary School (Standards I To V) Length of program in years: 5 Age level from : 6 to 11 Middle Type of school providing this education: Middle School (Standards V1 To Vllt) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 11 to 14 Secondary Type of school providing this education: Secondary School (Standards IX To X) Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 14 to 16 Certificate/diploma awarded: Secondary School Certificate Senior Secondary Type of school providing this education: Higher Secondary School (Standards Xl To XlI) Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 16 to 18 Certificate/diploma awarded: Higher Secondary School Certificate Vocational Secondary Type of school providing this education: Secondary schools Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to 18 Certificate/diploma awarded: Higher Secondary School Certificate School education: School education in India is a two-tier system, the first ten years covering general education followed by two years of senior secondary education. Primary education is divided into two stages: the first five years constitute the prlmary stage (Standards I-V) and the next three years, the upper primary stage or middle school (Standards VI-VIII). Secondary education usually lasts between two and four

years. After two years, pupils who have completed ten years of education (Standard X) take the Secondary School Certificate. Pupils then enter higher secondary schools or Junior Colleges and complete a further two years of ed ucation (Standards XI and XTI). Courses focus on university preparation. Public examinations are held at the end of Standard IX either by individual states or by Central Boards and lead to the award of the Higher Secondary School Certificate (also called All india Senior School Certificate or Indian School Certificate or Pre-University Course).Vocational education is offered in two years at Higher and Technical Schools and lead to the Certificate of Vocational Education (CVE). Higher education: Higher ed ucation is provided by: (1) Universities -including agricultural universities and medical universities divided into Central Universities, funded directly by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, and State Universities, set up and funded by various states. (2) "Deemed to be universities", single-faculty, multi subjects institutions which enjoy the same academic status and privileges of a university; and (3) Institutions of Nationa l Importa nce , university-level institutions funded by the central government. These include the Indian Institutes of Technology. Most universities belong to the affiliating and teaching type in which departments impart instruction at the postgraduate level and undertake research. Agricultural universities stress research and extension work. Finally, there are technological universities and ten open universities. There are also research institutions, administered by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, and research laboratories, as well as more than tO,OOO colleges. most of which are afftliated to universities. Unive rsities are governed by statutory bodies such as the Academic Council. the Senate/Court and the Executive CounciU

Syndicate. Funding for State universities largely comes from the State governments and the University Grants Commission. Higher education falls mainly under its jurisdiction. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) represents univer si ties and has the responsibility for all matters within the higher ed ucation sector other than funding . Professional institutions are coordinated by different bodies. The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), established in 1987, is responsible for the coordination of technica l and manage ment Educa ti on institutions. Bodies such as State Councils of Higher Education were established r ece ntly. Non-university level: On completion of Standard X, students may opt for (1) Further secondary school studies leading to the Higher Secondary School Certificate ; (2) Craftsman or apprenticeship courses offered in Industrial Training Institutes through the Craftman Training Scheme and Apprenticeship Scheme and leading to Trade Certificates or (3) Entering a Polytechnic where they are offered one to three-year diploma courses in all subjects except Medicine. There are over 1200 Polytechnics in l!ldia. Although planned to train technicians, an increasing number now offer oour8es leading to degrees and even post-graduate diplomas and certificates. Access to cou rses for the Higher National Diploma (HND) requires Standard XII. University level studies: First stage: Bachelor: First degree generally require three years' fulltime study leading to Bachelor of Arts, Science and Commerce degrees. Entrance to &n Honours course may require a higher pass mark in the higher secondary or pre university examinations. An Honours degree does not generally involve longer study hut indicates greater specialization. In professional subjects: courses last for four to five and a half years. the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) can either be taken as an integrated flrst degree course (five years) or as a two to three-year course taken as

a second degree. Second stage: Master's Degree: A Master's Degree in Arts, Science and Commerce generally requires two years of study after a first degree. Most. are cowseworkbased without a thesis. The Indian Institutes of Technology offer three semester studies leading to ME, MSc (Engg) and MTech degrees. Master's courses in Engineering and Technology normally require two years' study after a first professional degree. Candidates must qualify through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering Colleges. I n Medicine and Surgery, the MaFlter's degree takes two years after MBBSfBDS. The Master of Technology is awarded after a study period of three semesters. Students must complete a research project which usually takes one semester. The Master of Computer Applications (MCA) is awarded after three years' study beyond the Bachelor's Degree. Third stage: Master of Philosophy, PhD: One and a half-year MPhil programmes are open to those who have completed their second stage postgraduate degree. It is a preparatory programme for ~octoral level studies. Some universities admit MBBSIBE degree holders to PhD courses. The PhD programme involves two years' study beyond tt;le MPhil or a minimum of three years' stutly beyond the Master's degree and the submission of a thesis, as well as an oral examination. Fourth stage: DSc. Dlitt: The Doctor of Science (DSc) and the Doctor of Literature (Dlitt) degrees are awarded by some universities two to three years after the PhD for original contributions. Teacher education: Training of preprimary and primary/basic school teachers Teachers for lower primary classes (Standards I to V) are trained in Teacher Training Institutes (also called Junior Basic Training Institutes or Primary Teacher Colleges) attached to State departments of education. The

course usually lasts for two years and leads to a Diploma or a Teacher Training Certiflcate. Upper primary school teachers are trained in two years and the course leads to a Diploma. They must have passed the Higher Secondary School-Leaving Certificate. Training of secondary school teachers Teachers at lower secondary level (Standards IX and X) are graduates who havE' completed a one-year Bachelor of education at a college affiliated to a university. Teache-rs at the higher secondary level (Standards XI and XU) are postgraduates who have usually completed a Master's degree followed by a one-year Bachelor in Education. Four Regional Colleges of Education offer a combined fOUT-year integrated programme leading to a Bachelor's degree. Training of higher education teachers Teachers at colleges of education must hold an M.Ed and a PhD. Studies for these are undertaken at a number of universities. Non-traditional studies: Distahce higher education Since its inception in 1962 at the University of Delhi, distance education has grown considerably. There are now some sixty InstituteslDirectorates of distance education attached to conventional universities and ten Open Universities, including Indira Gandhi National Open University with over 150 regional centers throughout India. Distance education programmes cover about one hundred DegreelDiploma courses. Many conventional universities also offer correspondence courses, which are sometimes supplemented by contact classes. Lifelong higher education Universities and colleges offer adult and continuing education with assistance from the uac. Programmes include Population Eucation, Legal Literacy, Science Encation and Technology Transfer. There are also evening co lleges which provide courses at undergraduate level and, in some areas, postgraduate courses are also offered. Other forms of non-formal education

Non-university level post-secondary education consists of one-year Certificate courses and two- to three-year Diploma courses in various technical and commercial fields. They are conducted by industrial training institutes and polytechnics administered through the state departments oftechnical education. NATIONAL BODIES Administration & co-ordination: Responsible authorities: Ministry of Human Resources Development, Science and Technology Head: Arjun Singh Shastri Bhavan New Delhi 110001 Association of Indian Universities AIU House, 16 Kotla Marg, New Delhi 110002 University Grants Corrunission Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110002 Role of governing body: Coordinates the work of the universities; establishes equivalences of degrees; acts as a bureau of information; conducts research on university development. VOCATIONAL COURSES COVERED UNDER APPRENTICES ACT 1961 Agriculture 1. Poultry Production 2. Fisheries/Fish Processing 3. Dairying 4. Sericulture 5. Apiculture 6. Floriculture 7. Plant Protection 8. Agricultural Ctiemicals 9. Inland Fisheries 10. Plantation Crops and Management 11. Seed Production Technology 12. Swine Production 13. Vegetable Seed Production 14. Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Industry 15. Sheep and Goat Husbandry

16. Repair and Maintenance of Power Driven Farm Machinery 17. Veterinary Pharmacist-cum-Artificial Insemination Assistant 18. Agro Based Food Industry (Animal based) 19. Agro Based Food Industry (Crop based) 20. Agro Based Food Industry (Feed based)