Port Blair, Jan 19: The two days UGC National seminar on the subject of “Higher Education challenges and prospects ;a case study of Andaman and Nicobar Islands “ was held on 16- 17 January ,2014. The Seminar was inaugurated on 16th. January by the Chief Guest Shri D N Singh, Secretary ( Higher Education ) A& N administration, while Prof. Radharaman Chakrobarti , former V-C of Netaji Subhas Open University, Kolkata was the Guest of Honour .
The first technical session of the Two days UGC Seminar was chaired by Prof. Radharaman Chakrborti, Former Vice-Chancellor, Netaji Subhas Open University, Kolkata .
Prof. Sanat Ghosh, Ex-Dean Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata has thrown light on challenges and prospects of Higher Education. He first highlighted the crisis that India is facing as the universities are unable to cater quality education and there is lack of need based education in India. This is due to lack of formulation of apt education policy conducive to Indian Scenario. Prof Ghosh elucidated the status of higher education including the state of funding in the world like China, Russia, and Pakistan etc. Prof. Ghosh has briefly described national Policy on Education. He has also stated the problem of imbalance in higher education in terms of ratio and courses lack of sustainable development, the need to have knowledge growth related to Indian Scenario. He has also emphasized the need to resolve the problem of imbalance in higher educational balance in enrollment efficiency ratio in higher educational institutions is very much required. Prof. Ghosh suggested that Higher education can be developed through PPP mode but there should be some regulatory system.
Dr Francis Xavier, Head, Department of English stated briefly on the role of Governors in Higher Education in assessing the quality Education in India. He thereafter briefly described the growth of higher education. Speaking on the educational scenario of A & N Islands, Dr Francis Xavier stated the Lt. Governor, A & N Islands is quite determined to improve quality education in these islands. He is keen on opening medical college in these islands as early as possible. He has also facilitated students of these islands to attain higher education by getting provisional affiliation from Pondicherry University to continue with the second shift with the additional intake of 60 students each in six courses for the current academic session. Lt. Governor has initiated action to open third Degree college in South Andaman District in the coming academic year 2014-15. Dr Francis also has highlighted the role of RUSA in developing higher education. and how the higher education in these islands can get benefitted through RUSA. He has also stressed upon the need to have University and more colleges in these islands to cater to the need of these islanders in terms of courses viable to these islands.
Prof. Amarendu Pani, Director , (Research) , Association of Indian Universities , New Delhi. He has asserted the need to have quality education. He briefly described the quality education starting from Vedic age i.e. education in Gurukul where completion of education relied upon the satisfaction of the Guru. He also briefly stated about the education in the era of Nalanda and Taksila and he then switched over to the education in the British Period. In the modern era emphasizes the need to have economic growth. Quality of education is based on market oriented. He has also given detailed statistics of Universities and Deemed Universities in India. Quality education is assessed by NAAC and, NBA. Prof Amarendu briefly described knowledge paradigm, significance of knowledge in a civilized society and source of knowledge. He has also explained regarding a gradual shift of knowledge paradigm in 21st century .He has also explained how to evolve education system by having licensing pattern for teachers and teachers’ appraisal system.
Dr S.S.Sreekumar, Head, Department of Pol. Science, JNRM, Port Blair presented paper on Higher Education and sustainable development of education and explained how Higher Education attributes towards sustainable development. The relevance of institutions of higher education lies in improving academic activities of the students to connect themselves with community and human development as a whole. He emphasized that the institutions of higher learning play significant role in improving and preserving the natural resources and the environment especially in developing nations. Dr Sreekumar further stated that Sustainable development relies on social progress, economic development and democratic expansion. He has also stated the problems of sustainable development, role of Higher education in sustainable development like introducing job oriented course and opening new courses instead of continuing with conventional courses.
The first day seminar concluded with question and answer session wherein questions were raised regarding effectiveness of the evaluating system in existence to evaluate Higher Educational Institutions and the eminent resource persons came out with the conclusion that the teachers should themselves should make collective efforts to bring about radical and positive reform in educational system by performing as role models. Prof. Radharaman Chakrborti Former Vice-Chancellor, Netaji Subhas Open University, Kolkata asserted that the teachers need to have introspection. to ensure imparting quality education in terms of attaining overall development of their wards.
The Second day Morning Session was chaired by Prof. Sanat Ghosh, Ex-Dean Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. The first speaker Dr Nirupama Rath spoke on Higher Education in India with special reference to A & N Islands. She gave a detailed account of higher education set up in these islands by giving statics regarding intake capacity in the colleges of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, No. of students pass out every year from Senior Secondary Schools. She has highlighted that the existing colleges are quite inadequate to cater to the growing demand for admission in colleges. She has also pinpointed the deterioration of quality of education due to reservations policy in admissions. She has also highlighted the problems face by teaching faculty in colleges all over India with special reference to these islands. Dr Nirupma also suggested some means to overcome such problems.
The second speaker of today happens to be the Organizer of this two days Seminar, Dr Swapan Kumar Biswas, Associate Professor (Pol. Science), JNRM. He began his lecture on semester system in Higher Education with special reference to JNRM by pinpointing the advantages and disadvantages of semester pattern in Higher Education . He stressed upon the need to have various policies to improve the quality of Higher Educational system and setting up of Commissions to improve the standard of Higher Education in India. During his discourse, Dr Biswas has further illustrated the problem of time constraint, mobility, problem of learning language in multi-lingual situation and background. Highlighting the problem in JNRM, like 30 papers to be completed within 3 years, accumulation of arrear papers and thereby creating additional burden in final semester consequent upon promoting the students every year irrespective of pass or fail, dismal performance due to large No. of papers and arrear papers, brevity of semester, academic burden deprive them in participating in co-curricular activities, learning becomes difficult due to multi-lingual background etc.
The third speaker was Dr. Presla Kasturi, Regional Director, IGNOU, Port Blair highlighted the significant role of IGNOU in providing higher education in A & N Islands. The main motto of the University is to provide access to higher education to people of all segments of the society and to offer cost effective education system in these islands. While describing various facilities extended to the learners in A & N Islands like admission cell, registration, access to study material, academic counselors etc, she has stated that all basic facilities are available in all the 8 study centers of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. She has further pinpointed the challenges faced by IGNOU Regional Centre, Port Blair like lack of proper connectivity with the study centre, lack of accessibility to IGNOU Programmes–Gyan Vani, FM Channel in these islands.
The First morning session culminated with interactive session wherein deterioration of quality of education due to the introduction of Distance Education Universities has been discussed.
In the Second Session was chaired by Dr Francis Xavier, Head Department of English, JNRM. Dr Kanwar Chander Deep Singh presented paper on Higher Education in A & N Islands: Problem and Prospects. In his pragmatic approach, he highlighted that the higher education in A & N Islands lacks in terms of quantity, quality, regulation & control, infrastructure, geographically easy inaccessibility and societal strength. Dr Chander Deep has reiterated the need to have more institutions of higher education, improvement in infrastructure, provision of autonomy to the institutions.
Dr K. Rajmohan & Smt Ajitha Narendran presented paper on “Higher Education in India: Problems and Prospects”. They have focused their attention on the scenario of higher education in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Through the deliberation, it has been made clear that in order to improve the standard of higher education in these islands, autonomous status for the college, introduction of career counseling cell for the students, introduction of new courses—need based courses. The challenges include lack of adequate infrastructure, lack of proper guidance,, lack of institutional autonomy etc.
Dr Selva Kumar, Mahatma Gandhi .Govt. College, Mayabunder presented paper on “New Higher Education in India”. During his discourse, he illustrated the functioning and coordination of various Boards and Councils in India in the field of higher Education. He also elucidated the effective measure of implementing higher education.
Dr. R.V.R. Murthy, Associate Professor (Pol. Science) presented his viewpoint on Higher Education: Issues, Challenges and Initiatives in A & N Islands”. He gave elaborate empirical data on population, literacy rate, sex ratio, type of colleges and type of courses offered at different institutions of higher learning in these islands discussed in threadbare. He also made observation regarding higher enrolment of females than the male in higher education institutions. Further he offered suggestion for making Higher Education policy for island exclusively, to start new courses including foreign languages and use of ICT / smart classes for effective teaching. In his concluding remarks hailed that a central university is exclusively necessary for A & N Islands to overcome the issues pertain to students and courses.
Dr N. Lakshmi, Assistant Professor (Hindi), JNRM presented a paper on “The Need of Value Based Education in Higher Education”. Education is of no value if it is not able to build up a sound character. Dr. Lakshmi focused on need to include values in the Higher education for building a sound society.
Mrs. Tilagawati, Assistant Professor (English), JNRM presented a paper on “Women in Higher Education in the Present Era” She highlighted number of issues Higher Education encounter in the present era including its failure to cater to the growing demand in accordance with the growth of population. She has also discussed on less enrolment of women in higher education. She also discussed the status of girl students in terms of admission into UG & PG courses of JNRM.
Mrs. Esther Samuel, Assistant Professor (Political science), JNRM presented a paper on “Tribal Education”, focused on brining the tribes into national mainstream through education. She has also stated that Education helps to control exploitation of tribes. Discussed about the school education up to XII level in Nicobar group of islands and laid emphasis on protecting and preserving tribal culture and significant role of Nicobarese language in this regard.
