Abstract:
A nation's development often depends on the human resource. It is the higher education that moulds the human resource of the nation. The highereducation of India also contributed to the development of the human resource for the nation. The higher education of India is a product of British Colonialism. The subsequent governments of India after independence has continued the legacy left by the British administration. The higher education in Assam in general and North east in particular has also become the product of colonial apparatus. But the nature of higher education is in a process of development, therefore it has several prospects and problems. With the development of the higher education the University Grant Commission has introduced a new system in India which is known as Autonomous Colleges. The North east India have very recently become the part of the Autonomy regulation of UGC. Autonomous institutions are those institutions who have autonomy in curriculum designing and in conducting examination without having much direction of the parent university. But the autonomous system has its own prospects and problems. The present paper will analyses the problems and prospects of autonomy in higher education in reference to the North East. The methodology adopted in the paper is essentially analytical in nature and necessary information are collected from secondary sources such as books, articles, government reports and official website of government.
1.00-Introduction:
Autonomy
plays to Key role in the system of higher education to provide an enabling
environment to improve and strengthen the teaching and learning process of our
country. The autonomy concept came into existence from 1973 onwards in India,
but it is a totally new moment in the educational system of north eastern
region. Autonomy in principle enables a
college to develop and propose program that are considered relevant by the college,
to its immediate environment as well as the country as a whole. An autonomous
college will have the freedom to decide on curriculum and course of study. The
teachers will study individual and social needs and based on the feedback from
the institution, employs faculty, students and current status of technology
will arrive at the course of study and design the curriculum in order that
every student its will informed of the recent development in the discipline of
his choice, is capable of self-learning, reasoning and is creative. The main
thrust in an autonomous college is maintaining and promoting academic
excellence among its students. A substantial qualitative development indiscipline,
better staff and student interaction and higher employability are some of the
key benefits of autonomy.
1.01-Importance:
The
essential factors for high-quality education are the calibre and attitudes of
students towards learning ,the competence
and commitment of teacher towards educationalprocess ,the flexibility and foresightedness of the governance system
and the social credibility of the educational outcome .The autonomy is
expected to provide a better frame work for fostering these factors then the affiliation system with all
its constraining conditions hanging as a
dead weight on the higher education system.
The
successful implementation of the concept of autonomy requires willing and
honest.
Participation
of the students, teachers and management in the education process .They should
be riling to stand up to intense security of their role of autonomy .A system
of academic audit at every step of the implementation of the concept of
autonomy should be acceptable to all condensed parties.
In the rapidly changing
teaching-learning environment, an autonomous system can facilitate much needed
innovations such as inter-disciplinary programmes, inter –institutional ring of
academic loads, transfer of credits between different modes of learning.
1.02-Objectives:
1.
To determine its
own courses of study and syllabus.
2.
To prescribe
rules admission subject to the reservation policy of the state
governments.
3.
To evolve methods
of evolution and to conduct examination.
4.
To achieve higher
standards and greaten creativity.
5.
To promote
national integration.
6.
To ensure
accountability of the institution and its member.
Thus
to establish a goal oriented performance appraisal system in educational
institutional.
1.03 -Methodology:
This present study is based on Secondary
data. They have been collected from books, journals, news-letter,
Etc. published
at different times by the academicians and institutions.
2.00-
Autonomy of Higher Education:
The
system of higher education plays a key role in the realization of India’s extra
ordinary potential and aspirations for economic and technological development.
Precisely because of this potential and its implications for individual
advancement, there is greater awareness and an extra ordinary demand for higher
education among the youth. While evolving new directions for higher education
and strengthening its quality and relevance, a new concept of autonomy come
into existence.
The concept of autonomy is a radical departure
from the existing affiliating system to selfGovernance.
It
is a structural solution intended mainly to provide an enabling environment to
improve and strengthen the teaching and learning process. So there is a need to
look upon the prospect, challenges, benefits and problems of autonomy in the
system of higher education.
1.04- Strengths of ideal autonomy
are:
1. Innovations.
2. Experimentation.
3. Expansion and maximization of potentials.
4. Quality improvement.
5. Social relevant.
6. Full involvement of teachers in the
entire system.
7.
Confidence building between students and teachers.
8. Transparency in teaching and evaluation.
9. Increased scope for educational reforms.
10. Speedy implementations of programmes.
3.00-PROSPECTS
OF NORTH EAST INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION:
Foreign students
when surveyed for what is the mode of information about the Indian
universities, they have rated the options as follow; (I) Friends (35%), (ii)
senior/present/ex-student of Indian University who belongs to their native
country (22%), (iii) Government (21%), (iv) Internet (11%), (v) Indian
embassies in their country (6%) and (vi) Newspaper (5%). All of these acts as a
mode of information for the foreign students about the Indian universities and
most effective are their friends.
It is indicative from the study that India should pay more attention and take more steps towards the Internationalization of higher education. The correlation technique used to co-relate the findings from academicians and the foreign students with different backgrounds, experience, context and probably points of views finds that there exists a high positive correlation, hence strengthening the view that India must pay more attention and take more steps towards the internationalization of higher education. And with the introduction of new courses, which fulfil the present demand at international level, will help to increase the number of foreign students. These courses are courses of yoga, bio-informatics, computational biology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and mathematical science to be introduced in Indian universities to attract more number of foreign students. Other courses suggested are courses in cyber-laws, Hinduism, tourism, chemical engineering, IT and other niche market oriented courses as per the demand.
Strengthapparent
in the present system of autonomy is:
1. Own curriculum and syllabus.
2. Self independence.
3. Developing of
infrastructure.
4. Feedback facility.
5. Time specific and
professional curriculum is included.
6. Administration power will develop.
7. A close relationship
between teachers and students.
8.Will facility of examination
as well as Recall.
2.00-PROBLEMS OF EXPORTING HIGHER EDUCATION IN NORTH EAST INDIA:
A few
educational institutions in north east India have already begun to exploit the
exports opportunity in education.
Indian Higher
Education system does not create conducive environment for internationalization
of its higher educational services. North east India is also receiving very
less number of foreign students when compared to the
Developed
countries like U.K., china, Nepal, to which India is one of the major source
country of foreign students. The reasons cited for the fewer turnovers of the
foreign students in India as per the academicians are
Mentioned below
rating wise:
(I) Poor quality transport & residential
facilities:
Lack of the infrastructure facilities has been
cited as a main reason for fewer turnovers of foreign students in north east
India. In north east India does not have any world-class transport facilities.
The other train and bus facilities are hugely crowded, unlikely any other
developed nation. Residential facilities provided to the foreign students are
also not good. There does not exist any international standard.
Accommodations
where no formal help comes from the universities. They have to arrange it on
their own where they can be easily exploited in terms of money and facilities
with no guarantee of security.
(ii) Lack of financial assistance:
No scheme of
financial assistance is available to the foreign students from the university
or thegovernment of India and state government. The students sponsored
byGovernment of India under different culturalschemes pay nominal fee at par
with an Indianstudent. Otherwise the students are financed bytheir respective
governments or self supporting.
(iii) Regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles:
There are lots
of regulatory and bureaucratichurdles in the admission procedure of
foreignstudents from different countries as per thepolicy of Government of
India and stat government towards thosenations.
(iv)Lack of Brand equity/Low market linkages in
the international market:
With the
exception of few good institutes inIndia, other Indian universities and courses
does not have a brand value, which is acceptedinternationally. And because
Indian highereducation system does not have market linkagesin the international
market.
(v)Complicated & paper based hurdles duringadmission:
During the
admission procedures lots of paperwork is required without proper
communicationdue to which it takes very long for foreignstudents to get
admission in the university.Admission procedure as indicated by foreignstudents
is neither easy nor tough. It is average.
(vi)Lots of administrative guidelines:
There are lots
of Do’s and Don’ts in theadministrative guidelines, for staying in thehostel,
for studying a course.
(vii) Ineffective career placement/low
industryparticipation in education:
Since northEast
Indian higher education does not havegood market linkages internationally, the
careerplacement of these foreign students is noteffective. Infact, there is no
career placement forthese foreign students in India. During the courseof study
also, Industry participation is veryminiscule or not at all. Theoretical part
of thecourse does not get the practical approach.
. Students have
recommended courses withspecialization in Information technology,
Agriculture,forensic science, maritime, photography, domesticscience,
International Marketing, Management Information System, Bachelor courses in
Managementand Computers. They also don't support the annualexamination
structure. They recommend for the semester system in all the courses.
2.01-Weakness apparent in the present system of autonomy is:
1.Autonomy is discrete mostly for colleges and not for all higher
education institutions.
2. Approval Process is still time consuming.
3. Universities presently don’t have complete academic, administrative
and financial autonomy and are governed by the state agencies.
4. Man power deficits affect the efficiency of the system.
5. Infrastructura short comings.
6. Implementation obstacles financial crunch faced by the autonomous institutions.
7. Systemic weakness where management do not support autonomy.
8. Apprahensions among teacher about salary and stability.
9. Apprahensions among students.
10. Insufficientpowers, inthe
rent or delegated to the heads of higher education institutions.
3.00-The merits and demerit of
autonomous ship and higher education:
The eight states of north eastern India is not
considered as a developing state in the field of education and other events. As
compare to that of India. there is a considerable change in the field of
education in last two centuries .the infrastructure of higher education institute
has been improved and two colleges has been affiliated with autonomous status
.but from the state statistical point of view it is not any satisfactory .
The establishment of professional
higher educational institution and the results can bring a certain positive
impact.
The name of the two autonomous collages of
north east is:
A. patkai Christian college,
demapur
B. North lakhimpur college
(estd: 1952)
3.01-Advantage of autonomous:
There is a significant necessity of
autonomous in higher education institute.
The
importance of autonomy cannot be underestimated in overall development of the institute .the autonomy
has succeed to start a revolution in educational institute which are incorporated with the IIT ,ITI engineering college, low college etc.
Many
educational institute have all ready got autonomous status in India and as
compare to the other institutional, they are able to sow extra ordinary results.
North east has able to gat benefit of autonomy
so lately .It is necessary to mention at the beginning that north eastern
region has only two such institution which doing their best in the field of
education though it is not sufficient enough to fulfil to meet the demand of
education in north east.
North
East is economically backward. The
infrastructure facility cannot be compare or complete with national level. Huge
amount of students has got the opportunities to study in this type of college
depending upon their quality &quantity.
FACILITIES ARE AS FOLLOWES:
A.
Owncurriculum.
B.
Well facility of
examination as well as recall.
C.
Feed back.
D.
Time specific and
professional curriculums are included.
E.
Administration
power well developed.
F.
A close
relationship between teachers & students.
G.
Development of
infrastructure.
H.
Development of teaching technique.
3.02-THE DISADVANTAGE OF AUTONOMY :
Every
action has an equal opposite reaction. There is disadvantage as well as
advantage in autonomy. But there is a provision of transforming the
disadvantages to advantage.
Autonomy
is succeed to bring a big change in higher education but this system is only
limited in the college and universities and other higher education this system should
be applied.
If
the Autonomy is given other high education institutes experimentally there will
be a possibility of big changed in education .head of the autonomous institute
is not an experienced or true man than there will be downfall to the
institute.
The
autonomous college must have ideal teachers so that other teacher follows their
ideology. Because this types of educational institute can be compared with
universities.
In
north eastern reason there is not so sufficient autonomous college, so the
students who have interest and quality are deprived from this.
However, the credit system, how it will be
applied in other institution is not confirm that how they accept them.
There
is a problem with autonomy that someone wants to blame it from the heavy load
of syllabus and also the syllabus is not clean enough for the students sostudents
are feeling many problems.
4.00-Following
are some suggestions to make Higher Education in the state more effective &
meaningful:
1. Up gradation
of government colleges, autonomous colleges, colleges with potential for
excellence &agreedaccredited colleges by NAAC, as Universities
2. Promotion of
relevant education by introducing vocational and skill-based courses is
essential.
3. Many students
as well as professionals leave the state in search of better opportunities
which leads to brain
Drain. This calls for an urgent effort to promote policy and institutional reforms in education for both Govt. & Private institutions to improve the quality and skills.
4. Grant of autonomy to select number of colleges based on their performance record to facilitate innovations And flexibility in the curriculum.
5. Government should encourage and permit to
set up more professional and technical institutions in the state. In this
aspect, Assam is lagging far behind rest of the country.
6. Insufficient funds and non-release of funds
on time are the problems being faced by the state universities. The state
government should provide sufficient financial assistance to those universities
and release the funds on time.
7. Development
of infrastructural and other facilities of existing institutions of higher
learning in order to improve the quality of teaching-learning process as also
enhance the intake capacity thereof.
4.00-FASILITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH THE STATUS OF AUTONOMY IN NORTH EAST INDIA:
A.
By launching
autonomy in the professional curriculum the student have gain knowledge which
make them eligible for their
establishments.
B.
North east India
rich in natural resource so if these resources are utilize scientifically .so
there is provisions for new courses which can be introduce in colleges.
C.
The social problems
subject related to education can de researched scientifically and crack solution in a well sequenced manner.
D.
Higher education
can provide high degree.
5.00-Some
welcome steps taken by the State Government/ UGC so far-
1. Cotton
College State University was set up in 2011 through an Act of the Assam
Government.
2. 4 year B.E/
B.Tech, M.Tech in campus courses introduced in Gauhati University in 2009.
3. North Lakhimpur College was granted the status of an autonomous college in 2013 by UGC. The college is The first in the state to attain this status.
4. In order to
make the state's curriculum compatible with the current job scenario, the State
Govt has announced. To introduce two
vocational subjects in all the existing colleges by providing 3 nos. of
sanctioned posts for eachsubject.
5. A special scheme was launched by the State Govt. in 2013 to set up digital classrooms and digital libraries In Universities and in about 200 colleges in phased manner. Under this scheme, digital lecture studios wouldBe developed in Gauhati and Dibrugarh University.
6. The State
Govt. has proposed to set up one agricultural college at Dhuburi district and
one engineering college in Barak valley.
5.01-As an example of autonomous
institute overall discussion on north Lakhimpur College:
North Lakhimpur College has
got the autonomy status in the year 2012. It is good news for the higher
education in Assam. It can be said that this college after receiving the status
have done well in last 2 years and going in a right successful direction. For
example 2 new courses are introduce this college like MA (ass, electronics) and
BPED
6.00-Conclusion:
Overall only the positive aspects of the
autonomy are reflected in our mind. We are confident that this two autonomous
higher education institute can bring a positive change and will play a big role
in education. This two institute has to try hard to return or upgrade their
status. We have to focus on developing the member of this autonomous college in
North East India. If its comes true then every instituted of higher education
work autonomously.
7.00-REFERENCES
[1] En.Wikipedia /wiki/Higher-education accessed on 18th May 2006
[2] Meek, V Lynn
(2000), Diversity and mercerisation of higher
Education: incompatible concepts? Higher Education Policy, 13 (2000), p-25 & 26
[3] GECD 2006, UNESCO institute of statistics.
[4] Watkins Kevin (2000), The Oxfam education report, Oxfam Publication
[5] Row tree Derek (1981), A Dictionary of Education
6. Chakravarty, Archana. History of Education in Assam.pp.78-84. Mitral Publication, Delhi, 1989
7. Singh, Meena. University News. pp. 21-23. Higher Education: Challenges in New Era. Sept.2012, Vol.50 (39). Association of Indian University. New Delhi
8. Singh, KP & Ahmed Shekel. University News. pp.1-5. Issues and Challenges in Higher Education. March 2011, Vol.49 (10). Association of Indian University. New Delhi.
9. Saikia, Apurba. College Teachers Association Journal. Pp.18-21. Collegiate Education of Assam at Crossroad. Vol. XXXII, 2008-09.AssamCollegeTeachersAssociation, Sholapur, Guwahati
10. Dey,Krishna. Assam College Teachers Association Journal. pp. 57-60. Quality of Higher Education and Rural Colleges of Assam. Vol. XXVII, 2002-03. Assam College Teachers Association, Guwahati
11.
http//www.online.assamgov.in/educationinassam
@Bhaskar Bhuyan, Research Scholar, Gauhati University
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