Last updated on 5th Aug. 2017
I came across this very interesting speech by Hon'ble HRD minister Prakash Javadekar at a national conference on higher education organized by a teachers union/orgn. on 29th July 2017. Javadekar talks in a free and frank manner about the problems in UGC AICTE academia, how he proposes to solve them, and about other plans and initiatives taken by his HRD ministry to improve higher education in India.
[UGC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Grants_Commission_(India), http://www.ugc.ac.in/ and AICTE, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_India_Council_for_Technical_Education, http://www.aicte-india.org/, are the leading Indian govt. run academic regulatory (and academic funding, at least in the past) bodies of India.]
I found that his speech had a lot of content which is hard to find from other sources. Further, as the top man of Indian higher education, he gets to know a lot about the reality of Indian UGC AICTE academia. So I felt that I should make a social media post having transcript of appropriate parts of his mostly Hindi speech and then translate that to English. This post can then serve as a source of easily available data on the Internet for anybody interested in these matters. It took a lot of time and effort for me to do this work but I think it is a worthwhile additional small contribution of mine to improve teaching quality in Indian UGC and AICTE administered academia.
Note that I have a blog on Indian Computer Science and Information Technology Academic Reform here: https://eklavyasai.blogspot.com/. A key academic paper of mine related to my study and suggestions in this regard, which I must say has not been published in any academic peer review publication, is, "Improve the Practice of Software Development in India by Having a Software Development Career Track in Indian CS & IT Academia": Abstract: https://arxiv.org/abs/1202.1715, Paper: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1202/1202.1715.pdf.
The transcript of most of the speech of Hon'ble HRD minister Javadekar given below covers the following (not in the same order):
- Attacks fake/pretence (pretense in USA English) research
- Demands good teaching and accountability from faculty; Student feedback will be one part of faculty accountability
- Announces plan to remove mandatory research (from API) for promotion of college faculty [Under graduate level teachers]
- Announces that research will continue to be mandatory for university faculty [Post graduate level teachers]
- Promises good rewards for good teachers
- UGC AICTE reform; Graded autonomy plan
- Good education system leads to country becoming rich and not the other way around
- Sustainable prosperity-hood for the country comes through innovations; Universities should become temples of innovation
- SWAYAM free online higher education with exams & certification; available via DTH TV (offline) too
- Details of how genuine research and innovation are encouraged by HRD ministry
- Permission given to students to form startup companies in hostel rooms; 600 such startups formed
- Over 500 engineering colleges closed in past four years due to students rejecting them; students see placement record and do peer review of colleges
- National Ranking Framework; 40,000 colleges today; Only good colleges will survive
Ravi: I wholeheartedly support Hon'ble HRD minister Javadekar's proposed plan to remove mandatory research component from promotion criteria of college faculty [under graduate teachers] so that college faculty can focus on improved teaching and therefore better learning outcome for students. But I do have some concerns about problems of poor teaching in post graduate level in university departments not being addressed by his proposed change.
The video of the speech which was used to make this transcript is: Speech of HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar at National Conference on Higher Education on 29-07-2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U2BjZ1oQ9o, 30 min. 40 secs.
Given below is a screenshot from above youtube video.
Note that the event is a conference on Higher Education organized by Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) which seems to be a teachers' union and/or organization.
From its about us webpage,
http://www.abrsm.in/about-us.htm :
Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) is an organisation imbued with Indianness with an aim to propagate the ideology of Cultural Nationalism in the field of education and society. Along with safeguarding teachers' interests including their salary, allowances, service conditions and other facilities, the Mahasangh keeps in mind its national objectives, plans and executes the programmes of social concern and educational upgradation.
Accordingly, Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh comprising the range from Pre-Primary to University level teachers throbbing with the sense of Nationality and Indian philosphy was founded in 1988. Now Mahasangh is a country wide organisation. Presently, 35 State level organisations and more than 50 University level organisations spread over 24 States are affiliated to it.
--- end short extract from About Us webpage of ABRSM ---
Ravi: It seems to me that this teachers' union/orgn. is directly/indirectly affiliated with the political party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and so the minister who is from the ruling BJP party seems to view this teachers' union/orgn. as a kindred union/orgn.
Given below is my attempt at English rendering of the transcript of most of the speech (but not all of it) by HRD minister Javadekar. Note that my English rendering may have a few errors but not many. My Hindi knowledge is reasonable but not excellent. This English rendering is followed by the transcript of the original Hindi (in English, or rather Latin, script) with little parts in English, that he spoke in.
English rendering of most of speech of Hon'ble HRD Minister Shri Javadekar
From 0:00
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This organization
[Ravi: referring to the teachers union and/or orgn. that organized the conference] is one that works for the nation. And therefore I remember Dattopantji. Dattopant put the biggest idea (ideal) of
[Ravi: workers'/trade] unions in this country. Dattopantji said, "We will work for the nation. And take full wages for the work." This one slogan itself creates a separate identity for us. To take the full wages for the work, we will stop work - this is what others say. Dattopantji taught us that we will work for the nation and we will take full wages for the work.
So this full wages have to be taken. And I am the education minister. I will say this that you too will get full wages - 7th recommendation
[Ravi: This seems to be a reference to the 7th pay commission recommendation which if implemented for govt. teachers would result in increase of salary & allowances]. [Applause]
...
Around 6:15
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When I got involved in the discussions about API
[Ravi: Academic Performance Indicators which seems to play a key role in determining promotion for Indian academics in UGC/AICTE regulated educational institutions] - then I always go in detail. But the opposition to accountability from some organizations - in their remarks it was seeming that some professors/senior faculty were opposing accountability. Well, 16 lectures have to be given
[Ravi: I think that refers to standard UGC norms for per week teaching load of faculty]. So what account are we asking? Well, how many lectures were done, how many tutorials were done, how much time was spent in student activity. They do not want to give even this. And I find this difference in you that how should a new system of accountability be, (you said) we will give you an initial form (draft). What initial form (draft) you give, we will welcome it - this is what I would like to tell you. [Applause]. As this is what partnership is.
From around 7:05
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One cannot say that we are not accountable. You can suggest that what accountability framework UGC has drafted is not correct in this respect and therefore the correct system should be like this.
And therefore today I would like to declare ... When I studied (the matter) it came to my attention that research being made compulsory for college teachers ... What happened after making research compulsory (for college teachers)? Research got finished! And UGC (research) magazines (count) become 13,000. So (they) came with that list to me. And many colleges took their annual magazine, made it a quarterly and added it to the research list. I said the list is so much, is there Champak
[Ravi: A children's stories magazine, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champak] and related magazines (in it too)? [Laughter]
But I always hate hypocrisy/pretence and I do not want to live in hypocrisy/pretence. College faculty and university faculty are two different categories. They are two different jobs. There are two different expectations. In one you teach post graduates and in the other you teach (under) graduates. And therefore college faculty should have the primary responsibility of teaching well. That is the accountability. [Applause]
And the accountability will be that (you) teach well. And I am going to start a new procedure. I am
[Ravi: with emphasis on am] going to start students' feedback mechanism. [Applause]
As accountability is not one sided. You said two sided. So I am doing it as three sided. So we will take student feedback too. But teach well - this is your primary responsibility. We will not put the burden of research being made compulsory on your forehead. We will say that it is your choice. You will have to surely do one student activity or one community activity. So your teaching + community is what will assure you promotion.
I will be bringing this change to API and we will declare this change in a short time. ... And from this platform of ABRS
[Ravi: Acronym of union/orgn. that has organized the conference] I am declaring for the first time that we will make this change in API which will remove pretence/hypocrisy and college teachers/faculty will have teaching well and doing one student activity or community activity as their primary task(s).
And research will be compulsory for university teachers/faculty. And for those college teachers/faculty who have a proclivity/inclination for research, we will not finish their choice to do research. But that will be a choice. It will not be mandatory. Otherwise research becomes a joke. We should not allow that to happen. So this we will do.
...
Around 12 min 19 secs.
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The ad-hoc teacher matter in Delhi is amazing. In all other universities ad-hoc teachers comprise ten to fifteen percent. In Delhi ad-hoc teachers particularly are the main force. Nine thousand ad-hoc teachers! I said we will stop this. We will make regular appointments. And this year I am behind that matter every month. In one year we will finish the whole process of regular appointment - I would like to say this too. [Applause].
In that those who are good ad-hoc ... There will be competition.
Around 13 min:
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Competition should never be opposed. See, whatever you may say about politics, every five years we have to compete to come (back to power). We do not come for free. [Laughter] In our place/profession
[Ravi: minister seems to refer to politics profession] we do not have assured career promotion. Therefore you should not oppose competition on ... But you are experienced. As you have taught for eight to ten years, naturally you will become permanent. You will get selected into permanent (category). Some may not become (permanent). This rule is also there.
Sometimes I think about this hire and fire (management approach) - I go to those countries. There nobody fires anybody actually.
[Ravi: I wonder whether he referred to Western world academia only as in regular companies, hire and fire does happen. Perhaps it happens in Western world academia as well but that was not noticed by the minister.] Where there is hire and fire, there nobody fires anybody because every year there is a review. The fear of being fired leads to everybody being active. And everybody is on their toes. And everybody makes improvement in themselves. There is improvement in the country only because of these (attitudes/actions).
So sometimes to understand systems we need to open the doors of our minds. And therefore the government took the decision on it ...
As we are senior faculty/professors what study should we do? Do the study and let me know. What has happened in those countries which follow hire and fire (policies)? What were the good and bad results? Let somebody study and let us know.
To achieve quality in education, quality in higher education, the government has, as per Modiji's vision, started some remedial actions. I would like to only make a small mention about it.
Gargji said that in UGC reform - essentially he was saying that the rules/regulations of UGC have become very old. ... I told the officers. I am prepared to close down UGC. But we will need some administrative system. So what (will be) that administrative system? So what should be the reforms for UGC and AICTE? Have discussions on each rule/regulation and give me suggestions. Those suggestions are welcome. I would like to say that. [Applause] As we want to increase ... count.
And we have made one direction definite. That UGC and AICTE reform will be now graded autonomy. What is the meaning of graded autonomy? Those colleges which will go up in quality will get complete autonomy. Yesterday only, in the Lok Sabha
[Ravi: Indian lower house of Parliament], unanimously
[Ravi: supported by all members/parties], the IIM
[Ravi: Indian Institute of Management, the premier management institutes of India funded by the govt.] bill was passed. This is a historic bill. This is a bill which gives complete autonomy to IIM. The government has no (role) in it. There is no need for (them) to go to the government everytime. This is the primary mantra of autonomy. This is how education evolves/grows.
The specialty of education in foreign countries, advanced countries is that countries have advanced only through progress in education (system). Like they say about roads that one day a team of representatives of India went and met America's president and told him sir, ... as you are wealthy your roads are good. Then the president said, no, no. It is because our roads are good that we have become rich/wealthy. Do understand this. So it is not that that country is rich and so its education (system) is good. The education (system) is good and so they have become rich. This is the truth.
And so if our education (system) is to be good then autonomy is the life force of UGC reform. And we will surely achieve UGC AICTE reform! And autonomy will be given to (good quality) institutions. Medium quality
[Ravi: literal words used were less quality] institutions will get 50-50 (autonomy). And even lesser quality institutions that are at C level they will have regulations like (it is) today. But even in other regulations we need to do lot of improvement. Give those (to me/us). Taking each regulation - there are thousands of regulations - the UGC and AICTE system was like this that (the regulation) came in the dream in the night, the circular was put out in the morning and it got implemented the next day! I said this will not happen. First we will discuss. We will keep fifteen days for each ... for stakeholder consultation. ... We are opening the doors of online education. So to maintain the quality of online education we have made draft rules. We have kept those rules in front of you.
In future days any circulars about big changes in UGC AICTE will first have consultation (with) stakeholder(s) and then it will be given its final form. And if they are of (..) impact/effect then they will be implemented only next year. In mid way (we) will not change the goal post. This is also a definite rule of ours.
So we are proceeding with this reasoning and we need your co-operation.
Around 18 min 12 secs:
------------------------
We are doing one thing. There are two or three initiatives (in this regard) by Modi government. Research and innovation. Because we lack in innovation. India lacks in innovation. And I have umpteen times said, that there are only three four ways to get country richer. And what are these. The one model which was adopted by Europe - Portuguese, Dutch, French, British - they conquered the world and looted the colonies - colonized the world and looted the colonies. And they became rich. But that's not a good way and now not available also. So that is one.
Second is the nature's bounty which the Middle East has. Wherever you dig you get oil .. That's a natural (resource) but that you can't demand. What you have, you have.
The third is India and China's way of last thirty years, of reverse engineering and cost-competitiveness on the basis of - essentially on the backdrop of - ah - low wages. We have achieved cost competitiveness and therefore we have dominated in exports, in world markets and .. China majorly and India to an extent, became rich with this kind of thing. But that's not a sustainable prosperity-hood.
The sustainable prosperity-hood comes through innovations. And therefore higher education centres must become - universities must become - temples of innovation. They must become centres of research (and innovation). If they are not - then if PhD students are applying for sweeper's job that means we have not taught anything. See, world over PhD is something addition to the existing knowledge.
We have made PhD so thin/shallow/superficial that any new interpretation through the existing knowledge is also PhD. It is not as if people are doing PhD for doing PhD
[Ravi: I think it means: 'It is not as if people are doing PhD out of desire to do genuine research which is what should be done for a proper PhD.] In our place/orgn./area we had a director. He had/owned very big educational institutions. He did a PhD. So we asked, how did you do PhD? I asked, in which subject/topic did you do PhD? So he asked (his) P.A., Hey, what subject/topic was that? [Laughter]
So this is not (full) quality education.
And therefore we started two three initiatives/experiments. We initiated/experimented with GIAN.
[Ravi: I think this is what the minister is referring to: "Global Initiative of Academic Networks", http://mhrd.gov.in/gian, http://www.gian.iitkgp.ac.in/.] In the previous year 600 senior faculty/professors from 58 countries came to India. They stayed for two to three weeks. They conducted a course in their subject. This year 800 senior faculty/professors will come. They will come from 70 countries. And (when) good senior faculty/professors come then our faculty/teachers also interact face-to-face with them. Our students also get knowledge
[Ravi: The Hindi word used is gian, also written as gyan, which means knowledge; so there is a pun here involving the acronym GIAN mentioned above.] And we record all that, which we are also converting into SWAYAM courses.
[Ravi: The minister seems to be referring to the HRD ministry/govt's free online learning portal SWAYAM: https://swayam.gov.in/.] So they will come as SWAYAM courses too.
A few days ago I had taken up a new initiative. Our national (chief) economic advisor, Prof. Arvind Subramanian - he has taught in John Hopkins and Harvard and best of the best - world's best universities.
[Ravi: The minister seems to be referring to Mr. Arvind Subrmanian, Chief Economic Advisor to Indian govt. now, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvind_Subramanian. Subramanian is a world famous economics expert. But he does not seem to be a regular academic professor. However, the wiki page mentions him teaching at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government from 1999 to 2000 and at Johns Hopkins' School for Advanced International Studies from 2008 to 2010. end-Ravi].
We are not utilizing the professor. I said you are professor. Give me one week. And he gave. And he conducted a course on contemporary .. issues of Indian economy and Indian economic survey. As we are giving our economic survey in a new way in the past three years. So he conducted a course on it and we appealed to senior faculty/professors across the country that those who want to attend the course to please register (for it). We called the first 200 senior faculty/professors who registered. Senior faculty/professors who teach economics came from Andaman
[Ravi: A remote island part of the country] to all other parts of the country. And in front of them he gave thirty three lectures. Five lectures everyday. He conducted the course in 7 days. (That will now be available in SWAYAM).
Around 22:30
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This year, there have been 1.5 lakh
[Ravi: one lakh is one hundred thousand] registrations in SWAYAM. Our portal has become so popular. And there are over four hundred new courses available on it now. So we are quickly progressing on this new kind of platform of SWAYAM. This is (available) online as well as offline.
I am saying this so that you know who your competition is going to be from. I am also going to tell you that otherwise even if AC
[Ravi: Air Conditioner] is fitted in classrooms, students will not sit (in those classrooms). Then they will study there (in SWAYAM). That is free. Because there will be two thousand courses there. It will be free. (There) will be lectures. (There) will be material. (There) will be tutorials. By the best of the best professors. (There) will be interactions. (There) will be discussion forums. Mid-term exams will be (there). Exams will be (there). Certification will be (there). These students will get choice based credit. And other learning (will be) made forever - If I
[Ravi: I think the minister is referring to himself] want to learn something I can do so. I will get a certificate. So this system is new and it is online as well as offline on 32 DTH TV channels. As for this online is not required. For that
[Ravi: DTH TV] only a set top box for free DISH has to be taken
[Ravi: I think the minister is referring to free Satellite TV/DISH TV services provided by Govt. of India for which a suitable set top box has to be procured/bought.] For that, you spend 1300 Rupees once and you will get it permanently. (And people will learn this). We also can use this technology and these courses to - if you also teach the same (subject) then if I am the teacher I will say that students, listen to this lecture and come. We will run the class in a (flip) class model. We will do discussion here.
...
Around 25:27
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There is a project "Ucchta Aavishkaar". In this Ucchta Aavishkaar project there is interaction between industry and academia. Hundred proposals - customized requests by industries have been offered and IITs teams of faculties and students together working on those hundred ideas. .. They will come out with the solutions. That is what higher education is all about.
Along with that we have created a program of IMPRINT.
[Ravi: I think the minister is referring to this: http://imprint-india.org/. IMPRINT acronym seems to come from the term: IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology.] In IMPRINT, we called for research proposals from all professors, all professionals, all students and we received more than 1500 proposals in ten domain sectors and we finalized 200 proposals and we are funding 600 crore Rupees
[Ravi: 1 crore is 10 million] for these 200 projects. Many things are on and now, they are into that research mode. That is what constructive engagement is all about.
I am not agreeable to
[Ravi: research done] only for your API score. But those who on their own
[Ravi: initiative and interest] do research, for them certainly they must get something
[Ravi: some reward].
This is what takes the country forward. If this is not there then what will we do? We gave permission to begin startup in hostel rooms
[Ravi: I think the minister is referring to startup companies being formed in student hostels]. And I am happy that the young students of India have the power of ideas and those students who are rich/gifted
[Ravi: not money-rich but idea-rich] with those ideas have started 600 startups from (their) hostel rooms. This is a powerful initiative. This higher education is going there.
Are we also with that or what are we doing?
Along with this we have also started incubation centers. And we now have three final initiatives - we created NRF - National Ranking Framework. Two years have passed. In the third year it will become perfect. The entire design.
But why NRF - good people - all people have started giving (it) - that our number in national ranking is this. So please come to our college. This is what should happen. That is the healthy competition. See, now without (good) quality, colleges will not run/survive - this I want to tell you today itself. And students will close it. Government will not close it. In the past five years, 500 engineering colleges in the country closed down. 500 - in four years
[Ravi: In the audio, somebody seems to have said something to the minister leading to him changing his words slightly]. Over 500 colleges closed down. Who closed them? Students did! Students go to - they are now informed technically. They go to the website. They see the placement record. They go to the peer review. Do peer review. And ask those students, past students, alumni, how the college is? And if they don't get good report, they don't take admissions.
500 colleges closed! If some government had done that, by now we would have a (people's) movement against it. But students closed it. So what can (we) do? They
[Ravi: seems to refer to engineering colleges] ask us for permission to close. We are giving that liberally - (we say) GO CLOSE DOWN (the college)! [Laughter]
As it is by this that quality (...). 40,000 colleges are there. Our idea/thinking is that maximum number of colleges should be good. And for this NRF is being used. NAAC ranking is being used. Now all of the facilities - grants, everything will be linked to the quality of the institute.
And then about many famous good colleges that are there, I have an experience about them too. That experience is this that these colleges are good because only good students come there. Therefore they are good. What has changed from your endeavour/efforts? This is what I want to see. And the system that I will create - you must have understood this much that I do understand something! [Laughter] So I will get to the entire details of this (in the system I create)
[Ravi: Literally the minister said he will prepare the entire horoscope of this, which figuratively means that he will get to the entire details in the new system he creates.] [Applause].
What is the endeavour/effort of the college? What have you (done) to bring improvement, to develop the splendour and the potential of the student, what are the efforts/endeavour of the college? This (is what) we will see.
And this way we are creating a new construct. Lastly, we have started higher education finance agency. This is a new initiative. Why is India behind? Because .. Why do the best of the best 500 students of the country go abroad? They go because there (foreign countries) they have the best laboratories which are not there (available) here. We want to create best labs here. And for that in the coming three years, through the higher education finance agency, we will make an investment of twenty thousand crores
[Ravi: 1 crore is 10 million. So 20,000 crores becomes 200,000 million which is 200 billion (Rupees)] in this field. So that with this the research infrastructure becomes strong.
Higher education finance agency has started (work). Next .. month the first loan will be disbursed (by it) for which there is no interest. It is (non-profit) in a way. But the habit that has formed about (asking for) grant for every thing, I want to (somewhat) get out of that too. Many improvements have to be made. People like you are there, are (there as) companions and so my enthusiasm increases further. You have many discussions over these two days and give a lot of suggestions
[Ravi: The event where the speech was made seems to be a two day national conference on higher education.] Your suggestions are welcome.
Thank you very much. Victory to India
[Ravi: I have translated Hind as India]! [Applause]
---- end English rendering of most of HRD minister Javadekar's speech ----
Transcript of most of speech of Hon'ble HRD Minister Shri Javadekar
Given below is a transcript of most of the speech (but not all) by HRD minister Javadekar in the original Hindi with little parts in English that he spoke in. Words that are in parentheses are typically words that I am not sure I got correctly while listening to the speech:
From 0:00
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Yeh desh ke liye kaam karne wala sanghatan hai. Aur isliye mujhe (Dattopantji) ki yaad aati hai. (Dattopant) is desh mein unionbaaji mein sabse bada vichaar rakha. Aur (Dattopantji) ne kaha ki desh ke liye karenge kaam aur kaam ka lenge pura daam. Ye ek naara hi hamari alag pehchan batanewala naara hai. Kaam ka daam pura lene ke liye kaam rookenge aisa baaki log kehte hain. Aur Dattopantji ne hame sikhaaya ki desh ke liye karenge kaam aur kaam ka lenge pura daam.
To ye pura daam lena hai. Aur mai to shiksha mantri hun. Main toh yehi kahunga ke aapko bhi jaldi pura daam milne wala hain saathwa recommendation. [Applause]
...
Around 6:15
-----------
Mujhe jab API ki charcha hui tab mai detail mein hamesha jata hun. Lekin mujhe accountability ka virodh kuch sanghatanoa ke - unke kathan me ye lagne laga ki kayin pradhyaapak accountability ki virodh kar rahein hai. Bhai solaah lecture karne hain. To hum kya hisaab maang rahe hain. Bhai lecture kitne kiye, tutorial kitne kiye, student activity mein kitna samay diya. Woh dene ko bhi mana kar raha hain. Aur aapme mujhe farak ye hi hain ki aapne kaha ki accountability ek nayi vyavastha kaise hon, iska ek prarup bana kar hum denge. Aap jo denge prarup hum iska swagat karenge yeh main aapko kehna chahta hun. [Applause] Kyunki yahi to partnership hai.
From around 7:05
----------------
One cannot say that we .. are not accountable. You can suggest that what accountability framework UGC has drafted is not correct in this respect and therefore the correct system should be like this.
Aur isliye main aaj yein khulasa bhi karna chahata hun.. Maine adhyayan jab kiya to mujhe dhyan aaya ki college ke adhyapakon ko research ka compulsory promotion ke liye ... Research compulsory karne se kya ho gaya? Research khatam ho gaya. Aur terah hajaar UGC ke magazine ho gayen. Toh woh list leke aayen mere paas. Terah hajaar magazine ko hamne .. Ab anek collegenon ne toh apna joh annual magazine nikaltha hai woh quarterly karke usko bhi research magazine list mein dal diya. Maina kaha itni list hain isme champak vagarah hain ki nahi. [Laughter]
Lekin main paakhand se hamesha nafrat karta hun aur paakhand mein jina nahi chahata. College ka adhyaapak aur university ka adhyaapak do alog sreni hain. Do alag kaam hain. Do alag apekshayein hain. Jahan post graduate ko padha rahein hon aur jahaan under graduate ko padha rahein ho. Aur isliye college ke adhyapak ko multa accha padhane ki jimmedaari honi chahiyein. That is the accountability. [Applause]
Aur woh agar accountability hogi ki accha padhaon. Aur main ek nayi paddhati shuru karne wala hun. Main students ka feekback ki mechanism shuru karne wala hunnn! [Applause]
Kyunki accountability ek tarfa nahi hoti hain. Aapne kaha do tarfa. To main teen tarfa kar raha hun. Toh student feedback bhi lenge. Lekin achha padhaon yeh aapki mukhya jimmedaari hain. Research ka boj mathe par hum compulsory nahi karenge. Hum kahenge ki choice hain aapka. Ek student activity ya ek community activity aapko nischit karni padegi. So your teaching + community is what will assure you promotion.
Yeh API mein mai badlaav laane wala hun aur yeh badlaav jaldihi ghoshith karenge. ... Aur ye main aaj ABRS ke manch sehi pehli dafa yeh ghoshna kar raha hun ki yeh API mein hum badlaav karenge ki jisme paakhand hat jayega aur college ke adhyapakon ko achha padhana aur ek student activity ya community activity ek karna, yeh unka muul mudda rahega.
Aur university adhyapakon ke liye research compulsory. Aur jo college ke adhyaapakon ko jisme research ki pravritti hain woh research karne ka choice unka khatam nahi karenge. But that will be a choice. It will not be mandatory. To phir majaak ban jata hain research ka. Woh nahi banne dena hain. To ye hum karenge.
...
Around 12 min 19 secs.
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Delhi mein ad-hoc teacher ka to kamaal ho gaya. Baki sabhi vishwa vidyalayon mein das percent maximum pandrah percent ad-hoc teachers hote hain. Delhi mein ad-hoc teacher hi mukhya praan hain. Nau hajaar ad-hoc teacher! Maine kaha yeh bandh karenge. Regular appointments karenge. Aur is saal main har mahine uske peeche pada hun. Ek saal mein puri ki puri regular appointment ki prakriya puri karenge yeh bhi main kehna chahata hun. [Applause].
Usme jo acche ad-hoc hain. Competition hogi.
Around 13 min:
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Competition ke liye kabhi mana nahi karna chahiye. Dekho raajniti ka kuch bhi kaho, har paanch saal mein hame competition karke hi aana padta hain. Aise free mein nahi aate. [Laughter] Assured career promotion nahi hota hain hamare yahaan. To isliye ... ka ek competition dena ke liye kabhi mana nahi karna. Aap lekin anubhavi hon. Aath das saal padhaaya hain to aap naturally permanent ho jawoge. Permanent mein select ho jawoge. Kuch nahi bhi honge. To Yeh bhi niyam hain.
Kabhi kabhi main sochta hun. Yeh hire and fire hain na, un deshon mein main jaata hun. Wahan koi kisi ko fire nahi karta. Actually. Hire and fire jahan hain, wahan koi kisi ko fire nahi karta kyonki fire hone ki ashanka mein hi - kyonki har saal review hota hain - fire hone ki ashanka mein har koi chusth rehta hain. Aur har koi toes par rehta hain. Aur har koi khud mein improvement karta hain. Isise toh desh ki improvement hoti hain.
Toh kabhi kabhi systems ko hamein samajne ke liye bhi apni man ke darwarje ko kholna chahiye. Aur isiliye uska nirnay bhi sarkar ne liya .. Nahi toh wah ...
Hum pradhyaapak hain isliye, kya adhyayan karna chahiye .. Kare adhyayan, mujhe bataon. Jahan jahan hire and fire hain wahan kya kya hua hai un deshon mein. Ache bure parinaam kya hue? Koi adhyayan karke hame bata de.
... Humko quality education, higher education, quality banane ke liye kitne upaay, sarkar ne, Modiji ki vision shuru kiye hain. Uska keval ullekh karna chahunga thoda thoda.
Gargji ne bataya ki UGC ke reform mein - multa woh keh rahe the ki UGC ke niyam bahut purane ho gaye. .. Maine toh adhikaariyon ko kaha. Main toh UGC ko bandh kar dun. Lekin kuch toh vyavastha lagegi na. Toh kya woh vyavastha? Toh UGC aur AICTE ke reforms kya ho? Ek ek niyam par aap charcha karo aur mujhe sujaav do. Un sujaavon ka swagat hain. Yeh main kehna chahatan hun. [Applause] Kyunki hamein .. sankhya badani hain.
Aur ham ek disha nischit tay kiya hai. Ki UGC aur ACITE ka reform will be now graded autonomy. Graded autonomy ka matlab hai. Jo college quality mein upar jayenge unko puri swaayaththatha milegi. Kal hi Lok Sabha mein ek raay se, IIM ka bill pass kiya hai. Yeh ek aitihaasik bill hai. IIM ko puri swaayaththatha dene wala yeh bill hai. Kuch bhi sarkar ka nahi hai usme. Har baar sarkar ke paas jaane ki jarurat hi nahi. Ye to swaayaththatha ka mul mantra hai. Shiksha aise hi vikasit hoti hai.
Videshon mein shiksha ka visheshta jahan advanced countries ka shiksha ka vikaas sehi desh advance hue hai. Jaise woh road keh bare mein kehte hai na - ke ek din Bharat ka pratinidhi mandal gaya America ke Rashtrapati ko mila aur unhone kaha ki sir .. Aap ameer hai isliye aapke road achche hain. Toh (adhyakshji) ne kaha ki nahi nahi, hamare road achche hain isliye hum ameer hue hai. Yeh samaj lo. Waise woh desh ameer hai isliye unki shiksha achi hai ye nahi hai. Shiksha achchi hain isliyein woh ameer hue hai yeh sachchaayi hai.
Aur isliye hamari bhi shiksha agar achchi honi hai to swaayaththatha hi praan hai UGC reform ka. Aur UGC AICTE ka reform hum karke rahenge. Aur swaayaththatha (guni?) sansthano ko milegi. Aur kum gunwale ko 50-50 milegi. Aur usse bhi kam C level peh honge unko aaj jaisa regulation rahega. Lekin baaki bhi regulation mein bahut sudhaar karne hain. Woh deh dijiye. Koi ek ek niyam leke - hajaaron niyam hain - aisa tha UGC aur ACITE ka aisa .. system tha ki raat ke sapne mein aaya, subha circular nikla, kal se amal hua. Maine kaha yeh nahi hoga. Pehle charcha karenge. Stakeholders ke consultation ke liye pandrah din har .. rakhenge. Aur (wohi unke) sujaav hamne rakhe the. Abhi online bhi sujaav .. jo online hamne rakhein hain. Website pe. Toh online education ke hum darwaje khol rahe hain. Toh online ki gunvaththa ko kaise barkaraar rakhenge ispe hamne draft rules kiyen hai. Woh rules hum aap ke samne rakhe hai.
Aisa aane wale dinon mein UGC AICTE ke koi bhi bade parivartan ke circulars honge woh pehle consultation bhi hoga stakeholder, aur uske baad usko antim rup diya jayega. Aur woh agar (..) parinaam ke hai toh woh agle saal se lagu honge. Beech mein - mid way - goal post change nahi karenge. Ye bhi hamara ek nischit (rup?) hai.
To is tark se hum aage ja rahein hai aur aapka hamein sahbhaag chahiye
Around 18 min 12 secs:
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Ek ham kar rehein hain. Ek - Do teen badi pehel ki hain Modi sarkar ne. Research aur innovation. Because we lack in innovation. India lacks in innovation. And I have umpteen times said, that there are only three four ways to get country richer. And what are these. The one model which was adopted by Europe - Portuguese, Dutch, French, British - they conquered the world and looted the colonies - colonized the world and looted the colonies. And they became rich. But that's not a good way and now not available also. So that is one.
Second is the nature's bounty which the Middle East has. Kahin bhi khodo to tel mil raha hain. .. That's a natural (resource) but that you can't demand. What you have, you have.
The third is the India and China's way of last thirty years, of reverse engineering and cost-competitiveness on the basis of - essentially on the backdrop of - ah - low wages. We have achieved cost competitiveness and therefore we have dominated in exports, in world markets and .. China majorly and India to an extent, became rich with this kind of thing. But that's not a sustainable prosperity-hood.
The sustainable prosperity-hood comes through innovations. And therefore higher education centres must become - universities must become - temples of innovation. Woh shod aur anusandhan ke kendra banne chahiye. Agar nahi hain to PhD students if they are applying for sweeper's job that means we have not taught anything. See, world over PhD is something addition to the existing knowledge.
Hamne PhD itna patla kar diya ki any new interpretation through the existing knowledge is also PhD. Yadi PhD karne ke liye PhD karo aisa nahin. Hamare yahan ek director the. Unka bahut bade shikshan sansthan hain. Unhone PhD ki. To hamne kahan aapne kaise PhD kiye? Kounsi vishay mein kiye, maina pucha. Ton unhone P.A. ko pucha, kounsa vishay tha re? [Laughter]
Toh yeh nahi hain gunvattha purna shiksha.
Aur iskeliye hamne teen chaar naye prayog shuru kiye. (GIAN) ka prayog kiya. Pechle saal mein atthavan deshon se chehsau praadhyaapak Bharat mein aaye, do ya teen saptah rahen. Apne vishay ka ek course unhone conduct kiya. Is saal aathsau adhyaapak aayenge. Satthar deshon se aayenge. Aur achche achche adhyaapak aate hai toh hamare adhyaapakon se bhi unki rubaru hoti hai. Hamare students ko bhi milta hai gyan aur woh sabh hum record karte hain jo SWAYAM mein bhi courses mein convert kar rahein hai abhi. Toh SWAYAM ke courses mein bhi aayenge woh.
Parsu toh maine ek nayi pehal hamne ki. Hamare aarthik (salahadaar) desh ke Prof. Arvind Subramanyam. He has taught in John Hopkins and Harvard and best of the best - world's best universities. We are not utilizing the professor. I said you are professor. Give me one week. And he gave. And he conducted a course on contemporary .. issues of Indian economy and Indian economic survey. Kyonki ek naye tarike seh hum economic survey de rahein hai pechle teen saal se. To us par unhone conduct kiya course aur desh bhar se hamne praadhyaapakon ko appeal kiya ki jinko is course ko attend karna hai woh apna register karein. Jo pehle do sau praadhyaapakon ne diya, unko hamne bula diya. Andaman se lekar desh ke sabhi hisson se praadhyaapak aaye jo economics padhaate hain. Aur unke saamne unhone taitees lectures diye. Roj paanch. Saath din mein course conduct kiya. (Woh abh SWAYAM pe uplabdh rahega.)
Around 22:30
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Is saal SWAYAM ke courses ko ded laakh abhi registration hua hain. Itna popular ho gaya hamara portal. Aur naye naye char sau se jyaada courses ab uplabdh hain (uspe). To yeh jaldi hum tarakki kar rehen hain ek naya prakaar ka SWAYAM ka platform hain. Yeh online bhi hain, offline bhi hain.
Main yeh isliye bata rahan hun ki aapki competition kinse hain yeh hame samajna chahiye. Nahi toh student AC lagakar bhi class mein nahi baithenge yeh main aapko batane wala hun. Toh phir woh waha sekhenge. Woh free hain. Kyonki wahan do hajaar courses honge. Free hoga. Lecture hoga. Material hoga. Tutorial hoga. By the best of the best professors. Interactions hogi. Discussion forum hoga. Mid-term exam hogi. Exam hogi. Certification hoga. In studentko choice based credit bhi milega. Aur baki learning for ever karne wale -. Mujhe agar kuch seekhna hain to main (seekhu). Mujhe certificate milega. Toh yeh vyavastha nayi hain aor woh online bhi hain aur TV ke battees DTH channel par offline bhi hain. Kyonki uske liye to online nahi lagta. Woh toh ek keval set top box free DISH ka lena hai. Woh terahsau rupya ek baar kharcha karo to aapko permanently milega. (Aur log ye sekhenge). Hamhe bhi en technology ka es courses ka upyog karke - aap bhi agar wohi padhate hon to mai agar teacher hun toh main kahunga ki students yeh lecture sun ke aao, hum (flip) class model mey chalayenge. Yahan discussion karenge.
...
Around 25:27
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Ek Ucchta Aavishkaar yojana hain. Ucchta Aavishkaar yojana mein industry academy interaction hain. Hundred proposals - customized requests by industries have been offered and IITs teams of faculties and students together working on those hundred ideas. .. They will come out with the solutions. That is what higher education is all about.
Uske saath saath humne imprint ek karekram shuru kiya hain. Imprint mein, we called for research proposals from all professors, all professionals, all students and we received more than 1500 proposals in ten domain sectors and we finalized 200 proposals and we are funding 600 crore Rupees [1 crore is 10 million] for these 200 projects. Many things are on and now they are into that research mode. That is what (is) constructive engagement is all about.
Mujhe woh score ke liye aapke keval API karna manjoor nahi hain lekin khud hoke jo research karega usko to kuch na kuch to nischit milna chahiye.
Yahi desh aage karta hain. Agar yeh nahi hoga to hum kya karenge. Hamne startup permission diya hostel room se shuru karneka. Aur mujhe khushi hain Bharat ke navjawan chaatraon ke paas power of idea hain aur us idea ke dhani hone wale acche chatron ne 600 startup hostel room se shuru kar diye. Ye ek jabardast pehal hain. Jabardast safalta hain. Yeh ucchya shiksha wahan jaa rahi hain.
Kya hum bhi uske saath hain ya hum kya kar rahein hain?
Iske saath saath humne incubation center bhi shuru kiye hain aur abhi teen final pehal hain ki NRF - National Ranking Framework kiya. Do saal hue. Ab teesre saal meh woh perfect ho jayega. Sara design.
Lekin NRF kyon - achche log - Abhi sabhi log dene lage. Ki hamara national ranking me itna number hain. Toh hamare college mein aaiyen. Yehi hona chahiye. That is the healthy competition. Dekho ab bigar gunavatta ke college nahi chalenge yeh main aajhi batana chahta hun. Aur students bandh karenge. Sarkar nahi band karegi. Pechle paanch saal mein paanch sau engineering college bandh hue desh ke. Paanch sau - chaar saal mein. Paanch sau se jyada bandh hue. Kisne kiya bandh? Students ne! Students go to - they are now informed technically. They go to the website. They see the placement record. They go to the peer review. Do peer review. And ask those students, past students, alumni, how the college is? And if they don't get good report, they don't take admissions.
500 colleges closed! Agar kisi sarkar ne kiye hote to ab tak andolan khada hua hota. Lekin students ne bandh kiye. To kya karein? Woh hamein mangtein hain, hame closure karneki permission do. Hum (udaar haste) dein rahein hain. Ki JAAO CLOSE KARO. [Laughter]
Kyunki isise gunvattha (...). Chaalis hajaar college hain. Jyada se jyada college acche hon yeh hamari kalpana hain. Aur iske liyein NRF ka upyoog hon raha hain. NAAC ranking ka upyoog ho raha hain. Ab saari .. saari ki saari sahulate - grant, everything will be linked to the quality of the institute. Aur mujhe jo bahut bade bade acche colleges hotein hain na, uska bhi mera ek anubhav hain. Woh anubhav yeh hain ki ye college isliye acche hain ki wahan acche studenthi aatein hain. Isiliye woh acche hain.
Aapke prayaas se kya badla? Yeh main dekhna chahata hun. Aur main jis system tayyaar karunga, aapko itna to pata chala ki mujhe kuch to samajta hi hain. [Laughter] To main to iski puri kundali tayyaar karunga [Applause].
College ke kitne prayaas hain? Aapne improvement karne mein, students ki pratibha ko aur students ke sahi potential ko vikasit karne ke liye college kya prayaas kar raha hain, yeh hum dekhenge.
Aur is tarah se ek nayi rachna kar rahein hain. Lastly humne higher education finance agency shuru ki hain. Yeh ek nayi pehal hain. Bharat kyun peche hain kyunki hamare best of the best 500 students of the country har saal videsh me kyun jaate hain? Isliye jaate hain ki vahan unke paas best laboratories hote hain joh yahaan nahi hain. Hum best labs yahaan karna chahate hain. Aur iskeliye aanewaale teen saal mein higher education finance agency dwaara bees hajaar karod rupaye ka (nivesh) is kshetra mein hum karenge. Ki isseh research infrastructure majboot hon. Higher education finance agency shuru ho gayi hain.
Next .. month mein pehla karja uske liye vitrit hoga jisko vyaaj nahi hain. Woh bhi (analaabh he hain) ek tarah se. Lekin har cheej (ko) jo grant ki aadat lagi hain na, usse bhi main thoda bahar nikalna chahata hun. Bahut sare sudhaar banne hain. Aap jaise log hain, saathi hain, toh mera utsaah aur badhta hain. Aap do din khup charcha karo aur bahut sare sujaav do. Aapke sujaav ka swagat hain.
Bahut bahut dhanyavaad. Jai Hind! [Applause]
---- end of HRD minister Javadekar speech ----
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Readers may want to read my related blog post: Dr. Pushkar's articles on research req. for Indian college teachers producing fake research and reducing teaching quality; historical background of Indian academic research,
https://eklavyasai.blogspot.com/2017/08/3-interesting-articles-by-dr-pushkar-on.html, 4th Aug. 2017.
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Ravi: I felt it appropriate to provide my background below:
Ravi S. Iyer
Social media writer on spirituality & religion and retired international software consultant, Puttaparthi, India
Spiritual/Religious Websites/Blogs
* About Sri Sathya Sai Baba and more:
ravisiyer.blogspot.com
* God & science conversation and a little more:
iami1.wordpress.com/god-and-science-toc
Software Websites/Blogs
* Indian CS & IT Academic Reform Activism:
eklavyasai.blogspot.com/p/table-of-contents.html
* Course material related to computer programming (software lab.) courses:
raviiyerteaches.wordpress.com
Misc. Topics Blogs
*
ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/
*
ravisiyer.wordpress.com/category/misc/
e-mail: ravi@raviiyer.org
Twitter:
twitter.com/RaviSaiIyer
Google+:
google.com/+RaviSIyerSai
Facebook:
facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7
Service to Society is Service to God
[I thank Hon'ble HRD minister Shri Javadekar and have presumed that he will not have any objections to me sharing the above transcript of most of his above youtube video speech on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
