Task Force in higher education - a welcome step

Govt admits lacunae in higher education policy TNN 8 August 2009, 11:09pm IST

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa does not have a higher education policy and over 95 per cent of the department's annual budget is spent on salaries of teachers

and other university and college staff. The state government, which admitted to these facts on Saturday, decided to set up a task force to deal with the problems in higher education and come up with a concrete roadmap. "We want to revamp the higher education system and chalk out a five-year plan. We have asked vice-chancellors of all universities, technical and management institutes along with academicians for suggestions," higher education minister Debi Prasad Mishra said. "We are also planning to come up with a deliverable framework for 2020." Academicians have expressed concern over the acute shortage of teachers in the state and declining standards of students going for higher education. Vice-chancellor of Sambalpur University A K Pujari said, "Filling up of the vacant teacher's posts in colleges will solve problems of most universities. The government must provide complete autonomy to educational institutions for better functioning." Toeing a similar line, vice-chancellor of Utkal University Binayak Rath said, "The entire education system has been hit by red-tapism and negative mindset. There is an acute dearth of good and committed teachers and absolutely no atmosphere for research."Higher education secretary Madhusudan Padhi said, "The task force likely to be formed by October will be an apex body of higher education. It will prepare a plan for growth of higher education. Four sub-committees will provide suggestion for expansion, curricular concerns, governance and regulations and financing of higher education." Secretary of Orissa Private Engineering Colleges' Association (Opeca), Binod Dash said, "This is an irony that technical education comprising of engineering and management is under the purview of industries department. Acute shortage of quality teachers and no uniformity in fee structure are some of the major problems."