To check the slide in standards and taking a cue from the Prime Minister’s speech at Mumbai university last month, the Planning Commission has drawn up a comprehensive blueprint for the higher education sector with plans to create 30 “world-class universities” — one in each of the 18 states that do not have a Central university and the rest at “attractive locations” to draw the best faculty.

The blueprint, discussed at a high-level meeting with the PM, has been granted “in-principle” approval. The roadmap, estimated to cost Rs 1,31,022 crore, aims to push gross enrolment rate (GER) from 10% to 15% by 2014. The plan is to increase it to 21% by 2020.

Speaking to The Indian Express after the meeting, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that the government would work out a more detailed plan by either the month-end or by early August. He said there was need to expand scale, quality and access while working towards the goal of increasing the GER.

This is how they plan to go

about it:

• Delhi’s JNU will serve as model but unlike JNU which is a graduate university, these “world-class universities” will cater to undergraduate, graduates and above, will cater to about 10,000 students.

• Adoption of features like JNU-type autonomy, common entrance test, grade and semester systems.

• Recruiting some faculty with higher salaries but on 5-year contracts, with no assurance of “automatic renewal”. Some “tenured appointments” at a certain stage for professors.

... contd.