'Centre committed to improve quality of higher education'

Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar stated that the government is committed towards upgrading the quality of higher education in the country.

"The government supports more autonomy for educational institutions. It is encouraging students to take education loans, and deserving students will not be denied loans and scholarships," he said while addressing a press conference post the 65th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education here on Tuesday.

Javadekar further said online courses will be started soon in different disciplines. Only top institutions, he said, will be given permissions and the courses will only be available for non-technical streams. The format of online courses will be different from correspondence one, he said.

Responding to a query on full autonomy to IIMs, Javadekar said they would be made fully independent by February 1, adding that the same will be done for IITs and other colleges.

During the meeting, Javadekar also stressed on the need for reforms in education so that the existing mismatches between education, employment, and social relevance can be addressed.

"The thrust areas are quality, autonomy, research, and innovation," he said.